Strategies of «city placement» (placement of cities in movies) in promoting Spanish tourism. The case of "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara" ("You Don’t Get Life a Second Time", 2011)

Abstract

Shooting a feature film in a city can enhance its popularity and international image, attracting tourists and bringing in economic benefits. In return, the city can offer interesting privileges to film production companies: special shooting permits, permission to film at public monuments, vigilance and security, finance, tax exemptions, etc. Such strategies, known as «city placement», can be considered specific brand placement. The study of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (You Don’t Get Life a Second Time, 2011), an Indian film that was shot in Spain thanks to an agreement with Turespaña, is a clear example of such a positioning of a city. This agreement benefited both the production company (production facilities, financial support, etc.) and the Autonomous Communities in which it was filmed - Catalonia, Valencia, Andalusia and Navarre - by contributing to the local economy (overnight stays, restaurants, etc.) and through the international promotion of tourism. The methodology used for the analysis of «city positioning», proves two hypotheses - mainly, the effectiveness of this new technique and the convenience of the methodology.