Film Teaser in the Digital Age: A Study of Select Bollywood Film Promotional Teasers

Purpose: A film teaser is a short promotional video, typically ranging from a few seconds to one minute, usually released ahead of a full trailer to generate initial interest for an upcoming film. Film teasers play a crucial role in building early anticipation, creating buzz on various platforms and engaging audiences before the release of the official trailer of a film. They serve as an influential tool in shaping the first impression and generating awareness among the target audience of the film. In the present digital age, film promotion has undergone a significant transformation with film teasers emerging as a crucial promotional tool. As audiences increasingly consume media through digital platforms, a teaser has now evolved from a simple preview to a strategically crafted marketing instrument. Understanding the effectiveness of film teasers provides valuable insights into contemporary media consumption patterns and promotional strategies in the film industry.

Design/methodology/approach: The study will adopt a qualitative research approach, employing thematic analysis to analyze selected Bollywood film teasers.

Findings: Extensive research has been conducted on film marketing, but limited scholarly attention has been paid to the standalone impact of teasers. This study aims to fill this gap by critically analyzing how teasers function as a unique promotional tool in the broader film promotional campaign.

Originality/value: The origin of the word “teaser” in the context of film promotion is unknown and cannot be attributed to a person or organisation, it is derived from the verb “teaser”, meaning to arouse curiosity, interest or anticipation. A film teaser can be defined as a short, strategically crafted audio-visual preview that serves as the initial contact between the film and its target audience