Here Wego Again!

What's with all the two wheeler clients? A few weeks ago I went on a fast against one bike ad that confessed it to be a cleverly filmed deception! And now this! So you make a claim, then disprove it. And then consumers are supposed to miraculously start trusting the brand with their life (literally, as we all know the safety record of two wheelers). So we are to believe that Wego has won those awards? Or has it? Who are we to trust?

Many years ago, Jerry Della Femina tried playing with truth for Isuzu. He found a clever way of using the fact that car salesmen, in those days, were generally understood to be cheaters and liars. Supers in the Isuzu ads informed the viewers when Joe Isuzu, the spokesman, told a lie and when he did not. Thus the truth, or shall we say brand propositions, got drilled down into the viewer's subconscious and worked wonders for Isuzu. Here is one of the commercials that I could find on Youtube:

 

Compared to this, the Wego ad is just a hollow attempt at situational humor. When it first aired, I ignored it, but now it is too much in the face. I am feeling a bit weak after the 3 week fast against the Amrutanjan ad, but Anna's got to do what Anna's got to do! So I am going on another week-long fast against this mindless use of humor in advertising. (I am telling the truth).

Jai Jerry Della Femina, Jai Hind.
-Anna.

Let there be light (CFL, preferably)

Last week I had made up my mind to go on a month long fast against that ad with a WIRSSC. But this week I am revising my plan. Now I will fast for just 3 weeks. Why? Because I happened to see a commercial that shed some light on the situation of advertising creativity in this country. And it is encouraging. Here is the illuminating commercial...

I think it is a good sign that advertising itself is mocking advertising clichés. I just have one question, though. Why can't this commercial have the same production values (execution finesse) as the fairness cream ones? Or is it that CFL lights do not spend as much on advertising as fairness creams?? But let's be fair to those who have written the script (I understand that every good script has many fathers - real as well as hierarchy driven - hence the plural) and say, good job! You have saved a few antacids in my medicine box!

Jai Lee Clow. Jai Hind.
- Anna.

Some Tricky Questions

University of Advertising
Department of Behavioral Studies.
Paper: Cognitive Analysis

Instructions:
* Please attempt any 10 questions.
* If you are a female, don't bother answering anything. 
* You can only view the following commercial 100 times before answering.
* Abbreviations used: WIRSSC (Woman In a Red Saree Showing Cleavage)















---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q1] What is the product being advertised?

Q2] The WIRSSC throws some suggestive glances at the guy. What is she suggesting?

Q3] See the picture below. What is WIRSSC holding in her hand? (this is not a trick question. She is really holding something in her hand. You are advised to see the picture again)

Q4] Look at the eye-tracking map below. Guess the age of the subject studied here.
a) 10 b) 20 c) 25 d) 30 e) 40 f) 60 g) Does it really make a difference?

Q5] The guy tells his wife to sleep on the top berth.
Does he realize that WIRSSC's husband will also be doing the same?

Q6] When the WIRSSC says "Tumhe aaram mil gaya" There is a crawler product shot.
How many times did you notice it out of 100?

Q7] How believable does the dialogue "Tumhe aaram mil gaya, mujhe aur kya chahiye" sound?
Does it seem like it was something else and then changed to suite the TV channel's family programming where this ad is placed?

Q8] When the guy's boss says, "Uff yeh sirdard", the guy immediately thinks of WIRSSC.
If the boss had said something else, such as, "good morning" wouldn't the guy still start thinking of WIRSSC anyways?

Q9] Did you actually see the commercial post the office sequence?

Q10] Casting: Why wasn't the boss a woman?

Q11]  Justify in less than hundred words why the office sequence is included in this commercial?

Q12] Have you ever noticed any WIRSSC during your train journeys?
If yes, how many times did she cared whether you exist, let alone you having a headache?
If No, well, join the club.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am on a month long fast against this ad which was done for some product. Can't remember what that was.

Jai Sigmund Freud. Jai Hind.
- Anna.

In your dreams...

I remember, when I was young, a boy named Mukesh used to live next-door. He used to tell me how he dreams of becoming rich and one day having a whole building to himself in the heart of Mumbai. I dreamt of the same thing. I mean, I dreamt of having a whole building to myself, not Mukesh.

His dream was not his alone; it was mine as well. But he went on to help his father in business and I went to an advertising agency. Sigh! At least he must be doing well for himself.

The other day I spotted this hoarding by Union Bank and I was reminded of my friend Mukesh and his dream. 

But what I really don't understand is how the unfulfilled dream of Ajit Tendulkar is connected to Union Bank!

I mentioned this to one of my disciples and he said that I have got it all wrong and I need to improve my English. I told him that since I am a public figure, improving anything is detrimental to my image; therefore it is the bank that needs to improve their English.

I am skipping dinner over this. And no dinner for my disciple either. About time he improves his behavior.

Jai Frank Jefkins, Jai Hind.

 - Anna.

Kavita Matlab Coca Cola

As per my general knowledge, Diwali is festival of lights. It is not about saying thanks. Yet the youngsters in this commercial seem to be lighting two lamps for everything that helped them along the way. Why can't they give away coke bottles Instead? They give one precious bottle to a woman, that too in return of a few more lamps! The VO seems like taken from Prasoon Joshi's writing pad when he was not looking! And why two lamps? Oh, I get it! 'Ek diya' would have sounded a bit odd...

I am not going on any fast. It's Diwali, for crying out loud! I will just say, 'Doh aur laddu, iss ad ke naam.'

Jai Thomas Edison. Jai Hind.

- Anna.

Looks Fast (One)

There are some commercials that leave you amazed. At the technological wizardry. At the production quality. You ask how did they do that? How must have they shot it? And then there are some commercials that leave you with questions. Questions like what are they trying to say? What are the consumers supposed to think of the brand? Is there anyone checking the logic behind these 'kickass' ideas?

The new Pulsar commercial is both. More the latter than the former. Because it actually shows how the stop motion was created. And the consumer goes, "Ah! So all this is fake! Very clever! But what do you mean? Does Pulsar need all this around for it to look fast while standing still? Is your ad a lie? A deception? Or do the other bikes deceive? And why am I spending so much time analyzing a television commercial? Experts say that as an average consumer, I don't deeply study ads. I just make up my mind about the brand and move on! Alrighty, then. Pulsar = Fake."

Now hold on, before you start doubting this simplistic analysis, take a look at this commercial. This one is also trying to say that the vehicle appears to be fast even if it is standing still. Now tell me what must have gone through the consumer's mind after watching this.

I am going on a day long fast against the Pulsar ad. I was going to say three days, but since the production values are not so bad, my team has requested me to take it a little easy.

Jai David Ogilvy. Jai Hind.

- Anna.

Who's child is it anyway?

Why does it have to happen? You buy a great commercial from a small but effective agency. You also buy in to the concept, and then completely screw it up by asking your totally-depending-upon-your-revenue-hence-incapable-of-saying-no kind of big agency to create another commercial based on the same concept?

After buying "Har ek friend zaroori hota hai" from Taproot, They have made JWT create this banal version of it for Airtel Digital TV. Where is the fun which they had with Kanjoos Friend and other extensions? Now here the agencies were different, and reputed creative forces in their own right, but the client was the same, so I am going to blame the client.

Of course, JWT would be most unwilling to add to the glory of the campaign which is not theirs anyway! Bharti Airtel should have given even the Digital TV account to taproot! Or ask JWT to create a fresh new campaign for the digital TV business. This multi-agency practice has only one victim - creativity.

Who owns a creative property? The agency who creates it? The agency who has to follow it? Or the client who is paying for it? Who's baby is it? I know this is a difficult question to answer.

Here I was, thinking "what a nice commercial, it will surely continue to be entertaining in every avatar" but I was sadly mistaken.

Sorry for a harsher than normal tone of voice, but it hurts more when you see a good ad getting a beating. I am going to fast for three days and would go for Tata Sky who have a much more entertaining commercial based on the same proposition.

Jai Jay Chiat. Jai Hind.

- Anna.

PS: Here are the two ads I was referring to for the uninitiated...

Are you, er, protected?

I was dreaming for sure. It was an Arabian dream. Like a Sindbad story. At least the background music sounded like that. First it was a painting, then it turned into a lake in Kashmir where an immaculately designed Chinese monster and her immaculately designed baby were terrorizing the wits out of two innocent oarsmen on an immaculately designed ship. (this is what happens when a design agency makes a commercial)

First the monster picks one of them up and feeds him to the baby. The baby monster chokes! (like you choke on fine Kashmiri silk). Worried, the monster looks around to find a Bisleri bottle in the other man's hand, she snatches it and helps the baby gulp down the man! The baby is saved, and instead of eating the other man, blows kisses at him!

Now I am choking on a lot of questions.

1] If you choke on food, get saved, you still would like to eat the rest of it, wouldn't you? Or would you kiss the remaining food?

2] The monster lives in water, but looks around for water! (Always mineral water for the baby, remember?)

3] Monsters, according to popular belief, are much larger than the men or the boat, but a mere liter of Bisleri (should measure a teardrop in proportion) is enough to save the choking baby!

4] Ah, lets give it a rest, shall we? after all, it was a dream.

The only thing real was the brand, but once the communication enters the unreal space, it shuts out all critics.

This splash of creativity hit me in the face and woke me up from my dogmatic slumber! Maybe this is what quenches the thirst of the new generation, makes them laugh, makes them like the cute monsters (or write a post or tweet about how chweet all this is and say things like, 'dude, this is the shite'), and by some well researched form of subliminal persuasion makes them also think positively about the brand and eventually ask for a Bisleri (they do that already, don't they? And peacefully walk away when they are handed an Aquafina instead!)

"But look at the styling, the character design", a friend from another design agency told me. "We are defining the 'brand space' nowadays, and man, its going to look so stunning!"

But the consumers are oblivious to this. They don't know how to stay protected from all this blitzkrieg. Maybe the creative strategy is to stun the viewers, just like those two poor men, so that they don't reach for the remote.

Sigh. I miss the good old days... I am on a week long fast against this, and this time I am not even going to drink water - mineral or otherwise.

Jai Walt Disney. Jai Hind.
- Anna

Government atrocities: the 'A' kind

 There are times when I am speechless. People think I am following 'Maun-Vrat' or something. But I am too disturbed to say anything about certain ads. The case in point is this ad for Central Board of Excise and Customs . (a tiny preview appears at the center of this page, and you can't download it, so dear followers, I apologize for this technical difficulty)

Oh, don't click. I apologized already.
Click The URL on top instead.

I like Hariharan. I really do. But why should he appear in an ad that looks like produced and directed by a bureaucrat? He appears to be bored to death. He also plays tabla on the piano! (must be his way of protesting against the script). My fellow Indians, the time has come to speak out against the torturous government departmental advertisements. These are so horrible, that nobody uploads them on YouTube, nobody speaks about them (perhaps because nobody understands them), and sadly, nobody notices them!

They are badly shot, badly produced (there are about 28 producers empaneled by the Directorate of Public Relations & Publicity. I don't think they would be getting any real advertising film work. With a portfolio filled with messages released in public interest, (or shall I say disinterest) how can they?

The reality is that the messages of public interest or public service ads need to rise above the noise levels of marketing communication to have any effect. But I don't think DPPR ever consults the real magicians of the advertising world. With the less-than-one-percent money (as I suspect) finally reaching the producers, who would want to touch it? Hey, I have an idea! DPPR should convince Cannes to create a separate category for these ads! Then see how hotshot creatives will line up with ideas!

In all fairness, perhaps Hariharanji did this ad for a good cause free of cost! ("Well, more for us, then!", whispers the democratically elected client).

Jai Powers That Be. Jai Hind.

- Anna

Har Ek Friend Zaroori Hota Hai

A war is brewing in the nation. Looks like my namesake in the social arena will finally get his way. Kabhi kabhi achhe kaam karna bhi zaroori hota hai. Jaise har ek friend zaroori hota hai. So I hereby declare that Anna of Advertising is lending his moral support to Anna of the Nation.

I find Airtel's new commercial appropriate to this occasion. Sometimes you just have to agree that even the biggest of the brands, albeit intermittently, gets it right. And I have to say, this one gets a place in my book of good ads (which is an extremely thin book). Good casting, good lyrics, good execution, and a good tune that will make up for all those banal commercials they dished out post Express Yourself and Border commercials (which were not too bad, but who remembers these prehistoric ads?).

Therefore today I sit for a fast. Because of this ad, but not against it.This ad suggested to me that that is what I should do in support of our friend.

Jai Real Anna, Jai Hind.
- Anna

Look ma, hands!

A while ago I wrote about the Surf Bar ad which raised the bar for unbelievable advertising. This time (I know, this is a re-run. But what to do? I was busy fasting against some other ad back when this went on air for the first time) the unbelievability has been raised to another level altogether!

I am sure some SEC A+ housewives in metros and mini-metros may find it cute that the kid in this commercial wrecks a perfectly good sheet of foam mattress, uses expensive colours to mark his anatomy onto it, uses a hacksaw blade to cut two hands out of the sheet (doesn't cut his own in the process) and props them onto the washing machine. Very very cute indeed.

I dare say it is a tad bit unbelievable that the mother walks in and lovingly informs the kid that thanks to Surf Excel Matic, she does not have to use her hands anymore to remove stains after machine washing the clothes. I was expecting one tight slap for the kid for messing about!

But hey, slap yourself! This is HUL (Unilever). They must have done their research that provides clues to the real reality as opposed to a fake reality that we all think is real, which, in reality, is not (complicated sentence? not to HUL execs). And I have heard that the agency brought in some foreign creative guy to conceive the script. Unbelievable!

Needless to say a fast is in order. But Unilever pockets are deep, so no matter how many deaths I die because of fasting, they will keep showing this commercial. I think it will be prudent to fast for a week to protest against the slap that never came down upon the bratty kid.

Jai Lord Leverhulme, Jai Hind.
- Anna.

PS: Do the right thing for society. Report a bad ad today.

An idea before its time.

I was thinking the other day.

About the future.

I had a dream.

Where all men were equal.

So were the women.

In fact, they were more so.

The world was a better place to live.

We used bio-fuels.

I was signing copies of my book.

At a bookstore.

Nobody did any scams.

But they still made bad advertising.

Like I said,

I was signing copies of my book. 

I could see the cover of it.

Here is an artist's impression.

Will you want to read it one day?

Sigh!

Where will I be without bad ads?

It's just a necessary evil.

Jai Publisher, Jai Hind.

- Anna

Embarrassing realizations.

 
Did you know that people prefer to make love in the dark? (See the clever omission of the word 'sex'? Oops, I said it!, well, so sue me!) That's because it will kill the whole mood if both simultaneously realise that they could have made a better choice! Did you know that power outage ('load shedding' as it is popularly known) is rampant in this country? Did you know how many advertising people it takes to put two and two together? Did you know how many it takes to change a light bulb in the dark?

I find some flaws in this commercial. First, if population growth depended upon power outages, our villages would have been as densely populated as the cities. And cities would feel like a second class train compartment at rush hour!

I personally don't agree with the fact that darkness alone works. Whenever we had power outages, I never managed to catch my wife! Turned out she was more agile than me, and had a strong will (won't is a better word)...

Sorry. I'm letting personal feelings come in the way of professional analysis. Moving on...

Second, this is a commercial you can't watch with your kids around. A friend told me that he became really uneasy when the shot of the rocking bed appeared and his son gave out a hearty laugh. My friend turned pink with embarrassment. He felt a bit relieved when they showed the couple playing with their phones on that bed and spoke out loud to ease the tension, "Ah! they were just playing games." At this, his son turned around and said with a smirk, "Playing games, they were." and laughed again!

As I said, you can't watch this one with your kids around. You never know how much they already know! It gets really embarrassing for our generation and that's why I am going on an indefinite fast against this ad. I have convinced my wife to join me this time. If not anything, at least it will slow her down!

Jai Vatsayana, Jai Hind.
- Anna.

Why do we do ads like these? Hint: Don't ask twice.

Recipe: Take a semi-successful ad. Let it go out of people's long term memory. Take a new product. Make a spoof ad for this product based on the ad that everybody has forgotten. Hope that people will make the connection. Serve with a smile. (after all, aren't the consumers keenly interested in the history of advertising?).

Why (and I am going to ask this only once) do we resort to such ads? Is it because Pepsi takes on Coke and Apple takes on Microsoft? With all due respect for the brand managers involved, the two products in question have precious little in common with these giants.

Wait! I do have a plausible explanation for this! The Hajmola Mint (mentioned as 'Spoofer' hereafter) ad was conceived way way back when the Chloremint (mentioned as 'Spoofee' hereafter) ad was running, and perhaps was intended for quite a different product competing with the Spoofee at the time. Senses prevailed and the script was shelved. Years passed. The agency took it out of the cold storage (many agencies have a large one) and presented it to the Spoofer client after the Spoofer client rejected all good ideas and chided the agency for its lack of mustaches and tea testing abilities.

"But the Spoofee is no longer running their ad", said the Spoofer client! The agency said "Much better! now the Spoofee won't take us to court for using the same Paanwalla!"

Anyways. Even if all this was true, the question remains (that I have already asked above). Therefore I have decided to fast for 3 days against this ad. (don't ask why 3 days again, dam phool).

Jai Anthony Simonds-Gooding, Jai Hind.

- Anna.

PS: Please find attached (reluctantly) herewith both Spoofer and Spoofee ads for your perusal.

Sabka number ayega

Must say, the client has shown some balls buying this. The low key, uninterested voice-over, the choice of nerdy model smells of 'award entry'. The radio spots are better, perhaps because they can't show much and are a little intelligent. The agency must be busy taking a 360 degree view of this. All they need to do is to look at Yellow Pages campaign done by Enterprise a few decades ago (or any international Yellow Pages work). Its the same campaign anyway!
Sure this idea has got legs, but I wonder how would they tell people to call Ask Me for memory sticks, paperweights, ball bearings, bottle openers, batteries, ball point pens, pencils, erasers, safety razors, pocket torches, scissors, key-chains, toothbrushes, plastic gloves, test tubes, tea bags, stirrers, safety pins, shirt buttons, aspirin... Well, you get the picture...
I am fasting against this ad because if you watch it more than once, you don't feel like eating anyways.

Jai Claude Hopkins, Jai Hind.
- Anna.

Pretty maids all in a row...

My maid thinks she is Madhuri Dixit (I wish she looked like her, too). She's got a flip-open cell phone (it's an android). She keeps talking on the phone about her job and about things she has to put up with. She complains that we eat too much oily food and leave subzi stains on plates (so what are we supposed to do? squeaky-clean the plates with our tongues?). She showed disgust when we told her that we do not use some hitherto-unheard-of cleaning liquid (their union must be endorsing it). She generally behaves as if she doesn't need to work, her husband's got a high paying job in medical profession and they live in the US where they  plan to buy a shopping mall or something!
In all, she makes it evident that she is doing us a favor by showing up in the first place! But then, most of the maids in Mumbai are like that.
Coincidentally, she was watching TV (as usual before starting her work) when this particular ad came up -

She didn't like this ad at all! Perhaps she thought it was all too realistic to be of any interest. But I could identify with the expressions of those housewives.
I have decided to fast for a day. Not against this ad, (although there are enough reasons to do so) I'm doing it this time just to keep the plates clean.
Jai Winston Fletcher, Jai Hind.
- Anna.

How can anyone eat anything after this?

I pinched myself hard when I saw this for the first time. Hoping I will wake up. Often when I fast against something or the other, I get such nightmares - food everywhere, women singing about eating, a pot-bellied chef who looks like bad news. But I panicked when I did not wake up and had to go through the rest of the ad. I do not understand much of what is being said, neither am I fully aware about this actor's fame, but all this just seems excruciatingly horrible. (If there is a temple dedicated to him somewhere in southern India, I will face a lot of opposition from that quarter after this post).
I can't tell you what I think is wrong with this ad. I just saw it 3 times and I can't even think!
Therefore I am going on a week-long fast against this mind-numbing experience. But I doubt if I ever will be able to eat again. Did you see how he could not even get up from his chair to dance?

Jai David Ogilvy, Jai Hind.
- Anna.

Lambi fasting ka faarmulaa

Well, for starters, my dear friend Baba is not going to like this! Walking on fire is a feat reserved only for those who seek spiritual attainment, but in this ad, it becomes accessible to everyone who puts on a dash of Jinjola! Sacrilege!
And don't miss the clever competition-bashing by repeating repeating words words like like cool cool. But just because you shoot in Rajasthan and use strange looking cast, you don't sit alongside those Ogilvy-Piyush-Prasoon-Chetan kind of ads of yore.
I strongly recommend you show this ad on Radio from now on.  Because there's only so much visual Jinjola one can put up with. I was going to sit for an indefinite fast against this ad, but will protest with just a day-long one. Because, thankfully, the monsoon is here and will soon drown all prickly-heat-talc ads.

Jai Charles Saatchi, Jai Hind.
- Anna

PS: As recommended by a disciple of mine, I will be fasting Maharashtrian style: eating 'only' the following food items: Bananas, Sabudana Khichadi, Sabudana Vada, White Potato Subzi, Variche Taandul (a small grain rice), Daanyachi Amti (a curry made with groundnuts) and all this just three times a day. This should really shake up the competition...

25 join in the 'Satyagraha' against bad advertising!

It gives me great pleasure to welcome the 25th follower of this blog! Things are heating up as pageviews reach close to 1,500! But this cannot continue unless you all contribute by reporting stupid ads that I should protest against.
Since I have just completed a two-day fast against the Parx Deo commercial, I would not say too much. I will just finish this glass of juice.

Jai David Ogilvy, Jai Hind.
-Anna

Train of conflicting thoughts.

Indian trains are crowded. People who travel in them belong to all age groups and all 'socio-economic classifications’. Unlike the train you see in this commercial. This one is an advertising paradise! All travelers are of SEC A+, or thereabouts and belong to the 25 to 35 age bracket.
No amount of deo can help you in Indian trains, and you don't get to move your arm to reach for the deo in your bag, let alone spray it on yourself! But here, there is room for all the good-looking and flirtatious co-travelers you can fit in thirty seconds.
Here people don't mind if you sit on their luggage. They don't mind your kiddish behavior when you play 'bike'. In fact, others join in and wave goodbye when you get off the train because you are such a cool guy! (Well, sitting on someone else's luggage is the only touch of realism, but it is not followed by people questioning your parentage, your sexual preference, etc).
Demanding suspension of disbelief from your audience is not wrong. But it should be for an effect worthwhile. Look at the way Axe demands it in the following commercial and you will see what I mean.

The Parx commercial demands a two-day fast. Partly because what it is, and partly because I still have bitter memories of my youth when I used a deodorant, and it did not work the way the ad said it will.

Jai William Bernbach, Jai Hind,
-Anna.

Agreement with the Center

It's been more than a week since I went on an indefinite fast against the menace of child labour brought to my attention by the Surf Bar ad (those who missed the post, just scroll down). All my disciples were worried about me. Someone tried to replace the glass of water with a glass of juice. But I could smell, and couldn't be fooled. I also got a call from someone claiming to be the boy's father and he agreed with my demands. I was pleased. As I was about to eat my first laddu, it struck me that the father's voice closely resembled that of my pet disciple! In anger I threw the laddu at him! God forgive me for this display of Himsa.
Everyone thought that I will not break my fast. But then there was some movement at the 'Center'. I saw the following ad and smiled for the first time after enduring months of boring advertising. Prickly heat remedies, soaps, personal care... Sigh! Only I know the pain banal advertising can cause. Sometimes it is more revolting than the ads I protest against... Anyways, I would like to see this ad more often (not too often, though. Even a good commercial has a shelf life)
Jai Keith Reinhard, Jai Hind.
-Anna

Belabouring Child Labour

This ad will make you think that our young generation is very smart. Not only do they know the spelling of Lemon, Bleach, Blue and Vinegar but they also know their stain removing properties! They know where to get them in one place (why go to different shops? - so they are smart shoppers, too), how much these things cost and how to get the money to buy them (perhaps from unsuspecting parents' wallets). Even the saleswoman at the counter knows all this and suggests that the kid buys Surf Bar so that he can save some money for himself. Questions like "what the hell are you doing here unsupervised?" do not pop in her head (although the scriptwriter/servicing/client has cleverly given the reason in the end - they are busy bringing home his baby sister, silly!)
Usually I protest against an ad, but this time, I have decided to go on an indefinite fast to protest against child labour. Ever thought why does the child know so much? Because, sadly, it must be a part of his daily chores!! Therefore, unless the boy's parents call me and promise not to use this kid as domestic help again, I will not eat.

Jai Stanley Resor, Jai Hind.
- Anna.

Do the right thing for the society. Report a bad ad today.

HME to MTS (updated)

Last few days were good. No long fasts against bad ads. My disciples even started saying behind my back that I had put on some extra kilos! But as fate would have it, my departure from the path of Satyagraha was but short lived. I am quite pained by the new MTS commercial I saw today. It is, as ad agency people would say, 'inspired', by a very innovative music video called 'Her morning elegance' by Israeli singer/songwriter Oren Lavie. Does this mean Israelis are more creative than Indians?
Albert Einstein once said, “The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.” (so what's the real story about Relativity, eh, Berty?). But why, if I may ask, copy from such a well known source? HME was nominated for Grammy in 2010! Or do you think it is alright in India because 90% people do not have access to YouTube???
My indefinite hunger strike against this ad begins today. As Fox Mulder would have said,the truth is out there... Jai Raymond Rubicam, Jai Hind.
- Anna

Run Hritik Run

I am disturbed by the recent Cinthol Deo ad that features Hritik Roshan - in a chase - again... Either he is being chased by something or chasing something. Like he did in Hero Honda Karizma ad - trying to take back his baseball cap from a twister! Why bother? I could have given him my Gandhi cap anytime he wanted. Be Indian, I say! Anyhow, this goes out as a warning to all those brands who have signed on Hritik. One more ad with him in a chase sequence, and I am going on a hunger strike.
Jai Ted Bates. Jai Hind.
- Anna.

I don't wish to probe into this further!

There are some things about personal hygiene that should not be shown on prime time television. Remember, it's also dinner time in many Indian homes. And I am sure that the entire nation will join me this time in my fast to protest against this ad. Although I never saw this ad on TV, my good friend showed this to me on YouTube. And it was lunch time. So as you can imagine, I have started my Satyagraha since afternoon. I am told that there are other ads in this series that focus on other unmentionable unhygienic situations... He Ram! My heart goes out to all those who will view all of them...

Jai David Abbott. Jai Hind.
-Anna.

Report a bad ad today. Do the right thing for society.

Stand-up? Yes. Comedy? No.

In my younger days I used to like Rishi Kapoor, especially the way he said, "Main tumhare bina jee nahin sakta" in an emotionally choked voice. His son has got that voice of his. But sadly he constantly speaks in that tone! Now that's my personal opinion. You may disagree with me. But what you can't disagree upon is the fact that he is no comedian. He can't do Stand-up. Standing up against a Sienfeld kind of backdrop does not help much. And who is he calling silly at the end of the ad?
What pains me about this ad is that our young generation in the audience is laughing their guts out at his unfunny lines. Oh that's canned laughter, is it? Thank god! For a moment I was really concerned about the future of our country!
I am going to go on a fast for 2 days in protest against this ad. What happened to funny ads which are really funny? The laughter should come from the viewers, not out of cans.

Jai Pat Fallon. Jai Hind.
-Anna

Report a Bad ad today. Do the right thing for Society.

This should have never been an option!

There is a saying in Himalaya: Those who read Himalayan monster stories should never venture out with the book. It may make you feel, among other things, that you are in Himalaya while actually you are in Ladakh. Also, those who travel to Pune from Mumbai may encounter tunnels that look like nostrils. But do they wait for bikers to guide them? No way! Because, on the expressway, bikes are not an option! You will be caught by the police!
Anyways, I digress. Must be the heat and gastric acids building up. I am definitely on a fast to protest against this ad. Why? Because it insults the common traveler's intelligence. So what if the bikers are shown to be more intelligent and fearless than those who own an SUV? Bikers ARE intelligent. Those SUVs are just overrated gas guzzlers.
And the girl in the car is more fearless than the guys? You mean the same one who reads that stupid monster book and points to the tunnel that looks like a monster’s open mouth? (Good job on the post)
And I hear they had teasers before this monstrosity was released! Doesn't this ad tease enough?
But the main reason I am against this ad is that the guy on the bike says "Reverse is never an option".
I think it is a criminal waste of money to make such a huge ad just to tell you that there is no reverse gear on the bike!!!!
There are homeless people in this country... Maybe you should donate the entire advertising budget for their welfare. Or maybe donate a few bikes without the reverse gear.
I am going to maintain my fast for another day. By then they will release a shorter edit of this ad, and to me, it will be a small victory for the truth.
Jai Otto Kleppner. Jai Hind.
Anna.

PS: Report a bad ad today. Do the right thing for society.

Alsi HD, Nakli performances

   
     Now where in India do you get self help petrol pumps? You do, do you? Ok, pardon my ignorance. But why does the friend talk like a pushy roadside salesman? You may ask how one is to deliver on a tight brief in any other way? And when the client's budget is worth a single HD subscription for a month. Maybe two.
     For the students of Advertising: Whenever the client wants to use the brief as if it were the shooting script, here's how you do it. Just make sure you travel abroad to do it. Give the petrol pump as the reason.
     Is this commercial worth going on a hunger strike? Maybe not.
But I will skip today's lunch over this one...

Jai Jerry Della Femina, Jai Hind.

Regards, Anna.

PS: Report a bad ad today. Do the right thing for society.

The 'Fast' Track begins...

Dear All,
My Name is Anna.
And I am ready to go on fast for the injustice brought about by bad advertising, stupid commercials and scams in the month of December (I am going to eat a lot in November just to make sure I am prepared).Some people laugh at my ways of protesting against the wrongdoings in the society, but I call it the "Fast" track to spiritual upliftment, and if that doesn't work, at least some personal publicity.
So dear people, help me out and point to a really bad ad that I should go on a fast against. And if you remain silent, I will find one in a while. that's not so difficult nowadays...
Dhanyavaad.
Jai Rosser Reeves, Jai Hind
.