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