We want our users to step away from the world of Prime Video for just a bit: Sushant Sreeram

Amazon Prime Video has launched a campaign titled #ApnoWaliDiwali (Diwali of our own), urging viewers to spend time with their family and friends instead of binging shows on the OTT platform. 

 

Conceptualised by its in-house team, the films aim to give viewers the message of ‘Hum Toh Yahaan Kal Bhi Rehenge…Par Diwali Kal Nahi Aayegi’ (we will be here even tomorrow, but Diwali won’t come again tomorrow). 

 

The films feature actors Pankaj Tripathi and Maanvi Gagroo from Amazon Prime Video’s popular shows ‘Mirzapur’ and ‘Four More Shots Please!’. In both the films, Tripathi and Gagroo are shown sitting next to the fans of their respective shows and experiencing all their moments with them. However, when the addicted binge-watchers repeat the same routine on Diwali, the actors encourage them to get off their devices and spend the festival with their loved ones, indicating that they will still be around once Diwali ends. 

 

 

On the sidelines of the launch of the campaign, we caught up with Sushant Sreeram, director – marketing, Amazon Prime Video, India, to learn more about the campaign, the challenges of the OTT segment and more...

 

How did the idea behind the campaign come about? What are your expectations from the same? 

 

This year, as we inched closer to the festive season, a strong customer insight caught our attention. People are looking forward to meeting their families and friends, whether physically (in small social bubbles with adequate precautions) or even virtually. Our campaign insight was born from this understanding, and honestly, this was a sentiment that resonated personally within the team as well. We wanted to nudge our consumers to ‘step away from the world of Prime Video for just a bit’ and instead spend this festive season with family and friends, following all health and safety protocols, of course. As we tell them this, we wanted to assure them their favourite Prime Video will be right here waiting for them. We hope people not only enjoy watching these ads, with two of the most iconic Prime Video characters but will take time out from watching all their favourite shows and movies on Prime Video to spend Diwali with their loved ones.

 

This was a pretty bold move asking users to not spend their time on Prime Video, but with their families instead. Could this have a reverse psychological effect, making viewers want to binge even more? 

 

Not at all – there was no intent to bring reverse psychology to play! The campaign was conceptualised in-house based on what we felt and also what we were hearing from our customers. It’s a simple, heartfelt, straightforward and authentic message meant to persuade people to spend time with their loved ones and make some new memories.

 

Although a great source of entertainment, do you believe that consumption of OTT has downplayed the need for people to go out and make real connections? 

 

Great content was a means of collective escape as we dealt with unprecedented circumstances. I would argue, it also represented a shared experience as we watched shows and movies and discussed them at length with our friends and family. We hope that in some small measure, we bring joy into the lives of our consumers. We are social beings, it is in our very nature to form connections with others around us, and entertainment is perhaps one of the most popular and interesting topics to form and strengthen our social bonds. 

 

What role does advertising play for Amazon Prime Video and what is your USP? 

 

Our core USP continues to be the great shows and movies we bring to customers across languages and genres, including international content. Our advertising is meant to help customers discover this amazing world of Prime Video.

 

Name some of the challenges you face in the OTT category…

 

Not a challenge, but the opportunity lies around ‘how do we continue to raise the bar in the quality and diversity of entertainment we bring to customers across the country?’. Being one of the most loved entertainment destinations keeps us on our toes as customer expectations from us keep rising, rightfully! The second is ‘how do we make the world of Prime Video accessible to one and all with easy, anytime, anywhere access?’. 

 

What keeps us up at night is the question ‘Are we doing everything we can to delight customers?’ We believe our energies are best directed at trying to better understand and serve our customers. Whether it is through Amazon Original shows and movies or consumer-favourite features like IMDb’s X-ray, Profiles, or the recently launched Prime Video Channels that allows customers to subscribe to different streaming services and watch on Prime Video itself, we are constantly trying to make entertainment simpler, more convenient and immersive for our viewers.

 

 

CREDITS (for the campaign)

 

Creative agency: In-house 

 

Scriptwriting: YA Writers Room, led by Shohini Dasgupta

 

Writers: Nisha, Pallavi and Nikita

 

Production house: Big Momma Productions

 

Director: Shohini Dasgupta