Do Whacky Named Ad-Shops Score Over Others?

4Ps B&M investigates the growing list of OMG, new-age agency names that could prompt the conservative, old school types, to reach for their smelling salts or fast-track towards the nearest ICU!

A few months ago a close friend of mine called up, slightly hysterical and insisted he needed to see me, pronto! Alarmed, I invited him instantly. He arrived, looking like death warmed-up. I immediately enquired about his health, whether his Biwi No.1 had left him for SRK, his daughter with the tattooed dude down the road, his son with a druggie buddy ...? He appeared irritated (a good sign suggesting human feelings!) and impatient. “Don’t talk nonsense yaar, it’s nothing like that. You remember my elder daughter and that big session you had about career-avenues? She followed your advice and joined an ad agency, but ...” here he visibly ashened “but God, how can one ever utter that name in public? Will my daughter ever get a decent suitor in the matrimonial market once they hear where she is employed?” He paused, looked up towards me and croaked “Six Inches! That’s the name of the ad agency! Can you believe it?”

On the way to the bar to quickly provide my friend with the ol’ friendly life support juice, I couldn’t suppress a small smile. He was not from Adbiz and hence was clueless about the fact that there was life beyond the old, traditional names like JWT, Ogilvy, McCann, Lowe, Lintas, Grey, even Mudra, Ulka, etc. In recent times such whacked-out names like Nuts N Bolts, Scarecrow, Eggfirst Advertising, Saints & Warriors, WhatTheHell?, Cut The Crap, Fresh Lime Soda Creatives, Flaky Mellow & Grounded, From Here On, Bang In The Middle, Virus, Brand Curry, Curry-Nation, Grasshopper, Goosebumps, Taproot ... are pushing for centre-stage, with more set to, undoubtedly, follow. Wassup? Has Adville finally become – officially – a Pagalkhana?

Moon Moon Dhar, the feisty CD of the Delhi-based adshop Perfect10 – she gave the name – believes that these new-age names should provide zero reason for any progressive, sane, intelligent person to take that tip to the shrink! “Boss, isn’t effective advertising about the AIDA factor: Attention, Interest, Desire, Action? That’s what these freaky names hit. Same with Perfect10. To the true-blue movie buff of yesteryears, it could well evoke images of the sizzling Bo Derek starring in the film of the same name. To ad professionals, however, the message is simple: a benchmark, a yardstick for true, effective professionalism that delivers the goods,” she tells 4Ps B&M.

Goosebumps head honcho Ratan Kumar agrees and lets out where his unusual agency name came from. “In today’s Adville, where competition is fierce and gaining an edge anyhow and anywhere is hugely advantageous, standing out is the key. This name came from a stunning line delivered as a part of a pitch by my ex-boss in Leo Burnett. He said: We are really farmers. We raise goosebumps. I was blown! I couldn‘t dream of choosing any other name when I struck out on my own,” says Kumar.

Grasshopper Communications big boy Arjun Banerjee – whose allied services come under the name of Green Thumbs & Grownups – confesses that he never ever wanted to go the straight, boring route. “Idly, sitting over a drink one night and wondering what kind of name would best define our agency’s soul, I saw this grasshopper in my room cheerfully hopping from one spot to another. Bingo! Movement, energy, hitting new spots – isn’t that a cool way to get started? That has remained our prime focus,” Banerjee tells 4Ps B&M.

The Virus guys – Rupam & wifey Oli Bora – believe that it’s a great idea to let your ideas be contagious and infect clients with them! “That what brand Virus is all about. Also it seamlessly lends itself to brand extensions – Virus Digital, Virus Films etc. – without disturbing the soul of the desired (provocative) mandate, direction or focus.”

Head honcho of Brand Curry, Subrata Chakraborty is up next with his very own take on his shop’s spicy name! “When we opened shop in 2004, we were very sure that we didn’t want to be another Anglo-Saxon zerox! We wanted a signature that epitomized local roots with global vision. A celebration of desi designed to resonate with global clients. See Manhattan through a Meerut prism! Curry was a word that connected seemlessly with global players irrespective of whether they had been to India or not. I also – at a seminal level – suggested spice, colour, excitement. What better branding for a brand new shop determined to be different in letter, spirit ... and name?!” says Chakraborty.

Social commentator & head honcho of Future Brands, Santosh Desai believes this phenomenon is a sign of the times. “Early on Suits ran the agency business and being politically correct & dignified was part of their persona. The aberrations and freako stuff was strictly for the creative types who anyway were not meant for public consumption! This went well with the JWT, McCann, Clarion, Ogilvy, Interpub – names & shops that were firang and came with a sense of awe. Today, creative people call the shots and clients are cool interacting with them. Somewhere this loosening up and shift of focus has made a difference because what they bring to the table is something way beyond what the stodgy suit does,” he tells 4Ps B&M. The more important challenge, believes Desai, is for the start-ups. “It is a David versus Goliath scene from the word go! Irreverence and a sense of adolescence marks their persona and what better place to begin attention-grabbing than the very name. Strawberry Frog (for example) can come as cardiac-arrest material to an ad guy of the seventies whose idea of the off beat were (such tame?) second agency names like Interface (Ulka), Contract (JWT), Edge (Everest), ACIL (Clarion). These new, whacky names bring a sense of fun, energy and edginess to the business which is not always insanely focused on being only politically correct.” However, Desai warns in many cases, these agencies fizzle out because after that first big bang, the follow up can’t keep pace either with the expectations or requirements.

Gorgeous veteran Nargis Wadia – traffic stopping CEO of Interpub of the sixties and seventies – is up next. “I think it’s really an evolutionary thing. When we started out, advertising was in a nascent stage and we were self-conscious about the way we conduct business. Respectability and dignity leading to credibility were given high premium and were pursued rigorously. That manifested itself in the names of that era. Today it’s a more casual time. Creative expressions come in different garbs and clients are perfectly comfortable with it. Hence these unusual names! Also, they are clutter-busting moves ensuring noticeability & memorability in a space crammed with tons of Adshops,” says Wadia.

Hot-shot marketing honcho Lloyd Mathias believes that ad agencies are really late-bloomers compared to rock bands and design/film production outfits in the name game. “I remember in St. Xaviers College, way back, we formed a band that was instantly banned called ... OUR SOULS! The establishment didn’t see anything really spiritual and labeled it blasphemous!” Mathias is totally ra-ra about this trend because he believes it captures the flavour of both, the cool times we live in as also perfectly epitomizes – in letter and spirit – the new-age spin on this business of creativity. “Remember bizarre is the new normal in a space where imagination rules and is being reinvented everyday,” adds Mathias.

The last words must come from Delhi-based Avijit Dutt. A renowned screen, theatre & ad personality, Dutt believes that the newbies needed “to think outside the carpentry shed, forget the box! In this scenario, the first seduction is in the curiosity of the name, something that expresses uniqueness and memorability, raises a chuckle and hopefully hopes to bogey into the sunset, with their clients.” Well, why go far? Check out superstar SRK’s funky & disruptive name for his film production company: Red Chillies!

Do Whacky Named Ad-Shops Score Over Others?

CLIENT INTERFERENCE IN ADVILLE. DADAGIRI OR COLLABORATION?

4Ps B&M examines an issue that continues to plague the industry … but remains its worst kept secret! Is it normal industry practice or over-reactions from the creative dilettantes?

As a curtain-raiser, a brief flashback to what one of my earliest gurus – the late, iconic Subhash Ghoshal – told us when we were about to get started as trainees in the JWT Kolkata of the early 70s, would be in order. “We are in the service industry and exist only because of our clients. Never forget that.” He also made it clear that the jobs of the two were clearly demarcated. “Our job is to understand everything about his product and communication requirement and offer him cutting-edge need-based solutions. The client is to clearly define his needs and pose challenges that charge us to offer communication that catches lightning in a bottle!” Since creativity was the driving force, opinions – informed, focused, sharp, insightful as well as frivolous, stupid, dismissive, even downright rude – he warned us, would fly, but it was critical that we retain our cool and dignity befitting our role as good ambassadors of both JWT, and the profession. However, it was equally critical that we don’t “cave-in, sell-out or play yes-men to any/everything the client says because we are not suppliers but consultants – collaborators and equal-partners on the same side, united in the common agenda of informing, educating, persuading and selling the product/service to the target group.”

That was titan-speak, but today, in year 2013, does client-interference happen as frequently and does it still embrace the charming definition of “the insanity of barking when you have a dog!” Let’s face it, advertising – like Bollywood – is a nervous space, forever driven by frenzied guesswork, hunches, buzz, hearsay, whatever. Pecking to death a perfectly well-formulated and approved idea, is not unknown, nor the client “perching on our damn shoulders like some goddamned nagging conscience” as one fatigued creative put it. “They should stop being C-grade writers & art directors and concentrate on playing the role of an inspirational impresario instead,” adds another. Tongue-firmly in cheek, ex-JWT Creative Director Dulu Sen lets fly a zinger: “As the great H. G. Wells once wrote, no passion in the world is equal to the passion to alter someone’s draft!”

Power Grid’s Naresh Kumar fires the first salvo offering an interesting client-perspective. “The answer has to be a yes and no! Yes, because there are definite instances – both in the PSUs and private sector – where clients are more opinionated than professionally evolved and bring this to bear on the job. Due to this inadequacy, they prefer to play safe, toe traditional lines and go for consensus instead of taking the lead and responsibility to break new ground in terms of joint-collaboration towards creating meaningful, interesting yet relevant communications.” However, as an ex mass-com student with advertising agency experience, Kumar prides himself in being a thorough professional with a solid, two-decade experience of successfully handling the entire gamut of PSU communication portfolio. “This has resulted in awards and being recognised as a communication practitioner of real worth, enjoying high comfort levels with every Ad agency I have ever interacted with, leading to excellent work. We both know where we are coming from so there’s mutual respect, total transparency and zero bullshitting – something bound to happen when clients are clueless and opinionated allowing agencies to play shrewd supplier and move on,” he tells 4Ps B&M.

Next-up is Delhi-based agency Perfect 10’s Creative Director Moon Moon Dhar with her own take. “Client interference – especially in the PSU orbit – frequently happens when the wires are crossed!” She explains that many times the key honchos representing clients at a presentation are not from the communication discipline and therefore lack the required understanding, perspective, direction or appreciation of this special calling. They bring technical or financial aspects which – usually – are irrelevant to the presentation focus and confuse the issue. Sometimes, they insist that these elements be incorporated … and agencies give in because they feel its not worth fighting for. “Look, we are not here to change the world. It’s often no more than just a dumb job for a dumb client! However, there have been instances when clients have been brilliantly pro-active and their inspirational direction, guidance and mentoring have resulted in magic! Alas, these are few and far between…” she tells 4Ps B&M.

CLIENT INTERFERENCE IN ADVILLE. DADAGIRI OR COLLABORATION?

DO SLOGANS WORK?

IS THE SLOGAN DYING IN TODAY’S AD-LAND?

Consulting Editor 4Ps B&M Monojit Lahiri questions the relevance of slogans in today’s era, and, umm, tastes the thunder

Once upon a time, slogans & advertising were truly the made-for-each-other blend, indeed as perfectly matched as the iconic Wills Filter template created for the ITC brand of the sixties! In 2013, do slogans have the same, compelling draw, enticement-value or fun-factor that they once enjoyed? A significant bunch of ad-watchers and trackers believes that many of the big brands don’t consider it necessary or cool to fall back on slogans anymore, considering it both hackneyed and horribly predictable. They believe that readers, viewers and listeners have moved on to a more communication-savvy and literate space where visual/aural devices and linkages are more impactive than the [y-a-w-n] catch-lines. Others disagree and believe that if slogans are intelligently and creatively fused into the brand promise, they will continue to both rock n’ roll! So what gives?

Lloyd Mathias – a brilliant, marketing practitioner who has done valuable time in Pepsi, Motorola and Tata and presently director of the Gurgaon-based Green Bean Ventures – believes that there’s been a sea-change in the very nature of the beast. “Across the 60s, 70s, even 80s, print and radio were pretty much the prime media drivers, where slogans naturally lent themselves as seductive and entertaining persuaders. However, with the advent of the TVC and now Digital, the entire scenario changed as did the perceptions of media consumption. While it didn’t totally dump the slogan to the trash can, it called for a review. Pepsi is a classic case in point where, from Yehi hai right choice baby to Dil maange more to Yeh pyaas hai badi to the latest Oh, Yes, Abhi, the transition has been organic and effective.”

Ogilvy’s cool dude creative maverick Sumanto Chattopadhyaya agrees. “Mathias is spot-on. Audio-visual & Digital have truly changed the rules of the game and ushered in a paradigm shift where visual/aural devices and linkages come through with greater enthusiasm and acceptance. However, intelligently and insightfully leveraged, slogans can still be both effective and memorable, aiding the end game in the business of influencing purchase intent.” The Bandera look-alike cites the example of Ogilvy’s Asian Paints Sunil Babu and loves Hoodi Baba as interesting examples of taking the concept of slogans and onomatopoeia to another level as also the outstanding example of Airtel’s Har ek friend zaroori hota hai (now, adapted in a movie title as Har ek friend kameena hota hai!) in celebrating the role and relevance of a great slogan. Ad and theatre hot-shot Bharat Dabolkar laughs and insists on using strong words. “Any dumbo who believes that the slogan is dead is talking nonsense and is obviously communication-illiterate! Never has it been more important than today when product parity and me-too-ism is rampant, since the USP is dead and buried. Slogans are [and have always been] the great differentiators, be it the timeless Utterly butterly delicious of Amul, the Har ek friend of Airtel or I love you, Rasna. Didn’t the late Mrs.Gandhi and more recently Barack Obama sweep popular imagination with their mesmeric slogans, Garibi Hatao and Yes, I Can respectively? Not slogans, but creativity is dead, my friend!” Shruti Gupta finds Dabolkar’s argument “both quaint and typically old-fashioned in keeping with his generation’s mindset. It’s not value judgement but facts that prove that new-age manufacturers and consumers of communication – across all avenues – don’t exactly get all dreamy eyed by slogans like their dads did in a more simplistic, non-cluttered and competitive time. Sure, slogans are used, but it’s not a sacrosanct rule and not at all compulsory.” The 27 year old Mumbai-based graphic designer believes that advertising has truly moved on and visual/aural devices offer equally potent, exciting and effective options. The Titan and DoComo signature tunes are brilliant examples of aural linkages that are creative and offer endless audience delight. “Oh really?” counters Shubhra Tandon of FCB, Ulka. The 27 year old copywriter reels off endless examples of stunning slogans that remain etched in memory. Starting with Taste the thunder and Dar ke aage jeet hai, Daag achhe hain, Har ghar kuch kehta hain, Definitely male, Swad zindagi ka, Thanda matlab Coca Cola, and more.

Halt! So who’s winning? If a slogan is about a brand pithily summed up and encapsulated with words which slam home the proposition in an engagingly entertaining manner that evokes a clear thought about the brand, isn’t that purrfect and cool? If, on the other hand, it appears too restrictive and suffocating, has done time, outlived its utility and needs to be put to rest while being replaced by a solid visual/aural device, should it incur the wrath of the purists, all set to leap out of mothballs or graves – whichever came first – and howl invectives about corrupting a sacrosanct template? For a safe answer, I will go to two classic slogans and invite the adwallahs to not “think small” and to “just do it”! Amen.

DO SLOGANS WORK?

csr as agent of change

CSR – TOKENISM, PR, drama... OR GAME CHANGER?

4Ps B&M examines the real potency that powers these three noble alphabets and arrives at some rather interesting conclusions

In the beginning come the definitions. First off the block is a true-blue pundit, C. B. Bhattacharya (E.ON Chair Professor in Corporate Responsibility at European School of Management Technology in Berlin) who believes CSR is “an exploration of marketing strategies and consumer behaviour that demonstrates how under-leveraged intangible assets like corporate identity and reputation, membership and brand communities can strengthen shareholder relationships”. He believes it is a dynamic fusion of doing good with doing well and business value can be reaped if organisations are prepared to move from a shareholder-centric space to a stakeholder-centric one. Another suggests that CSR is really about “strategically positioning a company in society so that it can actually take advantage of public concerns like poverty or global warming, rather than be damaged by them”.

Economist Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar pooh-poohs this, begs to differ and quotes (in his website http://swaminomics.org/) columnist Chrystia Freeland’s take on CSR as “a fetish encouraged by the philanthropies that feed off it and funded by the corporate executives who have found that it serves their bottom line”. Social Commentator Santosh Desai joins the party with an interesting anecdote about a company’s head honcho sending a truck load of relief material to the Bhuj earthquake victims worth Rs.10 lakhs and wanting to create a campaign to announce this, worth Rs.3 crore! “He saw no contradiction and instead believed it was a legitimate platform for his brand, powering a pro-active marketing initiative that could enjoy great emotional rub-off and position his company as a warm, human and empathic corporate entity. It seemed to be a part of the corporate video game where rules of the real world don’t apply. It’s all about a great opportunity to communicate brand value,” Desai tells 4Ps B&M.

Veteran Ad Guru Alyque Padamsee moves away to openly confess that he is a tad bored by the killjoys and cynics that dot the Adfrat and prefers to see the brighter side of issues. “Agreed CSR initiatives may not always accomplish all that they wish to, but it’s not the intent that is at fault, but monitoring system. Be it government or private sector biggies, if these are carefully attended to and addressed, all would be fine,” says Padamsee. He also believes that if done well, it definitely helps image-building and giving corporates and government/PSUs a warm, human face.

Theatre Director, Actor and Communications Expert Avijit Dutt brings his take to the table. He wonders whether in today’s space “CSR is a mission or corporate ego at work”! He believes that these three alphabets are seductive buzzwords gathering momentum in a consumerist environment. True charity is (according to the Upanishads) where the giver neither remembers nor reminds us of the amount given “but here trumpets blow, even if in mute tone, to announce this fact. The government’s mandate for all companies to spend 2% of their PAT makes it even more directionless. Earlier CSR was the nature of voluntary action that business could take, clearly defining the intent of companies desiring to cut loose and go the extra mile. But now…”

Chairman & NCD of BBDO wraps up this debate, in style. Josy Paul is of the opinion that “true integration is when the idea integrates with society”. He believes creating acts not ads is the need of the hour and CSR is not something that you do as an add-on, but integral to the brand. He cites the example of their Aviva Life Insurance effort with their humongous act called Great Wall of Education. “This catapulted into a movement mobilizing people across the country to donate books and ended up collecting over 2.5 million books! Call it CSR, brand communication, whatever, it’s about communication being rooted in the social and cultural moment,” Paul tells 4Ps B&M. Gillette’s “Soldiers Wanted” and Tata Tea’s “Jago Re” campaigns, Paul believes, are two more commendable strikes in this direction and adds that it also includes ground action and online engagement.

So, finally does CSR rock in today’s times? It’s like this. No company exists in a vacuum. It operates in a society and its impact/behaviours – ethical, social, economical, environmental – will be open to criticism and scrutiny. Today’s societies demand more film co-operation than simply offering products and making profits. They expect that they trade fairly, uphold human rights, and protect the environment. CSR pundits believe that there are three points to it – charitable giving, community investments, and commercial initiatives. ITC Chairman, Y. C. Deveshwar (in a 2007 AGM) had pronounced the final words with passion and purpose: “Corporates in India have capability, vision and entrepreneurial skill to forge a more prosperous future for the nation, even as they sharpen there competitiveness and grow there business globally.”

However, in a world increasingly obsessed in knowing the price of everything but the value of nothing, this calling, function, corporate philanthropy, mandate or strategic commodity that adds to the credentials of a company, remains an area that, beyond rhetoric, will ultimately be saluted or scorned totally by its intent and impact. Nothing more. Nothing less.

csr as agent of change

GENDER SENSITISATION

CAN ADVERTISING REALLY PROMOTE GENDER SENSITISATION?

The Indian Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) has recently launched a gender sensitisation initiative to fundamentally change the societal attitude towards women. But, the big question remains:

It was the horrific Nirbhaya case of mid-Dec last year that truly unleashed an unprecedented, collective outpouring of shock, rage, fear and grief that had to be seen to be believed! The trauma and tragedy that defined the mind-chilling incident elicited widespread reactions across every strata of society, at home and abroad. Some of the most explosive pieces squarely put the blame of this heinous act on media – cinema, TV, advertising – for consistently (and shamelessly) portraying women as delectable objects of consumption and desire. Be it Fevicol (mein to tandoori murgi hoon yaar, gatkale saiyan alcohol se) or the amazing glam, sexy, designer other woman in TV serials, or again the impossibly hot babe who axes you and compels you to use Man-force to go the distance – the portrayal of women across popular media streams remains flamboyantly irresponsible and dangerously titillating.

While the big daddys of media will (as always) continue to offer their age-old, mothballed and musty line of “Don’t shoot us, we’re only the piano players” (to read: we only reflect what is happening in society, not creating or pre-empting it), the critics insist it’s just their way of shirking responsibility to cleverly tap into the baser instincts of a humongous target group, diverse and broad-based as hell, and rake in the loot.

The Indian Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) seems to have taken this red-hot issue by the horns and launched an aggressive initiative to stop violence on women (VOW). A powerful and persuasive communication tool that is mandated to inform, educate, persuade and sell, Advertising as a CSR (corporate social responsibility) activity can and does act as a mover n’ shaker of popular beliefs and mindsets, showing the light if not parting the waters. Under the initiative, IAA hopes to kick-start a series of one-day gender sensitisation seminars for people from film, advertising, TV, print and script-writing areas. The second phase of this initiative will comprise a contest to create a multi-media campaign addressed to the mother of all – eve teasing. The jury will consist of eminent personalities from and outside the adfrat.

Kaushik Roy (Chairman, IAA Public Service Committee and President, Brand Strategy & Marketing Communications, Reliance Industries) believes this is an important thrust because “TV has tremendous impact and reinforces stereotypes while portraying women. IAA plays an effective role in advocating self-governance” and backs it up by indicating the complete blackout of cigarette advertising as an example. So will this gender sensitisation, IAA-driven seminars work … or are they yet another example of Adville posturing through hi-fallutin’ platitudes, to show people how much they care?

Theatre & Film Director Feroz Abbas Khan (of Tumhari Amrita, Saalgiraah, Gandhi My Father fame) can’t resist a snigger before he takes off. “Boss, it’s advertising’s spin on ... advertising!” He elaborates: “Specialists in hypocrisy and double talk, this lot are champions of manipulating emotions and tapping into that vulnerable space between the heart. The brand-building gurus are most anxious to build their own brands, be perceived as the caring, responsible, good guys on the right side of the political divide! If they were really so concerned about right and wrong, wouldn’t at least one person raise his/her hand to veto campaigns against the insulting and regressive Fair & Lovely range of lotions, creams and cosmetics? They dare not because conscience doesn’t stand a chance against market forces!” Khan believes that schizophrenia is the new normal in today’s consumerist society and these seminars are nothing but PR exercises for the group that has initiated them.

BBDO Chairman & Chief Creative Honcho Josy Paul, up next, offers his informed take. He believes that any talk, discussion – water-cooler, bus-stop, cocktail party, student canteen – is better than no-talk. “Instead of looking at the ball, why not go out there and kick it, pass it to another and watch the amazing action that follows,” Paul tells 4Ps B&M. He talks passionately about a recent campaign (Gillette Soldier for Women) that his agency unleashed through TVCs. “We used the signature slogan, The Best a Man Can Get, as a metaphor, an agent of change to drive men to re-think their role in the world of women. If you stand up for them, they will stand up for you. This ad is just a curtain-raiser. There is huge follow-up action on the anvil in terms of partnering/collaborating with a wide range of like-minded groups like NGOs etc. It’s not a campaign, but a movement,” adds Paul.

However, Roy winds up the debate in a positive way. “I believe there is a change that is happening and advertising agencies and their clients are aware about the opportunities that lie in doing gender sensitive advertising. The recent ad for a fan brand where the husband chooses to adopt the wife’s surname rather than changing hers is a great example. It’s a stand-out ad and manages to connect with the brand benefit with the line – hawa badlegi. I therefore have full faith in the advertising community to do something constructive because the winds of change are visible,” says Roy.

At the end of the day, it’s a tough call. Communication of the CSR, public service & societal upliftment variety have happened before but seldom had any impact worth noting or remembering. Why? Critics believe these exercises invariably get into creative, ego-tripping, self-indulgent mode offering ads admired by their zonked-out peers, but largely ignored by most due to confusion and bewilderment. While it’s too early to be judgmental about the IAA’s well-meaning VOW seminars and unfairly dismiss them as dramabaazi, the true followers of this programme – always giving the IAA benefit of doubt – will hope that this well-intended and much-publicised initiative involving important groups does not end up lip-synching the letter instead of embracing, powering and living the spirit.

GENDER SENSITISATION

INDIANNESS IN ADVERTISING

HOW INDIAN IS INDIAN ADVERTISING?

As pride, identity and profiling increasingly come into play at the global level, questions will follow: Have we been able to define where Indian advertising is coming from and what really reflects our work, mindset & vision, effectively?

When you talk of Indian cinema to purists, the names and work of Ray, Sen, Ghatak, Benegal, Nihalani, Adoor and a host of class acts from regional cinema zoom into focus. Similar models are identified when talking of books, music, dance, etc. However, Indian advertising presents confusion! Is it stuff where the look and feel of the communication is desi? Is it about Hinglish that seems to be the new lingo of tons of our ads across the last three decades? Are food, clothes, body language and ambience defining points of advertising that portray Bharat – not India – as the essence of Indian advertising or is it the churn, the ephemeral quality of life in this new India that best symbolizes this point?

Senior Writer of Kolkata-based Magnum Intergraphics, Mitali Lahiri, is first off the block. “There is no one definition of Indian advertising simply because Indian advertising is as Indian – or non-Indian – as the Indian consumer,” Mitali tells 4Ps B&M. She goes on to explain that the Indian consumer of today is a highly hybrid creature, embracing both, East & West. Globalisation and rampant, infectious consumerism has effected a paradigm shift in overall mindset and consumption patterns. Further, the phenomenon of the ‘working woman’ and technology has put into motion a whole new lifestyle where speed with quality is the new mantra. In the FMCG universe, as also a host of other categories, this rules. Sure, these are not totally Indian (clothes, fashion, accessories, food, communication gadgets) influences – but who cares? “However, values are a more tricky issue, with morality and levels of acceptable permissiveness in this changing space, constantly under threat. Advertising reflects all of this, sometimes taking sides to push its agenda of influencing a sale.” At the end of the day, Mitali believes, “we ourselves have become products of the times we live in, navigated or manipulated by the persuasion industry.”

Social Commentator Santosh Desai is brief and incisive as ever. “It has to do with understanding the sub-text, nuances and layers that powers a deep and serious connect with your consumer in a language and imagery that is spontaneous, not contrived,” he tells 4Ps B&M. Desai believes that there’s a lot of stuff masquerading as Indian advertising is really nothing but “global hand-me-downs in their format with Hinglish inserted for desired effect. This is lazy, short-cut advertising, even politically correct but way off-line regarding target-connect.” However, he freely admits that there is a fair body of work that represents fine examples of this genre.

Spewing venom & fire and totally slinging every single favourable comment is hi-profile, internationally reputed, Delhi-based Painter Jatin Das. “We live in a world where mimics & fakes, shamelessly imitating everything the West does, dominate the public space! Every single (cherished, rich) art form has been hi-jacked by western values which are perceived to be modern and superior. Few kids care to know their mother tongue, long hair is considered Behenji and Fair & Lovely syndrome (they should be put behind bars for their insulting & regressive mindset!) booms across metros, big and small. The new toys of engagement are iPads and iPhones. In such a pathetic environment, why should ads ever reflect anything else? Indian advertising is a phirang, sexy model dressed up in rich, traditional, Indian bridal, finery – the most alarming form of tokenism,” Das tells 4Ps B&M.

Respected and revered photographer Raghu Rai begs to differ. “Piyush Pandey’s Fevicol Bus ad is a masterpiece and is only one of the many wonderful samples of true Indian advertising. Indian roots embracing a charming, universal vision. I also love the bindaas, on-the-ground humour that many ads toss out. As for Hinglish, isn’t that the lingua franca of today’s youth? Good communication is about understanding and re-defining the buzz on-the-street in an interesting, customer-friendly way,” says Rai. His only grouse is about using phirang models as he questions “Chal yaar, our women are so gorgeous. Why those white-skinned females?”

Marketing whiz Lloyd Mathias (Former President & CMO, Tata Teleservices) brings his own spin to the table. He believes it’s a brilliant and appropriate case of: The Empire Strikes Back! “A new breed of client and agencies today live the defining slogan of Dil Maange More! Totally slinging out the Anglocentric model of yesteryears, Piyush, Prasoon and gang read the writing on the wall and scripted their own idiom in perfect sync with the new-age consumer. Language, images, look, feel, setting, situations – everything powerfully illustrates the Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani model, full-on. Airtel, Cadbury, Britannia, Dominos, Maruti, Havells, Sprite, Idea … demonstrate this with style and confidence. No wonder global clients have dropped their accents and moved to a desi makeover,” Mathias tells 4Ps B&M.

At the end of the day, I will go along with Kanchan Dutta’s (CEO, Kolkata based Inner Circle) POV. Life in general and certainly in today’s times is indeed ephemeral in the space we reside … so why should advertising be any different? Whether it preempts, reflects or follows the times is another debate but good, effective and honest advertising will always seek to capture the soul before it conquers the body … and this it can only do when recognizing, understanding and connecting with the critical area of human insights. India is changing. The consumer is changing. The environment and marketspace – complex and riddled with contradictions – are changing. Why should Indian advertising be any different…? More power to its blazing journey, future wards …

INDIANNESS IN ADVERTISING

THE ALPHA PUP

Guess who’s the INDIAN MARKETER’S NEWEST CHALLENGE? THE ALPHA PUP!

4Ps B&M examines the challenges & opportunities that these little dynamites offer to the communication pundits and checks out whether they are on the same, page, chapter, book!

“A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma” is how the great iconic British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was once reported to have described Russia. In year 2013, bewildered marketers and communication professionals could well be tempted to borrow that description wholesale, to describe their most challenging target-base … kids! A maddeningly fickle and unpredictable demographic segment whose minds are extremely difficult to enter, marketers continue to grapple with a constituency whose influence on the purchasing intent / decision is increasingly getting bigger by the second!

In short, Pester Power (and other forms of insidious badgering, nagging, coaxing and blackmailing etc) as a means to persuade and convince parents to buy is an area, which to enter, is no child’s play. New parameters need to be drawn if this tsunami is to be understood, tamed and steered in the right direction. Point is: Have the blinkered, tunnel-viewed, rigid marketing and communication people even begun to understand the sub-text, nuances and subtleties that layer this endeavour? Do they have the appropriate skill-set to decode and swing it, their way?

However, before hitting the market, why not peep into the lives of one community, that is totally involved, connected and aware of this phenomenon, first-hand, every day … the Moms! Admits 26-year-old, Delhi-based working mother Seema Sen (who has an angelic 5-year-old daughter, Mishti) that life is far from heavenly! “She is just 5 but madam has a mind of her own! Clothes, food, snacks, cold drinks, TV programmes, outing spots, even friends, cousins, relatives – she has definite preferences and it’s a job to get her to change her mind! At 5, I was a Puppet!” says Seema.

Mumbai-based, 30-year-old Belinda Fernandes understands Seema’s predicament totally. The homemaker has two live-wire boys aged 9 and 7 and freely states that “going bonkers or grey is no longer an option!” She says, that “thanks to TV and the digital wave, my brats have more knowledge and opinions about … everything … about which I (comp-illiterate) am clueless! Only when I yell who’s the Boss comes into play. Parenting today is no child’s play!”

Social Commentator Santosh Desai urges us not to dismiss this as frivolous and take a big reality-byte. “We live in a completely different, technologically and digitally-driven time and are – willy-nilly – creatures of the age of consumption. Kids are hotter and hippier with the new lingo and jargons of this phenomenon and therefore cooler with it,” Desai tells 4Ps B&M. Hence they are forever tuned-in or logging-out of the latest trends in this space. In this KGOY (Kids Getting Older Younger!) environment soft toys and old-fashioned board games (Ludo, Snakes & Ladders, Carrom) are dumped for iPad, iPod etc. They are much more clued-in too, about products that go well beyond the usual (clothes, sweets, toys and movies) range. Today cars, mobile phones, DVD players – among other adult purchases – zoom into the radar too with alarming speed! No wonder a recent Disney’s KidSense survey indicated over 60% kids discussing products mentioned above with their parents / elders. Also, smart parents turn to their techno-savvy kids for insights and info before the decision-making process.

THE ALPHA PUP

AD SOUNDS: THE IMPACT

'SOUND’ SEDUCERS IN ADLAND

UNIQUE SOUNDS THAT ACCOMPANY TVCs, OFTEN WITH WORDS FLASHED THAT MEAN NOTHING TO THE INDIAN CONSUMING CLASS DO MAKE AN IMPACT. OR DON’T THEY?

“Words are all I have to steal your heart away…” Thus went the lyrics of a romantic ditty that, even today, gets zillions of women go weak in the knees. Gifted writers are fully cognizant about the world in which words dwell. They recognize the fact these precious creatures have a life of their own and need to be passionately wooed to help their breed attain the magic and mystique that only their [wordsmiths and words] ‘combine’ can bring, to stir up emotions and feel buried deep in the human heart.

My kill-joy friend smirked and dismissed summarily this sublime line of thinking while brazenly holding forth on his own views. He believed that in these fast-moving, impatient, digitally-driven times, words are swiftly being replaced by memorable sounds. “So, why should a profession which aims to connect brands with end-consumers play footsie and shy away from something offering readymade customer bonding and not pull the trigger? What is so sacred about words anyway? Will it wake the dead? Sounds are the new short-hand of communication, and those who cosy up, recognize and master this form of bonding are the guys – and brands – that’ll rock! They don’t need to pay a trip to the hot seat and exchange pleasantries with a certain celeb baritone to pick up their crores. They’ll make it if their choice is ‘sound’. Literally! Much as I was sorely tempted to strangle my young irreverent friend and check out [in sadistic detail] the ‘sounds’ that would emanate from his throat, I had to agree – as a professional, communication practitioner – that he was not totally off his onion. Jhingalala, Toing, Ooolalalalaeo, Waku Doki and Wakow were indeed some sound-driven brand identities that had over the years made waves with their TG, offering large doses of entertainment value, novelty and effectiveness. Bus does the ad industry agree so? How did this issue resonate with the folks involved – the ad frat?

Josy Paul, Chairman & NCD of BBDO – of the gurkha topi fame – fires the first salvo. He believes that in these fast the furious clutter-driven times, “memorability powered with authenticity are key factors. Hence new, interesting, innovative, clutter-busting ways to accomplish this in an exciting, people-friendly manner is the challenge. All these ‘sound’ ads referred to, delivered brilliantly on that score. Why just the ad world? Go to Bollywood. Remember Yahoooo, Sukoo Sukoo or Oye Oye? Didn’t they grab popular imagination and even today retain high recall value?” However, Paul warns that there must be a legitimate brand-fit to add value and connect with the TG in a way that is spontaneous, fun and memorable. Otherwise, it can never work. N. Sridhar, NCD of Leo Burnett, begs to differ. “I think sounds like Wakow, even Waku Doki, are unlikely to go beyond the gimmick stage, because they appear to be created for novelty and nothing else. What on earth is Wakow and what does it mean? Waku Doki – Toyota – emanates from a totally Japanese narrative that means, heart pumping and adrenaline racing, but does the general public know this… or care about it?” He cities the brilliand cased of ‘Kataak’ – Hot Shot Cameras of the eighties – or ‘Wassup?’ – the Budweiser Beer signature, a smart-talk shot at the stylish GenY coloured section in USA, brilliantly, customer-focussed and driven. “At the end of the day, it’s a tricky route to traverse and one has to be totally sure and confident about the sund unleashed. It shouldn’t be all sound and fury, signifying nothing, to quote our friendly Bare of Avon!”

Pravin Singh Mann, Head of Creative, R. K. Swamy-BBDO Delhi, comes to the party with his own spin. He is of the opinion that it works only if the brands are “truly iconic and powered with real deep pockets”, otherwise it just can’t click. A little-known brand taking the ‘sound’ route with limited budget is bound to fall by the wayside because of lack of sustainability. In cases where sounds have mad an impact, all the ads – Tata Sky, Pepsi, CocaCola, Toyota –were and are monster brands with big budgets to go the distance and guarantee high visibility and frequency.

Words of gently dissent comes from Titus Upputuru, NCD, dentsu Marcom, too: “I am not sure if making words out of sounds and using them as slogans or signatures really yield benefits to brands. I think there is a risk in remembering the sound and forgetting the brand!” Bhavna Sood, Senior VP – Communications & PR, DS Group, adds an interesting rider. “In this era of FM Radio, sound can be an extremely effective hero in the ad space offering instant identity. Clutter-busting and novel, it can provide both surprise and delight as a superbly fresh, memorable brand differentiator.”

Veteran Communication Consultant Asha Sarin however concludes this debate firing on all cylinders. She believes that most of this category – especially in the Indian context – is highly over-rated and deserves to be safely relegated to the dustbin. Adds Sarin, “Except the Kingfisher Ooolalalalao and Toing of Amul Macho, most others are eminently forgettable and irrelevant, adding zero value! The corny Googly Woogly Woosh (of Pounds), Wakow (Vanilla Coke), Jhingalala (Tata Sky) and many such fun-filled remarks by brands may provide entertainment to a brain dead viewership, but what do they do for the brand?” Not much, we reckon. Do these ad gurus believe that their Jhingalalas and Googly Wooglys will tickle the black boxes of their TG and influence purchase intents? Clients may buy the idea, but on a clear day you can see forever, and that’s when bad news knocks!

Strong words. But to decide for or against these attention seeking and many-a-time attention winning sounds is a tough call. It’s indeed an exciting, path breaking route to take, but at the same time a genuinely risky one. The ‘sound’ aspect – unlike in Bollywood movies – must be both meaningful and memorable. In an information-overkill space, with ads blitzing our senses every with way we turn, clutter-busting, unique and special are the real hot buttons to press. And if sound can provide that lucky break, why not give it a shot? So, get ready for some jhingalala times ahead. [Or maybe plain toing situations!]

AD SOUNDS: THE IMPACT

DOUBLE LIFE IN ADLAND

DOUBLE ROLE IN ADVILLE … ENRICHING OR DISTRACTION?

DOES A DOUBLE LIFE IN ADLAND WORK AS HELP OR HINDRANCE? 4Ps B&M MONOJIT LAHIRI PROBES THIS SELDOM EXPLORED SPACE

My life in Ad-ville has largely been inspired by three mentors – Kersey Katrak, Subhash Ghoshal and Frank Simoes. To the irrepressible and unputdownable Katrak, advertising was seduction; a backdrop where boring facts were made to pirouette as dazzling fiction to beguile both heart & head. To Ghoshal, it was a setting where serious academics and MBAs comfortably rubbed shoulders with grungry, edgy, eccentric creatives to produce advertising that worked in the mind and market place. To Simoes, it was style that startles even as it empowers with a gift of laughter and a definite sense that the world is mad! All three, however, were in total agreement over one fact: the need to have or develop a hobby or passion outside their work that was likely to provide fresh, insightful and interesting takes on what they brought to the table.

In year 2012, does this enlightened thought, wash? In an insanely competitive environment, where stress and tension rules, where accounts and people-grabbing is no big deal and means justify the end, can this indulgence really be entertained? For the few of this “engendered species” (on the other side), is it increasingly becoming a problem to ride on two boats, lead a double life with equal passion and purpose?

Double lives in Adland, however, are not entirely a new phenomenon. The great Satyajit Ray started his master-piece Pather Panchali while employed as an Art Director in the Kolkata-based D.J. Keymer, in the fifties. The doyen of film crities, the late Chidananda Das Gupta (also my dad-in-law, guys!) was involved in serious film writing all his life, despite his professional engagements as Servicing Head at D.J. Keymer and later Ad & PR Head of ITC, in the fifties and sixties. In Mumbai, Alyque Padamsee – Adland's Dorian Gray – continues doing his number as celeb director/actor on stage. Earlier, Gerson and Sylvie Dacunha, Kersey Katrak, Roger Pereira, Ronnie Screwvala, Bharat Dabholkar and Sumit Roy did the same, with Avijit Dutt following suit in Dealhi. Today the great Prasoon Joshi and Balki are red-hot in both Adbiz and B-town! So what's the score?

Appropriately the Big Daddy of this movement, Alyque Padamsee, is first off the block. “My life – as my first book indicated – has always pursued twin-passions – Theatre and Advertising. The first a hobby; the second, a profession that allowed me to earn a living and support my family. Over time one helped, collaborated and enriched the other. Theatre taught me teamwork and handling edgy, creative artistes, which was critical in advertising. Advertising enabled me to enter new product/brand experiences every day, as also taught me discipline and conciseness of thought. The mesmeric wilful suspension of disbelief that defines great theatre also influences great advertising, because ultimately, the world in indeed a stage, and we charismatic players,” he tells 4Ps B&M.

35-year-old Minnie Vyas dismisses this 'dramabazi' and brings in her own spin. Articulates the Creative Director of Quantum Communication, “Yeh sub tab chalta tha when the angrezi plays were a fashion statement – not now. Clients are looking for focused content, substance and creatives that are result-specific and make a definite dent on the bottomline. In this dog-eats-dog world, those arty and self-indulgent types have no place unless they leverage it to guarantee the required results. Dramashaama ghar mein karo...!” Strong words? The son and heir of the Dacunha (and Amul) legacy, Rahul, begs to differ. “For me, theatre has always helped my ad life – and vice versa. The passion overlaps. I try and miantain my desire to understand audiences while working in both these media. Would not be able to do one without the other,” says Decunha. Padamsee agres and states that if ever he were to emigrate from his beloved motherland “it would be if and when something like Zia-ul-Haq's infamous diktat of baning all artistic endeavours in Pakistan happens here!” Presently he is busy reviving the Arthur Miller classic, Death of a Salesman.

Young lyricist, composer and singer Abhijit (who, with his partner Ashutosh, has a band, Under the Influence) and also holds down a responsible job (Associate Creative Director, Ogilvy, Mumbai) is up next. He believes that it is clearly about time management. One need not disturb or hijack the other if the love and passion for both is equal. “For me, they are two different zones and music provides me huge enrichment because it is not client-driven, nor does it touch any areas dealing with conventional market-forces. It is totally individualistic and a subjective form of self-expression that is hugely inspirational and satisfying as it leaps from the heart seeking resonance in another,” says Abhijit. Ashish Narendra disagrees. The 45-year-old Creative Consulting believes “it's become a fashion and a fad for kids to sling along a guitar (with their laptops) to increase their hot quotient amongst peers. Sure, it gets attention, but excuse me, you are paid for your damn work, not gaana or nautanki, okay? How does it help?”

So were Katrak, Ghosh and Simoes wrong? If Alyque, Rahul, Abhijit – and especially Prasoon and Balki, as heavy-duty, respected, and successful Bollywood-driven creative professionals and achievers – are anything to go by, one can definitely double-life it successfully, cool n' easy. Only, a word of caution – like in a solid happy relationship or marriage – keep them apart!

DOUBLE LIFE IN ADLAND

FRIENDSHIP

FRIENDSHIP AS AD PLATFORM… SIMPLISTIC OR SHARP?!

4Ps B&M MONOJIT LAHIRI ATTEMPTS A DIPSTICK, AND GUESS WTAH SHOWS UP?

Friendship as a special, precious and unique bonding between people has been hymned and celebrated in popular culture – movies, songs, stories – from ages. However, as a canny marketing mover n’shaker … well, let me think about it! Sure there have been loads of ads touching this theme, but it is the recent bunch – Airtel, Vodaphone, Cadbury – that has got people talking. Overnight this amazing communion and bonding (with special focus on Youngistan) has zoomed centre-stage, winning friends and influencing people in a manner that would make Dale Carnegie beam till his face exploded! With Airtel’s iconic Hare ek friend, and now Jo mera hai leading the pack, with Vodafone and Cadbury ads following, this category of Relationship Marketing seeks to clearly (explore? exploit? leverage? front? use? capitalise? cash-in-on?) celebrate this human emotion to achieve a commercial purpose, right? Is it right? More importantly, is it working?

Veteran Ad person Ayesha Sehgal (earlier with Delhi-based Clarion) is first off the block and wastes no time in small talk. “At the risk of being a killjoy let me come straight to the point. Sure the Airtel ads are hugely popular – as are the others – but my belief is that it is because of the feel-good factor and brilliant execution, rather than any great, ground-breaking concept. They are all too simplistic, basic, naïve, lame, and even lazy! For me they typically amplify the seductive dangers of new-age film-making – superb casting, great direction, fab camera work, amazing lyrics and music … but is it saying anything special that would persuade me to be converted from charmed-audience to determined consumer? I don’t think so,” she tells 4Ps B&M.

Ace Ad filmmaker Ram Madhvani – who has incidentally supervised the terrific camera work in both the new Airtel ads – brings his evolved and mature take to the table. “While it’s a free country and opinions will happen when ads hit the public domain, some critical points really need to tbe considered,” says Madhvani. The veteran believes that the Airtel advertisement’s connect and focus – as per brief mandated – demanded a connect with its constituency. What better than popular culture, tapping youngistan and their lingo? Political Commentator Sudheendra Kulkarni aptly elaborates this point by saluting the youthful idealism of the mind-blowing lyrics … I-Me-Myself boring hai / Us and we interesting hai / Internet hai to friendship hai / Friendship hai to sharing hai/ Main aur tu se hum bane / Humse bane humsab / Sabse jude to zindagi / Hey Zindagi, wassup!

Ultimately, Madhvani believes, that some fundamental questions need to be asked … “Are you humming along? Does it make you smile and feel good every time you see these ads? Do you remember this words? Does it, in any way, inspire bonding? The objective was not to demonstrate our communication skills through heavy-handed esoteric experimentation and creative leaps but showcase the connectivity aspect, with warmth and memorability,” Madhvani tells 4Ps B&M.

Lloyd Mathias agrees, Founder-Director of GreenBean Ventures (and Former President & CMO, Tata Teleservices), he takes the case forward. “As a category-fit, the Airtel ads are bang-on because the telecom business is about connectivity. The brownie point, however, come from their superbly creative interpretation and rendition of friendship vis-à-vis youngistan! To Gen Y, friends do define their life and world, and playing out this feeling / experience in mad-cap, care-free ways is the name of this game. Friendship, as anchor, works brilliantly here,” he tells 4Ps B&M. However, Mathias warns that friendship as a team / platform must be carefully leveraged, otherwise it could well appear both corny and contrived.

ECD Bates (Mumbai) and film scriptwriter (Vicky Donor), Juhi Chaturvedi is up next. For her these work brilliantly solely on the brand-fit quotient. “Airtel, Cadbury, Vodafone and some others have smartly hit the emotional route via the friendship theme because, in terms of profile, it works best. It’s a great strategy. In all these cases, the magic of youth and bonding form the soul of their communication smartly tied with the product proposition ensuring a very successful and rewarding audience / consumer take-out,” says Juhi.Anjali Nayar agrees. The Chief Executive of M&C Saatchi (Delhi) just loves “the basic simplicity that drives these ads powered by warmth, spontaneity and honesty. In these complex and tension-filled times, the full-throated, open demonstration of friendship is a hugely re-assuring factor and does evoke memories of our youth and what bonding is all about.” The energy, charm and excitement that infuse these ads, along with the amazing, inspirational and focused lyrics, make it stand out, for Mrs. Nayar.

Veteran Ad-watcher Saurabh Vyas winds up the debate, raining on the parade and playing serious Devil’s Advocate. “We live in a time when style gobbles up substance, form rules over content and appearance is perceived as reality. In this dumbed-down environment where the Bollywood influence is all-pervasive and is constantly referred to – wrongly – as Indian Cinema and even otherwise sane people like Sudheendra Kulkarni (shockingly?) Compare Jo mera hai to the iconic Mile sur mera tumhara … what can I say? These and definitely finely crafted and engaging ads on the theme of friendship, but do they impact the product they are meant to promote … Or truly celebrate friendship, youngistan-style? They are far too superficial and populist like the Bollywood movies, cleverly designed to manipulate and patio the emotional, feel-good quotient of Gen Y – which they successfully seemed to have done. For me it’s certainly a hugely over-rated, over-hyped song and dance extravaganza signifying nothing … but in a space where the Rs. 100 crore club calls the shots and popularity has hi-jacked quality, minority voices hardly stand a chance …!!” says the acerbic critic. What’s your take, dear reader?

FRIENDSHIP

AMUL GIRL

50 CHEERS FOR THE 5 DECADES... AND THE LESSONS WITHIN

YOU CAN CRITICIZE THEIR MARKETING IF YOU REALLY WANT TO NITPICK, BUT EVEN THEN, YOU’LL NEVER BE ABLE TO GET A STRAND OFF THEIR LEGENDARY ADVERTISING. 4Ps B&M MONOJIT LAHIRI TRIES TO DECODE WHAT MAKES AMUL’S ADVERTISING SO ENDURINGLY ENDEARING EVEN IN ITS FIFTH DECADE AND WHAT CAN INDIAN MARKETERS LEARN FROM IT

It, is arguably the longest running outdoor campaign in the world and – along with Air Indian’s Maharaja ads – the most eagerly awaited and consumed slices of communication, this side of the Suez! How did it all begin? Whose Big Idea was it? What made it catch fire and become the legend it has? What powered and inspired its continuing march into history? What magic makes this transition from imagination to sketchpad to billboards to a zillion hearts and minds, for 50 years, such a riveting and compelling journey?

FLASHBACK TIME – CIRCA 1966

Amul Butter had already been in the market for at least 10 years, positioned as “processed from the purest milk under the most hygienic condition by a dairy co-operative in Gujarat.” It was up against the much more popular Polson Butter. “The communication needed features to be converted to advantages, in look and spirit away from the lantern lecture to an indifferent audience,” recalls the founding father of this legendary campaign Sylvester [Sylvie] Dacunha, who headed the agency handling the account. To again with, it needed a snappy, cool yet simple and memorable slogan to define it. His brilliant (English Lecturer) wife Nisha suggested ‘Utterly Amul’ to which the creative Dacunha added in a flash ‘butterly’ – and bingo, a deathless slogan was born! While he was convinced of its connect with the public, his client wasn’t so sure, but it was a sign of the turst and confidence of their hedad honcho the visionary Dr. Varghese Kurien’s in Sylvie when he said “I think its utterly mad, but if you think it will work, go right ahead!”

Slogan frozen, the ad next needed something more vital, critical and central – a presence, spokesman who would act as an appropriate counter-point to the popular Polson Butter Girl, portrayed as a sexy village belle, in tantalizing choli, all but covering her upper regions! “I sensed it had to be a child, impish and lovable” flashbacks Dacunha and explained this to his brilliant Visualiser-cum- Cartoonist Eustace Fernandes. “He came up with this utterly delectable polka-dotted, frocked moppet, with matching ribbons, smacking her lips, as if to say Utterly Butterly Delicious!” Naughty, cuddly, innocent, and amart, the duo sensed they had a winner! From their earliest advertisement “Give us this day our daily bread with Amul Butter” till today, cries of “how cute”, “how clever” and “how smart” have been flailing the air. What’s the real secret behind this four-letter word that continues to move from strength to strength seducing each generation with unfailing doses of surprise and delight?

In fact, a host of celebs enthusiastically raise their hands wishing to respond in Amul’s India, a compilation of essays by knon personalities including Amitabh Bachchan, Rajdeep Sardesai, Harsha Bhogle, Shyam Benegal, Shobhaa De, Alyque Padamsee and others. For instance, Big B believes “it is a departure from the straight, in-your-face pronouncements of products, offering a winning three-fold-edge over others – brand, humour and topicality.” Columnist Shobha De reckons that their “lovable, wonderful, non-intrusive style could never have been strategically planned. It was bound to have emerged, intuitively, in a blinding flash of inspiration.” While sexy Sania Mirza enjoys their relevance and “play on current events”, ex-Wall Rahul Dravid happily confessers that for him and his brother, they were a fun-part of their growing-up years in Bangalore. “Years later, to be featured, felt nice!” says Drivid. Cricket Commentator Harsha Bhogle is up next, perceiving these iconic ads as “charming chronicher of our times, not with the weightiness and gravitas of historians & academicians, but delightfully light-weight & tongue-in-cheek”, while veteran Ad-Pundit Alyque Padamsee reckons that they stole a march over those great Maharaja-led Air India ads because they were – and remains – more rooted and gloriously in-sync with the India story. “Also the ability to combine audacity with humour that is never loud, low-brow or insensitive, and always audience-friendly is remarkt-able,” says Padamsee.

Great – but times, they-are-a-changin’! As this template steps into its golden year, what are the new challenges that confront it? In the restless, promiscuous and impatient times that we live in, when nothing is sacred, everyone/everything is up for sale, and cynicism is the ruling mood, will the charm, gentleness and innocence that graced this brand-story be able to resonate with youngistan and today’s blasé junta? Rahul Dacunha – son and heir to the throne and present brand custodian – responds with elaninherited from his illustrious dad: “We are fully conscious of the transition and have made every effort to not be bogged down in a time-warp or nostaligia. In the nano-second times we live, change is the only constant and we have tried to tap into this through creative chutzpah, converting challenges into opportunities.” How?”By dividing India into five zones: Mumbai, East, South, the Hindi belt and Facebook because of its huge relevance and popularity with one kind of TG. Also because it has a life and personality of its own,” he answers. Every morning Rahul and his small, gifted team sit down to identify what is topical, relevant and lends itself to an audience-friendly send-up. These ads (mostly) are not pan-India in thrust because of region-specific reasons. What tickles, amuses or delights one region may be irrelevant to another. “Our strike-rate seems to be good by the response we receive. We strive to do our best, everyday, for three reasons. One, because of the unconditional faith, trust, confidence the client continues to repose on us. Two, the people’s expectations. Lastly, the deep awareness of living up and taking forward the great, iconic Amul brand-story that the name symbolises,” says Rahul.

Social & Media Commentator Santosh Desai aptly sums it up when he calls these billboards “moving timeline marking what we have considered significant at various points of time. It is also one of a country coming in touch with itself, even as it transforms beyond recognition. From a somewhat disconnected class liveing in a world of its own, we see a new narrative, distinctive language, its own set of heroes & issues... a running commentary on what it sees, feels and experiences as it accompanies us on this glorious ride.” Even priceless will be an understatement for these four letters (Amul), we would say!

AMUL GIRL

A SALUTE TO KERSY KATRAK

THE BIG DADDY OF BIG IDEA – THE (UNOFFICIAL) MEMOIR

4PS B&M’S MONOJIT LAHIRI GOES DOWN MEMORY LANE TO SALUTE KERSEY KATRAK, THE FATHER OF INDIA’S CREATIVE ADVERTISING, THE BIG DADDY OF BIG IDEAS AND THE GENTLEMAN WHO SEDUCED HIM – AND SCORES OF OTHERS – TO HOTFOOT IT TO THE MOST EXCITING PROFESSION ON PLANET EARTH AS PLAYED OUT IN THE MOST EXCITING AD AGENCY OF THE DAY, MCM!

Living down a famous dad’s name is never easy in any calling. Advertising is no different. For years, I pasted on a fatuous and moronic smile every time my surname came into play, invariably leading to the inevitable “Oh, so you are Sanat Lahiri/Sanatda/Sanat Babu’s son? Naturally, advertising is in your blood!” Proud and happy as I was – and a bit embarrassed, awkward and inadequate too! – the truth can now be told since both my dad and the guy who turned me on to mosey across to Adville are up there, bogeying in the biggest Ad Congress of all!

No, advertising was not really in my blood; and no again, I did not come into advertising because of my famous [ex – Lintas, Dunlop, Tata, ICI. First Asian President of the IPRA, past President of PRSI & ABC, moving force behind Kolkata Ad Club, and Communication Consultant to the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia & Far East] dad. It was because of a maverick called Kersey Katrak, and an advertising agency called MCM (Mass communication and Marketing)!

It all began in college when, accidentally, a couple of ads slammed my retina. It was my first introduction to the supernova and his audacious take on advertising. Sharp, in-your-face and brazenly unapologetic, the ads challenged you to ignore them, as they teasingly went eyeball to eyeball with you! It really shook me up! Instantly – I was in my final year of English Honours at Kolkata’s St. Xavier’s College – I dumped all thoughts of journalism and zeroed in on knowing more about the freako who’d made the ads and his shop. I had discovered my Camelot!

My dad [while not doing a tango as he listened to my breathless whoopee about those advertisements and wild plans for the future] was supportive. I am forever grateful for that. Coming from a different space and conditioned to the politically correct and conventional stuff dished out by the likes of JWT, Ogilvy and Clarion [Bates] of those distant [60s & 70s] times, Katrak’s provocative and way-out stuff could well have freaked him out – but he appeared cool. It was my life and he was there to guide – not monitor – my moves, if and when called upon to do so. In the break that existed between exams and results, I did a quick orientation course at JWT to get an authentic reality-bite into the industry I was dying to join. After completing it – loved it – I immediately left for Mumbai… Operation MCM!

After Kolkata and JWT, Mumbai MCM at Colaba (Bakhtawar) and the super-hot dude who authored the show blew my young mind! The advertising agencies back home were nice n’ smart in an old fashioned, conventional way [“We’re here to do business, not entertain, deah boy!”] but what was this? The interiors were surreal and psychedelic! A pub, disco or an Adshop? I felt I was suddenly transported to Lucy-in-the-sky-with-diamonds land! Man, this truly was a life-after-death experience…! Just as I was recovering from this sublime and heady ambience, a tap on the shoulder got me face-to-face with the man himself…

Sporting Jeans, a cool Tee and comfy sandals, Kersey Katrak of the trimmed beard and glowing handsome face didn’t look a day older than 30, although he was reported to be in his mid-thirties. After warmly greeting me, ushering me to a small anteroom and ensuring that my Elvis-like trembling cooled off [was this for real?!] he did two things that made me love him – and the profession – for life. First he clicked a button that got the shades of the windows to part… in theatrical slo-mo… offering a spectacular view of the sea. While I started zombie-like at the impossibly amazing visual, he politely enquired whether I would like to join him in enjoying a Pink Gin or Gin n’ Tonic? Seeing my chloroformed look, he assured me that it wasn’t fatal, my dad would approve and most importantly, a great way to connect with creativity. “Leaning on the juices and wetting the old tonsils does wonders for anyone keen on waking the dead, son!” intoned the great one. [I was to understand the full import of this, with time.]

After a few sips of the magic brew and lots of help from the Guru, I let fly. I showed him some of my published poems and articles and gave him my expert opinion on advertising and my plans, once I entered the business. He listened with great interest to this greenhorn [whose tongue was loosened by a drop and friendly encouragement to keep going], sometimes inviting me to recite some of my favourite poems. He confessed he loved poetry too and even wrote some “in my lighter moments”. Suddenly, without and reference to context, he said “You’re on, buddy! Join us first of next month. You will have to relocate, struggle, stay away from family and girlfriend. You will receive a stipend but will have to be supported by your old man. Once we see that you are settled and flying, everything will fall in place. Just remember one thing. MCM is not and ad agency. It’s a temple and disco which worships and celebrates ideas that transform lives… good luck!” Exit Kersey Katrak. Enter the incredulous beginning of dream, floating on air all the way to my host’s residence at Bandra… and later, all the way back to Kolkata! For a variety of reasons, alas, MCM didn’t work out for me and I ended up joining JWT, Kolkata, where I was privileged to interact with and learn my craft from another great and towering icon, Subhas Ghosal… but hey, that’s a story for some other time. This one’s about Kersey, who is widely considered the father of creative advertising.

What was so special about the guy, who all his life was admired and envied in equal measure and who, all those years ago, blew my mind through that one life-transforming session? What was so inspirational about him that so strongly coloured my mind about this whole business of creativity in advertising and what a true-blue ad agency should really be … those three magical alphabets (MCM) that was to become the abracadabra of my life? Despite the fact that – tragically – I never had the opportunity of working with him, the aura, achievements and legend of Kersey Katrak in the early seventies were impossible to ignore.

Among the game-changers, was first his idea to create an ambiance first his idea to create an ambiance that attracted the best of quality and talent… send out vibes that pulled, magnet-like, anybody who dreamt – and dared – to be different. The vision to green-light an institution, movement and journey that ideation – without protection! (Imagine, Ravi Gupta, Arun Nanda, Mohmed Khan in Client Servicing and Arun Kolhatker, Kiran Nagerker, Panna Jain and Sudhershan Dheer – all working together under the same roof!). Also initiate, encourage and hand-hold darpoks within the client & agency fraternity to break the rules – both in style and substance – if they wanted to impact mind and market space in a boring, imitative and cluttered scenario. Much before Loyalty Programmes, Animated Heroes, lifestyle Advertising and Event Launches became fashionable buzzwords, Kersey and his team had been there and done that!

Fresh, startling provocative, reality-based advertising mandated to viagrize the dead back to life in never-before manner was the anthem. Charismatic, articulate, daring, flamboyant of style [He was the only ad agency CEO who zoomed around in a Merc and threw lavish parties that were coveted by the who’s who of high society!] and generous of spirit, Kersey Katrak was truly a man among men, whose legacy and vision was to influence the thinking and direction of such hot-shot, celeb agencies as Trikaya, Enterprise, and Rediffusion, to name just three.

Yup, KK was my rockstar, the sexy pied who got me – and many others – into the business and shaped the ad world’s earliest ideas of what advertising can do and should be, insisting as only he could, that people who truly love this business must remember never to be compromised; remember that they have not forfeited their right to dream or lost the ability to re-imagine and re-context the world as they believe it should be…

That was Kersey Katrak, the inspirational samurai, the glamorous gladiator forever seducing the edgy, freaky, quirky and courageous to abandon all Jurassic notions to take that much needed sabbatical from their dreary, boring safety-net-fitted life and finally that leap of faith and touch heights sublime… Kersey passed away in 2007.

When comes such another?

A SALUTE TO KERSY KATRAK

THE LATEST HAVELLS FANS TVC

THE LAST LEARS CAN YESTERYEAR SUPERSTARS RUN THE LAST MILE? 

IF YOU WATCHED THE HAVELLS TVC FEATURING RAJESH KHANNA AND IF YOU RECALL THAT THE AD WAS FOR HAVELLS FANS, THEN THE AGENCY (LOWE) DID ITS JOB WELL BUT IS THAT THE MAJORITY VIEW OR IS IT JUST ME WHO’S, ER, NOT A ‘FAN’?

It all started when a brilliant and celebrated and luminary very recently threw a poser my way – “What is you opinion of the Havells fans TVC starring Rajesh Khanna that is currently being aired?” I hesitated to answer. Having been an ad person for close to four decades and having expressed many of my opinions with the pen on films for an equally long length of time, I sure found the question tricky. Reason: answers to such questions are never one-liners. I knew it.

I must confess. I’ve had the good fortune of enjoying a ringside seat and tracking down the total RK phenomenon all the way. And I have never tired of telling people that there has never been a bigger superstar than Rjaesh Khanna in his heydays. No Dilip, Dev, Raj, Rajendra, Dharam, Shammi, Manoj – or even the Big B or Khans – could match the hysteria he generated in those pre-satallite, pre –zillion media channels and Facebook days. Sure, the Big B’s angry young man’s persona marked the beginning of RK’s end as the emperor of romance, but between 1968-1974, or so, Kaka was the undisputed emperor of Kingdom Bollywood and much beyond.

At one point I recall, this quasi-godly superstar had 2 silver and 2 golden jubilees running in Mumbai at the same time (don’t bother if you don’t understand what a silver or golden jubille means)! And then, as Bachchan’s star ascended the Bollywood sky with Zanjeer, Deewar and Sholay, Khanna’s star tragically nosedived. Rajesh did make some feeble attempts to return – the most horrific ones being fanaa…let’s Fall in love in 2006 and Wafaa in 2008 with little-known heroines, both which mercifully for him didn’t take off – but his mannered, stylized acting was way out-of-sync with the new viewer. The factuality was that kaka had long back moved from sight to memory. In the Famous words of Avijit Ghosh, a veteran journalist, “With half of Rajesh’s acting ability, one-third his waistline and four times his discipline, Jeetendra swept the market down South for weepy socials and mindless entertainers!”

So how about the Havells fans’ TVC featuring Khanna? Lowe and boss man Balki’s team seem to have pulled a yesteryear celebrity out of mothballs perhaps basing their gut-feel on the fact that Khanna might be able to generate huge brand recall. Ponder on this issue for a moment. I recall Khann’s face pretty well – and my virtuous image at the start of this op-ed would be enough for you to guess my age and the age to which I belong. For argument’s sake, even you might recall Khanna; and I can bet my last remaining Edward shilling that you’ll surely be around 40 years of age, if not easily above. But ask a few respondents in the age groups 20-30, and you start realizing that not only do a significant majority of them have no idea of who in heavens is Rajesh Khanna (and that throws the recall issue out of the value chain), but also that there’s no way that they would be convinced to buy a fan because of him. The latter part of this argument applies to even the age groups that know the 70s king of cinematograph. Would you buy a product now because, um, Kaka says so?

Others too have echoed similar feelings. Creative hotshot Sagar Mahabaleshwarkar [NCD, Bates 141] finds the punning – Havells fans and RK’s fans – laboured. Mahabaleshwarkar is disappointed that the attempt comes from an outfit that created the wonderful ‘Fago re!’ and What an Idea Sirjee!’ campaigns.

While Pritish Nandy, media commentator and head of Pritish Nandy Communications, dismisses the TVC summarily as “a silly parody of the ex-superstar”, film scholar and historian Rauf Ahmed believes the ad-film was an interesting opportunity that got derailed by pitching it wrong. Nandan Dasgupta, a Delhi-based legal practitioner, refuses to be as charitable and believes that the ad is made in bad taste and blames one and all responsible for this “regressive commentary on the human condition.” Former ad-professional, author and columnist Bunny Suraiya is equally critical, “The act is similar to flogging a dead horse. Havells must have gotten him cheap.”

But then, there are others who feel that airing the TVC was worth the toil that went into making it. One cannot deny that it was imaginative and bold of Lowe to have identified a decades-old star who had slipped off the public radar. There is not denying that the attempt to spring a surprise on TV screens with RK, and hit the nostalgia button for his many fans – especially of the 50+ variety – was a conscious decision. Brave it was too for the creative heads to imagine that they could do well without the usual clan of actors who pose for hair oils and mango juices. Perhaps there was nothing in the script and dialogue to support and enhance the surprise element of RK, but him spouting unexpected CSR lines wouldn’t have made the case strong for Havells either.

Personally, I found a few clear blind spot in the ad. The Look that the Aradhana golden boy maintains is worrying [Is he suffering from something serious?]; further, shots of him surrounded with fans and a soundtrack loaded with tired clichés [Mujhse mera fans koi nahin chheen sakta] sound more like dirges of a sad era and are difficult to digest with a smile.

The creator of the TVC (Balki), admits that one requires tremendous confidence, sense of security and calm to undertake and execute a TVC of this type. He says that when Havells decided to resurrect the superstar, there were unhappy faces all around. He is however pleased with the reaction to the ad. “A majority loved it and the polarising views work like an event. Emotion runs high. Placing people and circumstances in public memory has been an achievement.” Well, let’s hope that happens. My critique editorial itself is advantage enough for Balki. And as far as Havells goes, tis the seasons for fans I say; not that I’m gaining too many.

THE LATEST HAVELLS FANS TVC

ADVERTISING AND MORALITY

IS TODAY'S INDIAN ADVERTISING CROSSING THE LoC?

For some time now, concerned consumers and ad-watchers have been getting increasingly worried about the frat crossing boundaries and hitting erogenous zones erogenous zones where even angels (should, but no longer?) fear to tread! Holding up the Lux Cozy and Amul Macho ads as earlier examples apart from the tons of sexist deodorant ads and of course the scores of whitening creams, they continue to remain anxious, often protesting vehemently against the way the Persuasion Industry is trying to seduce the impressionable, unguarded and aspirational sections of our mahaan Bharat into promising them a more fulfilling, confident and rewarding life if they embrace the products advertised. In its effort to keep pace with India's ever changing profile and fashionable definition of an ancient civilisation, which is also a young and modern nation, are the ad guys getting a bit too carried away and overdoing it by adventurously crossing the Lakshman Rekha and touching areas best left untouched? Or are we, due to traditional conditioning, being a little too touchy and forgetting that this is year 2012, and the blitz and exposure of new-age media to a techno-savvy youngistan renders this a non-issue?

A new TVC along the skin-lightening-product segment for a product called Clean & Dry Intimate Wash even promises Indian women protection, freshness (and most importantly) fairness “down there”! The commercial shows a young couple relaxing in their house. The man is shown reading a newspaper while the attractive wife-or whoever! -pouts, unhappy at being ignored. Reason? Her dark-coloured privates! Providence steps in, in the form of Clean & Dry Intimate Wash, ostensibly whitening the parts that seemed to have earlier cast a shadow over the guy's inner view of the young lady and bingo, suddenly aal izz well! Pout disappears, break-up averted, newspaper flung aside to (undoubtedly) explore and enjoy some real whitening-strikes moments!

There're too many questions that hit one when such an advertising hits the ceiling. Where do we stand on such in-the-face ads? Isn't there an LoC that the product's positioning is crossing? But then, how is such a product expected to be launched or marketed? One possibly cannot expect a simple word-of-mouth campaign, can one? And if the product is legal, then why have any hassles on the marketing of such a product? Are we going through the same wave of astonishment that one saw years ago when condoms were marketed in a savvy manner by Kamasutra as opposed to the politically correct yet moribund manner in which Nirodh was advertised?

When invited to comment, political journalist Mahua Chatterjee admits she's temped “to laugh hysterically so that she may not weep!” She soon gets serious and unleashes a series of posers. “Who are these guys creating these ads or manufacturing these products? Clearly a lot of us are totally disconnected from their radar! Is this their professional version of marketing which decrees: Find a gap and fill it? In their drive to sell a product, is nothing sacred, safe or out of bounds? In the crazed rush to grab eyeballs, is titillation of any kind permissible? What about social responsibility, good taste, style & class?” questions Mahua. Then, tongue-in-cheek, the journo enquires why despite a zillion face-whitening products for men “nothing like Intimate Wash has been dedicated to their, er, penile space?”

Actress Moon Moon Sen, after a hearty laugh, offers discrete perspectives. “Sometimes, some ads – even if uncomfortable – are necessary. We live in a society where women (mothers & daughters) don't always know about a lot of stuff, and doctors or professionals who do, hesitate to communicate these facts, due to mental conditioning, rendering them taboo. Unfortunately, many of these are necessary for a woman's well-being. However, a vaginal whitening cream doesn't remotely come in that category and does strain the imagination! A douche or cream for infection is understandable but...”

While documentary filmmaker Ishani Dutta finds the 'intent' of the TVC “inappropriate and sexist”, 23-year-old copywriter Tanu Koundal can't stop laughing! “It's too funny... I know that India is very whiteness crazed and men prefer fair complexioned wives, but it's the face and body on display that is seen and reacted upon... not the private parts!” says Tanu. But the young lady also believes that this kind of advertising – edgy, weird and hitting no-man's- land – is a part and parcel of today's permissive, sexually-cool society where nothing is a big deal anymore. But isn't the product strengthening the unfortunate fairness orientation of Indians and fortifying racist paradigms?

The inimitable, original 'Kamasutra' hottie, Pooja Bedi adds up to the debate as only she can, saying, “People reacted strongly to botox in the beginning, remember? Now it's a rage! Whether you are colouring your hair black, spraying on golden tans or turning private parts white, is an individual choice. I don't know why fairness creams are okay for faces – but not down there! Waxing, laser, designer-trimmer is acceptable so why the fuss about a lightening cream, for god's sake? Why are we always so obsessively reactive regarding our pubic/pelvic area?”

Then is it just media (in their zeal to constantly penetrate and explore new areas of darkness and bring them to light!), including yours truly, who've overdone the issue once again? At a time when more critical issues like education, health care, sanitation, more employment opportunities for women and poverty elimination need to be addressed, should the issue of vaginal whitening need be given the scrutiny that we've all managed to give it?

Irrespective of what the answer to such a macro issue might be, what cannot be denied is that after some weeks of quite dismal and perseverance testing television campaigns, we've finally got one that has the wherewithal to initiate a national debate. Let's raise a toast to at least that, and to the fact that the future is going to see quite some more of such advertisements and quite some more debate. And you know where we'll be when that happens – right in the midst of the fray.

ADVERTISING AND MORALITY

STAR - STRUCK STATES

BIG B VS. SRK: A CLASH OF STATE - MENTS !

BREAKING NEWS! THE TOWERING INFERNO SUDDENLY HAS COMPETITION IN HIS ROLE FROM BADSHAH KHAN! NAH, NOT PRODUCTS OR SERVICES, BUT IN THE PROMOTION AND SELLING OF A REGION, STATE, CITY! WASSUP WONDERS 4Ps B&M'S MONOJIT LAHIRI

Let's face it. Bollywood is the land of dream merchants and who bigger than the Big B and King Khan! In recent times (beyond movies and product endorsements) these two superstars have been coaxed to take on new roles: Brand ambassadors of state (Gujarat) / City (Kolkata)! While this task is both daunting and challenging - to say the least - what drove the powers-that-are to make this amazingly daring move? Avid and informed B-Town and ad experts invite us to remember one simple fact: the overwhelming domination of film stars and cricketers in the public domain and media! Are all brand custodians and marketing heavyweights idiots or passinate philanthropists to offer them telephone number, pay cheques to endorse their stuff, they ask. Surely, somewhere, in some way, there has been an impact and mass connect, of a rewarding nature?

Veteran communication consultant Gullu Sen initiates the debate with "how successful this connect is or will be, in terms of the conversion ratio, will depend on the quality of the ad, but the fact that the ad will be noticed and be a clutter buster, is undeniable. Why? Because in a star-obsessed country people will definitely watch any communication with a star as compared to an everyday Joe (Faggu) or plain Jane (Fanaki)! That's for sure!" Crayons' Client Servicing Director Sanjay Chauhan agrees with a slight reservation. He remains both amused and confused at the levels of desperation of many brand and marketing gurus who really should know better. "Shouldn't there be a connect between endorser and product that appears credible, exciting and positive to the TG," he asks. Besiders, isn't there any palpable or tangible difference between hawking hair oil and confectionery, cement, cars, and... a city or region?

"Not required," retorts respected and renowned adman-writer Kamlesh Pandey. He believes that while never in the history of showbiz has star-power been so overwhelming, "effective results can only come when there is an appropriate brand fit. Shakti Kapoor may not be the ideal role model to sell a state, but the aam admi will certainly be attentive, interested and open to what an Amitabh Bachchan or Aamir Khan have to say, as both, the recent Gujarat campaign and Atithi Devo Bhavo have demonstrated."

The Gujarat case study with the Big B is interesting. Till 2010, Modi's Gujarat - say experts - was a classic example of "how to dissuade tourists from coming!" Right from perception to image perfection, everything about the state was a mess. Enter the Shahenshah, and bingo in record time, he did to the state what (in his heydays) he did to the film industry and his fans ... dyamically redefined the meaning, in scope and scale, of groundswell and footfalls! His pathbreaking Khushboo Gujarat Ki campaign (brilliantly & evocatively scripted and shot, gloriusly narrated) showcases the many-splendoured state with appropriate style & panache. In fact, the campaign has placed a new and strange problem at the doorstep of the Gujarat Tourism HQ : How to deal with the sudden tsunami of tourists flooding the state?!

Pandey insiste "credibility" is the key and is bewildered at the choice of SRK as brand ambassador for Kolkata. "He is undoubtedly a huge star but socially, culturally and politically, he is clueless about that city! I can understand if it was Delhi - his home - but Kolkata?" questions Pandey. He believes that his selection - apart from star power - was obviously due to his ownership of IPL team, Kolkata Knight Riders, " but is that any reason? Wouldn't Saurav Ganguly, Prosenjit Chatterjee, even Mithun Chakraborty be a better choice?" He wonders if any right thinking Kolkatan would ever take SRK's brand ambassador role seriously. Ex-Lintas head and renowned environment activist Gersonda Cunha doesn't consider endorse-ments a big deal "because we did it over 50 years ago with Lux!" However, like Chauhan and Pandey he has a problem when the matching is bizarre. "This leads to both distraction and confusion because the attendion is being seduced by things not connected with its intrinsic brand value." Further, if the endorser is also into multiple endorsements, "state" of mind can suffer grave injury! Theatre actress Lushin Dubey wraps up this debate with a totally different perspective. "Among the evolved, educated and sophisticated intelligentsia, neither Amitabh, nor SRK or Preity Zinta (brand ambassador of Himachal Pradesh), Celina Jaitley (face of Egypt tourism), or Salman Khan's dallying with tourism in Cuba, will cut much ice. If they visit these places these stars are promoting, it certainly will not be for them, but because they have their own reasons: However, for large segments of the uneducated, impressionable and culturally underprivileged, for whom stars are Gods and their pronouncements, gospel truths, these campaigns could well work."

So, at the end of day, the conclusion is simple: Stars dazzle, but when they make trips away from the sky, they better be sure that the glow sends the right signals to the right star struck fan, to create the right impact, or else....

STAR - STRUCK STATES