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.
Gaming
Bluestone FY26 revenue rises to Rs 2,436 crore, turns profitable
Q4 profit at Rs 31 crore, full-year profit at Rs 13 crore vs loss last year.
MUMBAI: From sparkle to numbers, Bluestone seems to be polishing more than just jewellery this year. Bluestone Jewellery and Lifestyle Limited reported a sharp turnaround in FY26, with revenue from operations rising to Rs 2,436 crore (Rs 24,364 million), up from Rs 1,770 crore (Rs 17,700 million) in FY25. The company posted a full-year profit of Rs 13 crore (Rs 131.79 million), a significant recovery from a loss of Rs 222 crore (Rs 2,218 million) a year ago.
Total income for the year stood at Rs 2,486 crore (Rs 24,860 million), compared to Rs 1,830 crore (Rs 18,300 million) in the previous year, reflecting both topline growth and improved operational momentum.
The March quarter, however, told a more nuanced story. Revenue from operations came in at Rs 681 crore (Rs 6,814 million), down from Rs 748 crore (Rs 7,486 million) in the year-ago period, though higher than Rs 461 crore (Rs 4,613 million) in the preceding December quarter. Net profit for Q4 stood at Rs 31 crore (Rs 311.81 million), compared to Rs 68 crore (Rs 688 million) a year earlier, but a clear reversal from a loss of Rs 51 crore (Rs 512 million) in Q3.
Margins were shaped by higher input costs, with raw material consumption rising to Rs 2,204 crore (Rs 22,043 million) for the full year, alongside employee benefit expenses of Rs 282 crore (Rs 2,824 million) and finance costs of Rs 210 crore (Rs 2,104 million). Other expenses came in at Rs 371 crore (Rs 3,715 million), slightly lower than Rs 393 crore (Rs 3,938 million) in FY25.
On the balance sheet front, total assets expanded to Rs 4,961 crore (Rs 49,610 million) as of March 31, 2026, from Rs 3,532 crore (Rs 35,322 million) a year earlier, driven largely by a surge in inventories to Rs 2,672 crore (Rs 26,718 million). Equity also strengthened to Rs 1,803 crore (Rs 18,030 million), nearly doubling from Rs 911 crore (Rs 9,107 million).
Cash flows reflected the cost of growth. Net cash used in operating activities stood at Rs 199 crore (Rs 1,990 million), while investing activities saw an outflow of Rs 239 crore (Rs 2,392 million). Financing activities, however, generated Rs 497 crore (Rs 4,971 million), helping the company end the year with cash and cash equivalents of Rs 108 crore (Rs 1,075 million), up from Rs 49 crore (Rs 487 million).
Earnings per share for FY26 came in at Rs 1.10, a sharp improvement from a negative Rs 79.74 in FY25, underlining the shift from losses to profitability.
With revenue scaling up, costs still glittering on the higher side, and profitability finally back in the black, BlueStone’s FY26 performance suggests a business mid-transition less about shine alone, and more about sustaining it.
