iWorld
Sony LIV celebrates its 1st Anniversary with an open love letter to its viewers
MUMBAI: Sony LIV, Multi Screen Media (MSM)’s premium video-on-demand service has launched a unique campaign to thank its viewers for the successful completion of its first year. The brand has written an open letter to viewers personifying Sony LIV as the doting partner of the viewer and describing the relationship between the two. The thought was derived from all the gestures couples indulge in when they complete their first year of togetherness like sending each other flowers, chocolates, putting up testimonials on social media, etc. The letter highlights all the high points of the year gone by for Sony LIV and its viewers.
The beautifully-designed letter that put Sony LIV’s gratitude in words was sent to viewers through Facebook and emails. Overwhelmed viewers wrote back expressing their joy at such a warm way to involve them in the celebrations. Messages ranged from thank you notes to congratulatory messages on social media. Some of them read like this: “The letter made be blush, such a sweet gesture from Sony LIV” and “I have been watching shows on Sony LIV right from the start and I can totally relate to the sentiment of the letter.”
While the first few months passed akin to the honeymoon phase of a relationship, soon Sony LIV began innovating and experimenting to keep its partner interested and engaged. The idea was to give LIV’s viewers breaks that were worthwhile and fun. After all, modern life is all about those little escapes from the mundane. It successfully stayed at the forefront in terms of product development and technological advancements by introducing the iOS, Android, Windows and Blackberry applications so that viewers could truly enjoy the brand proposition: “Mazey Ke Break Lo, Kahin Bhi Dekh Lo”.
Sony LIV also ran various interactive campaigns to create a buzz around its 1st Anniversary. A special logo was created for this occasion, the Sony LIV website held a contest which allowed fans to wish the brand Happy 1st Anniversary in the style of their favourite Sony character. Fans went all out to express their wishes. Some did it in the signature ACP Pradyuman (of the CID fame) way: “Daya Darvaza Todo, Andar Anniversary ka Cake Band Hai, Happy Anniversary!” or in the style of Dr. Hansraj Hathi from Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah: “Arey Komal! Badi Zorose Bhook Lagi Hai, Chalo Jaldi, Sony LIV ka Anniversary Cake Khane! Badhai Ho!”
Also on Facebook and Twitter Sony LIV ran a contest called ‘Gift a Maze ka break’ where people could gift their friends Sony LIV merchandise and movie tickets by tagging them and stating why their friends deserved to win a maze ka break.
The brand came up with promotional videos to drive traffic on the website. Encouraging viewers to participate in the Sony LIVanniversary party from 24th to 31stJanuary where movie tickets, autographed merchandise and gift vouchers were up for grabs.
Over the past one year, Sony LIV has consistently brought marquee shows from the Sony Network to its viewers on a device that they could access anywhere, anytime. Indian Idol Junior, KBC, Boogie Woogie, Top Gear and other popular shows were brought to the viewers on their preferred device, so that they never had to worry about missing a single episode. The content repertoire expanded over the year to include English shows from AXN and Sports – LIVE streaming of the New Zealand vs India cricket series; thereby catering to different audience groups, both male and female.
Extensive data analysis helped keeping engagement levels high. Innovations such as driving Indian Idol Junior auditions via the online medium and the app, offering the option to vote across all platforms including social media was offered. Also, introducing the play-along gaming application for KBC viewers enabled audiences to become active and facilitated a two-way communication via LIV.
iWorld
Imdb launches Dekh Bhais to simplify entertainment discovery
New creator-led series hosted by Rohan Joshi and Aaditya Kulshreshth turns scrolling dilemmas into lively conversations.
MUMBAI: Imdb has decided to end the endless “what to watch” scroll with a double tap of desi banter and smart recommendations. The world’s most popular source for movie, TV, and celebrity information has launched Dekh Bhais, a fresh digital series designed to make entertainment discovery fun, relatable, and effortless. Hosted by popular comedians and content creators Rohan Joshi and Aaditya Kulshreshth (better known as Kullu), the show streams across Imdb’s social channels and transforms everyday viewing confusion into candid, opinion-filled conversations.
Produced by Only Much Louder (OML) in collaboration with Imdb, Dekh Bhais cleverly showcases Imdb’s powerful discovery tools including Advanced Search, Interest pages, trending widgets, curated lists, and personalised recommendations through sharp, culturally resonant discussions.
Each episode features the hosts and a guest diving into personal favourites, pop culture references, genre preferences, and unexpected picks. The conversation culminates in a custom Imdb watchlist tailored to the chat, giving viewers a ready-to-binge lineup of recommendations.
Yaminie Patodia, Head of Imdb India, said, “Choosing what to watch today is more complex than ever. With Dekh Bhais, we explore the powerful intersection of personality-led recommendations and the rich insights available on Imdb. It creates a dynamic and entertaining way to navigate an overwhelming range of choices.”
Rohan Joshi shared: “We’ve all had that moment when we want to watch something but end up spending 20 minutes scrolling and second-guessing. Dekh Bhais is basically that scrolling session brought to life, but louder, more opinionated, and hopefully more useful.”
Kullu added: “IMDb has been a big part of my life since childhood. Our show mirrors how we actually discover films and shows in real life through jokes, debates, nostalgia, and strong opinions but it also shows how Imdb can help you cut through the noise.”
The opening slate explores different viewing moods and genres, with more episodes rolling out in the coming weeks. The series is now streaming on IMDb’s Youtube and Instagram channels, and is also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music.
In a world drowning in content choices, Dekh Bhais arrives as the perfect desi shortcut turning “too many options” into “here’s exactly what you’ll enjoy tonight.” With two sharp comedians at the helm and IMDb’s trusted data in the backseat, finding your next favourite watch has never been this entertaining.
