iWorld
Viacom 18’s VOOT targets ADHD millennials with three lively campaigns
MUMBAI: In a move to spread awareness about the brand and increase consumer adoption, Viacom’s Over-The-Top platform VOOT has rolled out three national marketing campaigns. The campaigns have been launched with the objective of making the platform a preferred destination for quality entertainment content consumption through over the top services.
Conceptualised by Mullen Lintas and directed Vinil Mathew of Breathless Films, the campaigns cater to multiple target groups expanding from kids to adults. With a new tagline which says Wanting Wanting, the service wants to urge, excite and make its viewers restless for addictive content which if started to consume is unstoppable. The catchy jingle ‘what to do, VOOT to do, wanting wanting’ is given by Amar Mangrulkar.
Through these campaigns, the platform wants to deliver content as per the viewers ‘wanting’ in any lengths from favourite shows to characters to larger preferences like an entire genre. With over 17,000 hours of programming across languages and genres, the venture also aims at adding 10,000 hours of content every year.
Commenting on the launch Viacom18 Digital Ventures COO Gaurav Gandhi said, “Content is at the heart of this business and therefore our marketing campaign also needed to revolve around the addictive nature of the content available on VOOT. All our efforts have been to create the VOOT experience both in terms of content and the product offering that will leave our viewers addicted and therefore keep coming back for more anytime and anywhere. And that is the singular message that you will see in all our communication. You are most happy when you VOOT, but being away from VOOT will leave you restless and wanting wanting for more.”
Following a time weighted viewing content strategy, the films features different protagonists watching their favourite content on the platform completely engrossed and the viewing gets interrupted because of a situation that is not in their control. And they are forced to move away from their phone. While the interruption continues, each protagonist is shown to be helplessly looking back at his/her phone screen with the content playing on it. With every passing second that keeps them away from the phone, the agony increases and the craving to getting back to their show becomes unbearable. There comes an inflection point when they can’t wait anymore and the burst of restlessness leads to a dive towards their phone and start VOOTing again.
VOOT has a categorically segmented content library into three parts with catch-up TV, talks, etc for one group, originals that can connect to the digital and younger audiences and kids content as the third focus. The platform has also formulated a kid’s activation plan which will be rolled-out in sometime.
“With the kind of content VOOT plans to offer and the anytime, anywhere access to it, we wanted the brand to take the high ground on entertainment. The greatest attribute of good quality content that is available on your terms can be quite addictive. Hence through this campaign, the brand promises that the content will be extremely good and the viewers will never want to be away from it. We are excited with the way the entire campaign has shaped up”, added Mullen Lintas executive VP Ayyappan Raj.
When asked about the reaction from advertisers Gandhi asserted, “We are getting a phenomenal response from the advertisers. Many brands have showed interest to get on board. We will have some deals locked by June”. He also mentioned that the ad rates on VOOT service are on similar grounds to its other two major competitors in this space.
With an aggressive campaign plan spanning over 12 months’ time, the company plans to initiate its digital marketing from 18 May followed by TV promotions on 19 May. The trade will be pushed outdoors, on radio and print and across the entire network as well as several other channels in Hindi movies, English movie, news, kids, infotainment, lifestyle and music channels across languages. The massive digital push also includes takeover of home pages of TOI, MSN, Rediff, Dailyhunt and the Youtube masthead. Though the marketing will be a pan-India initiative, special focus will be emphasised on the top six markets of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad.
“We are going to market it across genres, languages, all our channels, outdoor, print, radio, social media, etc. We want to increase awareness of what the brand stands for and what VOOT has in store to offer. We are a brand for everyone and want people to come to us so that we can solve their problem”, said Viacom18 Digital Ventures head of marketing and partnerships Akash Banerji.
Further strengthening its content library, the platform has also launched two original web-series namely Chinese Bhassad, written by Raahil Qaazi and directed and produced by Saurabh Tewari and a chat show with Alok Nath titled Sinskari produced by Monozygotic. It will also launch two more originals, a mocumentary film Badman starring Gulshan Grover and Soadies, a sitcom tribute to the iconic reality show Roadies which stars Baba Sehgal.
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.
