Case Study: How WPP OpenDoor helped Amazon Prime Video place a streaming launch inside daily routines

The launch of The Family Man Season 3 was supported by a multi-platform marketing rollout that placed the series across everyday consumer touchpoints. Between November 21 and 24, the show appeared through integrations on quick-commerce app Zepto, during an episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati, and within live commentary during the India–South Africa cricket match.

The campaign was executed by Amazon Prime Video in collaboration with WPP OpenDoor and avoided traditional trailer-led promotion. Instead, it relied on contextual placements and moment-based integrations across television, digital and commerce platforms to drive awareness. The approach focused on visibility within routine activities such as shopping, quiz-based programming and live sports viewing, with the intent of prompting audience curiosity and discussion.

According to the campaign outline, the activations ran simultaneously across platforms rather than as staggered releases, marking an attempt to create sustained presence over a short window. 

Category Introduction

The streaming entertainment industry continues its robust growth trajectory globally. While specific market sizing and projection data for 2025 are not provided within the scope of this case study, the sector is characterized by intense competition for viewer attention, a proliferation of original content, and a constant drive towards innovative audience engagement strategies. Brands within this category increasingly seek out novel ways to break through the promotional clutter and create memorable experiences for their audiences.

Brand Introduction

Amazon Prime Video: Amazon Prime Video is a global subscription-based streaming platform operated by Amazon. It offers a catalogue that includes licensed films and television series alongside Amazon-produced original programming, distributed across multiple international markets.

WPP OpenDoor: WPP OpenDoor is WPP’s dedicated global client team for Amazon. It functions as an integrated model that brings together media, creative, production and data capabilities from across WPP agencies. The structure is designed to streamline collaboration with Amazon through shared processes, centralised teams and the use of WPP’s internal technology platforms to manage workflows and delivery.

Marketing objective

The primary marketing objective for this campaign was to engineer a high-impact launch that would generate authentic curiosity and spark organic conversations around The Family Man Season 3. The strategy deliberately moved away from traditional advertising formats, instead focusing on creating unexpected, contextually relevant integration points that felt natural and intrinsic to the show's universe, thereby resonating more deeply with a wide audience.

Summary

In a testament to integrated marketing prowess, a strategic partnership executed an unprecedented "takeover" for The Family Man Season 3's launch weekend. The campaign ingeniously wove the series' narrative and humour into everyday consumer activities, from quick-commerce platform searches to prime-time television game shows and even subtle nods during live cricket commentary. This multi-platform activation aimed to cultivate genuine curiosity and foster organic discussion, transforming passive media consumption into an immersive, story-driven experience for fans.

Problem Statement

The central challenge addressed by the campaign was to execute a launch for The Family Man Season 3 that not only achieved widespread visibility but also deeply engaged audiences on an emotional and intellectual level. The specific objectives included:

1. Maximizing launch impact: Ensuring significant buzz and excitement for the new season during its crucial opening weekend.

2. Fostering organic engagement: Generating natural curiosity and driving authentic conversations about the series, distinct from conventional promotional noise.

3. Innovating beyond traditional advertising: Developing unique integration points that were perceived as intriguing and relevant rather than overtly commercial.

4. Creating a unified experience: Delivering a cohesive "surround-sound" presence that immersed audiences in the show's unique world and humour across a variety of diverse platforms.

Brief

The brief for the campaign was to conceptualise and deliver an unconventional, high-impact launch strategy for The Family Man Season 3. It called for the development of a series of seamlessly integrated activations across various media, specifically designed to ignite organic interest and conversation, thereby transcending reliance on traditional advertising methods. A core emphasis of the brief was to embed the series' distinctive world and characteristic humour into unexpected, high-traffic consumer environments during the critical four-day launch window (November 21st-24th).

Creative idea

The core creative idea was to engineer a "seamless takeover" by subtly yet effectively embedding the essence of new seasoninto unexpected, high-engagement consumer touchpoints. The campaign focused on crafting story-driven integrations that felt like organic extensions of the series’ world, rather than intrusive advertisements. This strategy aimed to transform everyday activities – such as ordering groceries or watching television – into interactive, in-universe missions for fans, thereby sparking genuine curiosity and conversation by making the series omnipresent, yet discreetly integrated, across diverse platforms.

Challenges

The execution of such an innovative and multi-faceted campaign presented several key challenges:

1. Integration: Securing the "category-first" integration with Zepto, requiring convincing the quick-commerce platform to open its search bar to an external entertainment partner, entailed significant negotiation, trust-building, and intricate technical coordination.

1. Authentic blending: Ensuring that each integration felt natural and authentic within highly varied environments (a quick-commerce app, a game show, live cricket commentary) was critical to avoid appearing forced or overly promotional, which would have counteracted the objective of sparking "natural curiosity."

2. Maintaining brand tone: Infusing the series' distinctive grounded universe and signature humour into each touchpoint without diluting its essence or becoming generic proved to be a delicate balance.

3. Multi-platform orchestration: Coordinating simultaneous, high-impact activations across television, digital, and commerce platforms within a tight four-day launch window (November 21st-24th) demanded meticulous planning, precise execution, and robust logistical support.

Execution

The campaign's execution was a testament to meticulous planning and innovative strategy, strategically weaving the narrative of The Family Man Season 3 into diverse audience touchpoints:

1. The Zepto "Mission Binge" Quick-Commerce Takeover

• Step 1: Strategic Partner Identification: The campaign identified Zepto, a leading quick-commerce platform, as a unique avenue to reach consumers during a high-frequency, everyday activity – grocery shopping. The objective was to transform this routine task into an in-universe series experience.

• Step 2: Pioneering Search Bar Integration: A significant "category-first" was achieved as Zepto opened its search bar to an external entertainment partner. This unprecedented move allowed the campaign to directly intercept users' search behavior.

• Step 3: Designing a Story-Driven Search Journey: For the launch weekend (November 21st-24th), between 6 pm and 12 am, users were encouraged to search for keywords like "The Family Man" or "The Wanted Man" within the Zepto app. This initiated a direct, narrative-led experience, pulling users deeper into the series' world.

• Step 4: Curating "Binge Supplies Needed for 6 Hours": The search results page was transformed into an exclusive, curated list of essential "binge supplies." This was a clever, in-universe nod to the six-hour runtime of Season 3, creating immediate relevance for viewers planning their binge-watching sessions.

• Step 5: Implementing Character-Led Cues: The selection of "binge supplies" was infused with character personality, adding an immersive layer to the shopping experience:

• Srikant Tiwari's Practicality: Practical, no-fuss snack picks (e.g., standard chips, quick beverages) were suggested, aligning with Srikant's grounded and efficient persona.

• JK's Indulgence: Fun, often quirky, and notably momo-driven selections were highlighted, directly tying into JK's trademark indulgence and a specific storyline element from the new season. This enhanced the immersive quality by linking product suggestions to character traits.

• Objective Fulfilled: This tactical integration amplified the universal behaviour of snacking while binging content, transforming it into an immersive, in-universe mission for fans, seamlessly blending commerce with entertainment.

2. Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) Conversational Integration

• Step 1: Leveraging Mass Audience Reach: KBC was identified as a prime-time television platform with immense mass appeal, offering an opportunity for discovery among a broad and diverse audience that might not actively engage with streaming promotions.

• Step 2: Crafting a Natural Conversational Cue: Instead of an overt advertisement, the strategy focused on embedding a subtle, story-appropriate reference to the world of The Family Man within the show's natural dialogue flow. This ensured the mention felt organic and unexpected.

• Step 3: Seamless In-Show Placement: An in-show conversational cue referenced the series in a manner that felt organic to KBC's format, creating an unexpected but contextually relevant moment of discovery for a massive television audience without disrupting their experience.

3. Cricket Match Commentary Integration on Cricbuzz Social Media

• Step 1: Capitalizing on High-Engagement Content: The India–South Africa cricket match provided a high-engagement, live viewing environment, offering a platform to reach an passionate and active audience during a high-interest event.

• Step 2: Partnering with Influential Commentators: Collaborating with renowned cricket commentators like Shaun Pollock and Murali Kartik ensured credibility and natural delivery. Their established rapport and audience trust enhanced the authenticity of the integration.

• Step 3: Weaving Narrative-Linked Mentions: During post-match commentary on Cricbuzz’s social media channels, the commentators subtly wove mentions connected to The Family Man Season 3 into their discussions. These were not forced product placements but rather thematic parallels.

• Step 4: Crafting Specific Thematic Dialogue: A notable moment occurred when Murali Kartik posed a question to Shaun Pollock, asking whether he was someone who "plays by the book or by his will." This was a direct, intelligent allusion to the core philosophies and contrasting characters of Srikant Tiwari (Manoj Bajpayee) and Rukma (Jaideep Ahlawat) from Season 3, sparking recognition and discussion among informed viewers.

• Objective Fulfilled: This integration leveraged a highly engaged audience, drawing positive sentiment from cricket fans by making the series relevant within their passion point, transforming a game discussion into a subtle series narrative.

Results

The activations generated measurable outcomes across platforms over a four-day period. On Zepto, the search pill integration recorded a 1.8% click-through rate, compared to a category average of 1.2%, and directed approximately 7.5 lakh users to the “Mission Binge” interface. Short-duration activity windows of up to six hours contributed to a combined reach of 19.3 million users during the campaign window.

On Cricbuzz, the “Cricbuzz Chatter” segment was integrated into ongoing cricket coverage and discussions across three days. The show was referenced through contextual promos and during match-hour ad placements, reaching audiences following both live matches and post-match analysis. The segment was anchored by Murali Kartik and Shaun Pollock as part of regular programming.

Additional visibility was achieved through Instagram Stories posted on Cricbuzz’s account, which has 2.8 million followers. Related content was reshared by Kartik and Pollock. Audience responses, including comments on social platforms, indicated active engagement with the integrations and discussions surrounding the show.