iWorld
United Breweries trademark iconic Kingfisher jingle ‘ Oo la la la le o’
Kingfisher’s three-decade-old tune gains legal protection as a sonic trademark
MUMBAI: United Breweries Limited, part of the Heineken group, has secured trademark registration for the iconic Kingfisher jingle Oo la la la le o, formally recognising a sonic asset embedded in the brand’s identity for nearly three decades.
With the registration, United Breweries becomes the first company in India’s alcoholic beverages category to obtain legal protection for a sonic trademark. It is also the only packaged drinking water manufacturer in the country to hold such a registered sound mark with strong consumer recall.
Introduced in 1996, the jingle has been used consistently for close to 30 years, developing an unmistakable association with the Kingfisher brand. Its distinctive tune has long functioned as a trademark in practice, now formally acknowledged as one in law.
The move underscores the growing importance of non-visual brand assets, as companies increasingly seek to protect sound, memory and emotion as part of their intellectual property portfolios in a crowded, multisensory marketing landscape.
United Breweries chief marketing officer Vikram Bahl, said the jingle was a rare brand asset that transcended words and visuals. Sonic identity, he added, had become a powerful way for brands to connect emotionally with consumers, and trademarking the jingle ensured long-term protection of a core element of Kingfisher’s personality.
Over time, the tune has evolved beyond conventional advertising to become a cultural cue. It has recently been reimagined through collaborations with music artists and integrated into platforms such as the Women’s Premier League, helping the brand stay relevant with younger audiences while retaining its legacy appeal.
United Breweries chief legal officer Neha Munjral, said the jingle had an immediate association with Kingfisher even without verbal brand cues, making it a quintessential trademark. Decades of continuous use, she said, had built significant goodwill around the asset, now secured through formal registration.
By trademarking the jingle, United Breweries has converted a familiar tune into a legally protected brand asset, strengthening its intellectual property rights as it continues to evolve its marketing playbook.
iWorld
Why Peaky Blinders is one of television’s biggest hits that still deserves more attention
Six seasons, multiple awards and the release of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man bring the Shelby saga back into the spotlight
In the crowded universe of streaming content, only a handful of shows manage to leave a lasting cultural footprint. Peaky Blinders is overwhelmingly considered one of the biggest global hits of the past decade. Yet many viewers still haven’t fully explored the dark, gripping world of the Shelby family.
Originally produced for the UK’s BBC and later finding a massive global audience through Netflix, the series quietly grew from a British period drama into a worldwide streaming phenomenon.
Created by Steven Knight, the show follows the rise of the Shelby crime family in post-First World War Birmingham. What begins as a gritty street-gang story gradually expands into a sweeping narrative about ambition, politics, power and survival.
At the centre of the saga is Thomas Shelby, portrayed with extraordinary depth by Cillian Murphy. The casting of Murphy is widely regarded as perfect for the role. With piercing eyes, restrained dialogue and an almost hypnotic screen presence, he transforms Shelby into one of the most unforgettable characters in modern screen storytelling.
Murphy’s brilliance lies in his restraint. He rarely shouts or performs theatrically. Instead, a quiet stare, a calculated pause or a subtle shift in expression conveys the emotional storms within the character. Beneath the ruthless gang leader is a war veteran carrying trauma, guilt and loneliness. Murphy captures this complexity with remarkable precision, making Thomas Shelby both terrifying and deeply human.
Beyond its central performance, Peaky Blinders stands out for its unfiltered portrayal of reality. The show does not romanticise crime. Instead, it exposes the harsh social conditions of early 20th-century Britain, from poverty and class struggle to political extremism and the psychological scars left by war.
The series also presents powerful female characters who hold their own within the Shelby empire. Polly Gray, played by Helen McCrory, is the strategic backbone of the family and one of the most formidable figures in the story. Women in the series shape decisions, influence power structures and challenge the rigid social norms of the time.
Across six seasons, the narrative grows dramatically in scale. What begins in the smoky streets of Birmingham evolves into a story involving political conspiracies, fascism and international criminal networks.
The series has also earned significant critical acclaim. It won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Drama Series in 2018 and multiple National Television Awards for Best Drama, cementing its reputation as one of Britain’s most celebrated modern shows.
Another defining feature of the series is its iconic music. The show’s opening theme, Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, became instantly recognisable and widely associated with the Shelby universe. Combined with a powerful soundtrack featuring artists such as Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead, the music helped shape the show’s dark, stylish identity and became hugely popular among fans.
And the Shelby story is not over yet.
In fact, its legacy is unfolding right now. The long-awaited feature-length continuation, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, was released on March 6, 2026, bringing the Shelby universe from streaming screens to cinemas and giving fans a new chapter in the saga.
For viewers who have not yet stepped into this world, the timing could not be better.
Six gripping seasons are ready to binge on Netflix. A new film has just arrived in theatres. And at the heart of it all stands one of the most magnetic performances in modern drama by Cillian Murphy.
So if Peaky Blinders has been sitting on your watchlist for years, this weekend is your moment.
So, by order of the Peaky fookin’ Blinders, consider this your cue to finally step into the ruthless world of Thomas Shelby. Pour yourself a drink, clear your schedule and press the play button. Because when the Peaky Blinders give an order, you listen.
