MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • Madison Media wins Cafe Coffee Day Media AOR as Creativeland Asia creates TVC for the coffee chain

    There’s a lot brewing at CCD, Madison wins Media AOR, Creativeland creates TVC

    By A Correspondent

     

    Gautam Kiyawat

    Madison Media has been appointed as the media AoR (Agency on Record) Cafe Coffee Day. The account size is estimated to be approx Rs. 40 crores and will be handled by Madison Media Omega in Bangalore. Said Gautam Kiyawat, Group CEO, Madison Media,”We are delighted to have India’s premier and leading Cafe chain, Cafe Coffee Day, to our roster of clients and are confident of helping it grow and gain further market share in the country.”

     

    CCD today has over 1,450 Cafes across over 185 cities and as a brand has never advertised in mass media in the last 16 years of its existence. It has been built solely through marketing initiatives, coffee category building activities, public relations, social media, engaging the ever-aspirational Indian consumer.

     

    K. Ramakrishnan, President Marketing, Cafe Coffee Day said, “Cafe Coffee Day being a brand for the young and the young at heart, we needed a partner who would be passionate about the brand, to be able to understand the category in depth and the varying dynamics to enable us to move along at a fast pace. We are confident of Madison Media’s thought leadership and competence in executing the campaigns. We are delighted to have them on board.”

     

    However, with brand presence expanding over 185 cities into newer, emerging towns and markets, it’s time for the brand to introduce their first ever television commercial campaign ‘Sit Down’ aiming to reinforce itself into every single household in India, as they make inroads into several newer and unconventional markets.

     

    The ‘Sit Down’ TVC, conceptualized and created by Creativeland Asia, is part of a 360-degree-campaign. This is CCD’s first-ever TVC in its 16 years of existence.

     

    The TVC captures CCD-goers across Cafes in India, telling, actually singing about what they are sitting down for. From sitting down for love and peace, to sitting down to make friends and to tweet, to sitting down to read and to dream, the film showcases plenty of ‘sit downs’ that happen at over 1450 CCDs every single day. The film ends with the line, “Sit Down. A lot can happen over coffee”.

     

    Sajan Raj Kurup

    Sajan Raj Kurup, Founder and Creative Chairman, Creativeland Asia, said, “This is the first ever TVC for CCD. I feel extremely fortunate to have had this unique historic opportunity. We have given it our most honest shot at it. And I hope CCD regulars like it. Personally, as someone who goes to CCD and someone who has been working on the brand for five years now, I feel extremely happy when I see this piece of work. We wanted CCD’s first ever TVC to be a little more than an Advert. Something that CCD goers identify with. Something that is effortless and not trying to hard. Something that is neither too heavy nor too frivolous. In the whole idea of Sit-down, we eventually found all these and more. A powerful thought which is socially relevant in India at this juncture.”

     

    He added, “While the hype initially may be on the TVC, the campaign will be integrated across media. Digital and social playing a very poignant role. Many campaign specific acts have been planned over the last year and will be executed phase-wise.”

     

    The TVC was shot over seven days across various CCDs across the country with a cast of over 75 youngsters. The unique craft of the TVC intelligently combines two contrarian culture. One, the Cafe and the other, the social media space. The storyline of the TVC shows how a bunch of youngsters started a movement call sit-down by self-recording videos across various CCDs across the country to the self anthem and then posting it via various avenues on social media. The central message of the TVC being to stop creating morchas or standing up against things, and instead Sit-down talk  over a cup of coffee and find a way forward. Over 130 social-media profiles were used. Live posts were diligently crafted and created to become the frame-work of the TVC.

     

    The TVC is produced by Equinox Films and directed by Ram Madhvani. “Great effort has gone into crafting every detail in the TVC by Ram, myself and our respective teams who have relentlessly worked over months to design each and every frame in the TVC,” added Mr Raj Kurup.

     

    Speaking on the launch of its first TVC, Mr Ramakrishnan said, “CCD as a brand has never advertised in mass media in the last 16 years of its existence. It has been built solely through unique and pioneering marketing initiatives, coffee category building activities, public relations and more recently through social media. We believe it is the right time to get deeper into our customers lives, possible only through television.”

     

  • Is creativity a means to communicate effectiveness, or to gather awards? MxMIndia speaks to industry pros

    What’s more important – Creativity or Effectiveness?

     

    By Ananya Saha

     

    Creativity vs Effectiveness: what is more important for any brand’s advertising? What is the point of the other if only one is more important? Is creativity a means to communicate effectiveness, or a means or gather awards?

    MxM India spoke to creative heads and marketers to get their views.

     

    Vivek Srivastava

    Vivek Srivastava, Jt. Managing Director, Innocean Worldwide India

    This debate is perpetuated by people who wish to create a divide in the business of communication. To my mind creativity has always been evaluated. In the case of art by artists and art connoisseurs, in case of scientific discoveries by scientists and the far-reaching impact around us, and in the case of advertising by its beneficiaries. So it is a rather frivolous way to look at a serious commercial and business building endeavour by saying that creativity and effectiveness are separate perspectives. They are intertwined. One without the other does not and cannot exist. Those who claim otherwise are merely perpetuating shallow myths.

     

    Not just Effies, but Cannes, Emvies or even Goafest, I presume, the endeavour is to reward creativity that causes impact to state it broadly. I guess if we allow ourselves to be driven by aimless scamsters who do one off ads/pieces for merely awards and succeed then we are giving too much credence to a set of renegades. The motto or credo for the business of advertising is one and will be that way forever – It isn’t creative if it doesn’t sell.

     

    Ajay Kakar

    Ajay Kakar, Chief Marketing Officer, Aditya Birla Group – Financial Services

    If you have creativity for the sake of creativity, them someone someday will ask us to put it at the National Museum of Arts. If we are spending money and so much money as marketers, the only measure should be the creativity that works in the marketplace. And therefore, it works. More and more clients are demanding to know ‘what is their campaign doing in the market’. On one hand, everybody wants effectiveness and on the other, rupee and budget is a scarce commodity and you want every rupee to work. To create work that works is imperative.

     

     

    Bipin Pandit

    Bipin Pandit, COO, The Advertising Club

    Effectiveness is supreme. How can one explain the rationale behind making an advertisement if it does not take the brand to the next level? The campaign should be designed or created in a way that it works in the marketplace. Yes, creativity is important but not at the cost of effectiveness.

     

     

     

    Bindu Sethi

    Bindu Sethi, Chief Strategy Officer, JWT

    The effective campaign is based on creative thought. The creativity, however, should stem from the strategy behind the product just like a fire behind the rocket. Creativity is absence of strategy would not work. But creativity can work wonders for the campaign if executed in line with the thought behind the product.

     

     

    N Rajaram

    N Rajaram, CMO, Airtel Centre

    It is important that the clients and creative agency sit and work together while devising campaign strategy. The agencies work for creative solutions while brands aim at effectiveness. There can be no mismatch between the two if both the parties work for creative solution for effectiveness.

     

    Anil Dua, Sr VP – Sales and Marketing, Hero Honda

    Effectiveness is about result. Effectiveness of a campaign lies in the saliency it delivers. A campaign grows your business and it should be sustainable in the longer run. A campaign, if creatively effective, will be advantageous for your brand and will take your business on higher growth trajectory. Of course, effectiveness is more important for a brand than creativity but creativity is important to attract more consumers.

     

    Satbir Singh

    Satbir Singh, Managing Partner and Chief Creative Officer, Havas Worldwide India

    Creative work that is effective works. Advertising exists speak about a product or service, effectively. If you belong to the brand or creative side, you cannot push people to buy your product or prefer your service. Yes, it is about effectiveness but not about boring people. The role of creative, depending on business strategy, is to entice people to prefer a brand’s product or service over another. How creatively can you do it is the question.

     

    Raghav Subramanian

    Raghav Subramanian, Founder, The Media Cafe

    One cannot do without the other. Effectiveness and creativity, to me, are not different things. Effectiveness is a metric while creativity is a means. Both go together and both fail without each other. It is like asking of the body can work better without the brain or without the heart. Creativity and effectiveness are an essential part of a successful and meaningful campaign.

     

    Prashant Mathur, GM, Contract Advertising

    Creativity and effectiveness lead to each other. Unless the message is effective, creativity fails. Effectiveness of a campaign measures creativity. It is important to see how the message is received. Sometimes when agency loses the plot, which happens very rarely, the intent is not to be less effective. It only happens when the intent of a campaign is not clear.

     

    Shiv Sethuraman, CEO TBWA\India

    Creativity and Effectiveness – these two words cannot and must not ever be used in opposition. There is no conflict; only complementarity. To ask which is more important is akin to asking, “Would you like a great journey or a great destination?” Obviously both.

     

    Effectiveness is the end. Creativity is the means to that end. If you focus only on the means you may have a lot of fun on the way but there is no telling where you will end up. If the end is your exclusive focus then you might find the ride there uninteresting and (often) more expensive than you’d imagined.

     

    The verdict on this particular case has come in many years ago. You need both. And both together provides better results than either alone. Effectiveness through Creativity is the Holy Grail.

     

  • Tata Elxsi and UAE brand consultancy Brash Brands have announced a major strategic partnership to deliver full service brand consultancy and integrated design services

    Tata Elxsi, Brash Brands partner for brand consultancy and integrated design services

    By A Correspondent

     

    Tata Elxsi and UAE brand consultancy Brash Brands have announced a major strategic partnership to deliver full service brand consultancy and integrated design services in India and other key international markets including GCC and Asia.

     

    Through this exclusive partnership, Tata Elxsi will build Brash Brands’ business in India and Brash Brands will represent Tata Elxsi’s portfolio of design services throughout its international offices such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Singapore. The relationship’s first combined service will be to set up joint operations in Bangalore to address brand development and consultancy services in India, and target product design, signage and way finding markets in the GCC and Asia.

     

    Commenting on the partnership, John Brash, Founder & CEO of Brash Brands said, “This is a big step for our organization and it vindicates our business strategy. We don’t want to be the biggest – we just want to offer our enterprise clients excellence to realize the potential of their brands. Tata Elxsi understands the power of this proposition and the need for excellent brand development services in India. Through this strategic partnership we are both committed to offering a set of high quality, focused services that will change the nature of brand consultancy in India and our international markets.”

     

    Madhukar Dev, Managing Director & CEO of Tata Elxsi said, “Brash Brands offers a best in breed service that fully complements our own. This partnership enables us to provide our customers a unique set of full-service offerings initially targeted at India, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Singapore.”

     

  • Indian music service Saavn has announced the launch of its new advertisement platform, Impact, which enables brands to identify, connect and engage with its users

    Saavn launches new ad platform

    By A Correspondent

     

    Indian music service Saavn has announced the launch of its new advertisement platform, Impact. This platform enables brands to identify, connect and engage with its 10.5 million users in India and across the globe.

     

    Impact is an innovative approach to digital and mobile advertising that gives brands 100 percent share-of-voice. Using Impact, brands get complete and exclusive access to all advertisement units on the Saavn web site and mobile apps for a set time period. These include Custom Skin, Web Display, Web Audio, Mobile Spotlight, Mobile Display, and Mobile Audio. Impact is a powerful model that allows brands to build positive associations with their products and services through music. The model has proven to create strong brand awareness, shape brand preferences and increase purchase consideration through undivided mindshare of listeners of Saavn across platforms.

     

    “In India, we all know that music plays an integral and meaningful part in every individual’s life. Impact is a powerful solution that enables the advertisers to build an emotional connection with their target audience during a passionate, social and engaging musical experience,” Vinodh Bhat, co-founder and CEO of Saavn, said. “The Saavn Impact model is based around engagement, curation and social sharing rather than the archaic click-through. Brands are able to measure ROI in meaningful ways, such as increases in perception, awareness, recall and purchase intent. The byproduct of our strong focus on the consumer experience is helping brands grow their businesses.”

     

    Some of the major brands utilizing Saavn to reach million of engaged users in India include: Samsung, Lay’s, Pantene, Pepsi, Nokia, Vodafone, Airtel, Hyundai, Domino’s Pizza, 7Up, Nielsen, MakeMyTrip, Max NewYork Life, Google Plus, Nokia, Vanish, Groupon, Intel and several others.

     

    Saavn delivers a comprehensive catalogue of Bollywood, Indian and regional South Asian music, licensed from more than 200 content providers. Saavn users can search, browse, and play a catalog of more than 1 million tracks; create and save their own playlists; and share their music tastes seamlessly via Facebook.

     

  • One peculiar trait amongst us Indians is that we tend to bond only with each other in foreign countries, and we put little effort into mixing with the locals. And this leads to isolation and often discrimination. Can we then really absolve ourselves of racism?

    Anil Thakraney: Television’s pseudo patriotism

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Hate to see the Indian media go ballistic when NRIs land up in trouble in the nations they have chosen to migrate to. Whether it’s about the desi blokes who got attacked in Australia or the lady who lost her life in a maternity ward in Ireland or those cases where couples in Norway have been found guilty of bad parenting. In each such case our media has been demanding blood of the firangis, and have been pressuring the Indian government to act.

     

    This is not only illogical, it’s completely unfair. All those Indian citizens who’ve opted to live in foreign lands HAVE to follow the laws of the land out there. As well as adopt the local culture. Remember that oft-repeated proverb, which our media conveniently forgets: When in Rome, do as the Romans do. One peculiar trait amongst us Indians is that we tend to bond only with each other in foreign countries, and we put little effort into mixing with the locals. And this leads to isolation and often discrimination. Can we then really absolve ourselves of racism? Also, we must understand that Australians would be more worried about attacks on Asians on their soil; it hugely harms their image in the world.

     

    As for the Norway-based families, Norway did not put a gun to their heads to stay in that nation. But now that they have decided to stay there, Indian parents must follow the Norwegian way of bringing up kids. And if they find that unacceptable, well, they should buy themselves a one-way ticket on Air India and return home. None of this is being recognized by our chest–thumping ‘patriotic’ TV anchors.

     

    And what’s truly galling is the hypocrisy. If foreigners who live in India don’t follow our culture, if they refuse to obey the Indian law, if they insist on special treatment, the same anchors would go all out to crucify them. Imagine the scenario if a Brit were to complain about the noise created by Diwali crackers. Even such a minor issue would be treated with outrage in the media.

     

    Chill down, my dear colleagues in the news channels. Do not forget the Roman proverb. And also remember that an Italian lady dutifully follows all the laws, customs and practices of India. If Ms Sonia Maino can do it, our people better ditto in other lands. And when they won’t, let’s leave them to their fate.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Haha. Hot, hot male underwear ad from France. Notice that they have followed the typical us-versus-the rival routine, but it’s sizzled in this case.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KG8M02ECKyU[/youtube]

     

  • An ecstatic Piyush Pandey thanked the 'team and culture' as Ogilvy and Mather was 'Effie Agency of the Year' and Cadbury was 'Effie Client of the Year'

    It’s Ogilvy all the way at Effie 2012

    Click on the image for larger view

     

    By Ritu Midha

     

    As an event, one couldn’t have thought of a better way to spend a Tuesday evening than sampling the soothing breeze and top-notch refreshments at the Turf Club, Mumbai. Of course, the event was the Effie 2012, so the focus was necessarily on the awards.

     

    Piyush Pandey

    Perhaps unsurprisingly, the show was stolen by Ogilvy and Mather, who came ahead by miles, with the Man of the Moment being its executive chairman and creative director, South Asia Piyush Pandey once again. Ogilvy and Mather, with 280 points (more than 400 percent over its closest rival) was declared Effie Agency of the Year. When it came to clients, the competition was stiffer, although both Cadbury India Ltd (Effie Client of the Year) and No 2, Star India Pvt Ltd, are O&M clients.

     

    An emotionally charged Piyush Pandey said, “It is all by God’s grace. The credit completely goes to our team and culture. New blood joins with its own creative thinking and seamlessly blends with the existing creative thought process.” On being a repeat winner, he said, “It feels ecstatic to be winning again and again. To tell you the truth – the joy and thrill of winning increases every year.”

     

    The victorious Ogilvy team with Shashi Sinha (hugging Piyush Pandey) and Rajesh Iyer, Marketing Head of Colors (extreme left)

     

    Shashi Sinha
    Shashi Sinha

    The Effies themselves were enhanced in stature this year, both in participation and jury process. Advertising Club President Shashi Sinha stated, “It is special for two reasons: it is the first Effie under the aegis of the Ad Club post it becoming the Ad Club of India.” Also, he said, “This year the entire judging process has been conducted online – and the credit goes to Bipin Pandit and his team for managing it smoothly, considering that there were more than 100 jury members this year.”

     

    This year, the number of entries increased to 357. And while last year 29 agencies had participated – this year the number reached 50. Another feather in the Effie cap is that 50 percent of the jury members represented clients – best placed to judge the effectiveness of a campaign.

     

    Ajay Kakar

    Emphasizing the way the Effie is growing, Chairperson of the Organising Committee Ajay Kakar said, “This year, judging moved beyond Mumbai, and was extended to Delhi. We have also introduced two new categories – Direct Marketing and Ongoing Campaign.” He added, “It is a matter of pride that it is not a small set of agencies winning an Effie tonight; 13 agencies have contributed to the winning entries.”

     

     

     

    Ravi Rao

    Another point worth mentioning is the fact of a media agency winning two Effie trophies this year. Mindshare took away two bronzes – and considers it just the right beginning. Mindshare’s Leader, South Asia Ravi Rao told MxMIndia, “We bagged three bronzes, two for Axe Shower Gel and one for HSBC. I am really glad that we made it to the Effies. We will strive harder next time around.”

     

     

     

     

  • Its new brand campaign themed 'Always in fashion' in India is to complement its international signature 'Where Fashion Gets Personal'

    Harper’s Bazaar launches new brand campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    Harper’s Bazaar, the fashion magazine with 29 international editions, has introduced its new brand campaign themed ‘Always in fashion’ in India to complement its international signature ‘Where Fashion Gets Personal’. The magazine has kicked off a new 360-degree brand campaign, which will see lifestyle malls such as Select City Walk in Delhi being branded with Harper’s Bazaar Campaign. ‘Always in Fashion’ – a tri-series outdoor ad campaign with Sonam Kapoor, Anushka Sharma and Priyanka Chopra will cover print, online, outdoors, events & PR.

     

    Targeting the luxury clients, top socialites, HNI consumers, fashion segment and trade, the campaign will run across several lifestyle magazines and trade newsletters apart from digital amplification through trade e-mailers and banners, social media amplification through various Lifestyle Brands with the campaign promoted on social media accounts of major lifestyle magazines such as cosmopolitan, Women’s Health & Harper’s Bazaar India.

     

    The India Today Group also announced the appointment of a new team at Harper’s Bazaar India led by Nishat Fatima as Editor and Ami Patel as the Creative Director.

     

    Sharing her insights on the new brand campaign and welcoming the new team at Harper’s Bazaar India, Mala Sekhri, Chief Operating Officer, Lifestyle Group, India Today Group said, “The new appointments comes at the right time as we unveil the new campaign for Bazaar India. We are happy to welcome Nishat back to the company. Her background and experience make her the perfect editor for Harper’s Bazaar India. We are confident that she will be able to lead the team and help the magazine retain its position as the must-read magazine for the latest fashion, beauty and lifestyle innovations.”

     

    Ms Sekhri added, “We are very excited about this next chapter for Bazaar India!”

     

  • International premium accessory brand Caprese has launched its latest TV commercial in India

    The Company creates colourful TVC for Caprese

    By A Correspondent

     

    International premium accessory brand Caprese has launched its latest TV commercial in India, featuring top-end international models with stylish women’s handbags. Conceptualized by the ad agency The Company, the ad shows montage of colourful bags portrayed in a picture story format. The ad captures scenes from a fashion shoot and brings it alive with superior artistic finesse. The TVC shows Caprese handbags against contrast walls with chrome dressed supermodels. The concept is to showcase a medley of elegance and vibrancies of handbags through a theatrical lens. The ad, shot in Dubai, displays the autumn winter collection for 2012.

     

    Manish Vyas, Vice President Marketing, VIP Industries Ltd, said, “Caprese is a reflection of haute couture fashion of handbags, the brilliant execution of frames and depiction of colourful handbags against a contrast backdrop, make it a delight to view. It’s a little window of the world of fashion that handbags belong to. Caprese offers a wide range of beautifully designed handbags for any woman’s sensibilities. We are confident that the women of today will relate to this TVC, as it speaks to each woman’s innate desire to be fashionable and stylish.”

     

    KB Vinod, Managing Partner, The Company, said, “This communication introduces Caprese handbags to Indian market. The execution, featuring international fashion models and styled by global stylegurus, is inspired by the colors of Caprese fall winter collection. The attempt at this introductory stage is to establish the brand’s fashion credentials. Soon, we would like it to be one of the most famous and desired handbag brand in India.”

     

  • Completely boring and a tired piece of work. A trainee copywriter would do better than this at a hurried copy test

    Debrief: IDEA: Honey, it isn’t funny

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    After the recent good campaign on Indian festivals, here comes a complete shocker from IDEA. The new TVC wants to communicate that the whole nation uses IDEA. The promise itself is highly yawny, wonder if there’s any brand left in this nation that doesn’t use the ‘Desh ka favourite’ platform. To make matters worse, the execution is so poor, you actually miss Small B, and that’s saying a LOT!

     

    The idea IDEA has used is a highly irritating, totally juvenile ringtone that belts out ‘Honey Bunny’ trash when the phone goes off. And as you can predict, this nonsense happens all over the country. As usual, the Kashmiris, the Bengalis, the Southies, the Sardars, etc, all make a comeback. As they go ‘Honey Bunny’ in their respective accents.

     

    Completely boring and a tired piece of work. A trainee copywriter would do better than this at a hurried copy test. What is even more appalling is that it comes from a team that usually does good work. Well, let’s just say they had an off day, it can happen to the best of us. Folks, immediately kill this ad, have some beers, and go straight back to the drawing board.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aaPMBXKQLI[/youtube]

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 0. Zero entertainment. Full-on irritation. Section 66A applicable.

     

  • Meridian Communication Mumbai has added the Hockey India League to its existing client portfolio, following a multi-agency pitch in Delhi a couple of months ago

    Hockey India wins for Meridian, OgilvyOne

    By A Correspondent

     

    Meridian Communication Mumbai has added the Hockey India League to its existing client portfolio, following a multi-agency pitch in Delhi a couple of months ago.

     

    Samrat Bedi, Head of Office, Meridian Communication, said, “Giving hockey its rightful place in India is something that we all talk about. The League is a superb opportunity for us to be a part of the team that will re-position the game in a manner that appeals to newer and larger audiences.”

     

    Hockey India Secretary-General and Hockey India League Chairman Dr. Narinder Batra said, “Meridian & Ogilvy One’s passion came through during the pitch. The league is going to showcase the world’s best talent and boundless energy. Meridian and Ogilvy One brought such energy to the table and we are happy to choose it as our communication partner.”

     

    Kunal Jeswani, President, OgilvyOne Worldwide, India said, “It is very exciting to have the opportunity to launch the Hockey India League and rekindle the country’s passion for the sport. It is a great challenge and we look forward to it.”

     

    Shashank Lanjekar, VP Planning, Meridian Communication, said, “Sport in India is uni-dimensional and that’s just so unfortunate. It’s easy to blame and complain about the lack of other sports facilities but it’s not easy to initiate a change. And that’s exactly what Hockey India has done. A spark that we hope slowly takes the shape of a flame and soon rages into a forest fire like the IPL. We hope to make this ambition our communication effort as well.”

     

  • For the greater good, all those advertisers who have signed up Sachin should release him from the contracts immediately. There are enough young guns in Indian sports, they can fish elsewhere

    Anil Thakraney: Are corporates pushing Sachin?

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    There has been a lot of talk in the media (and on the streets) over Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement plan. Or indeed the lack of it. Further fuelled by Ricky Ponting’s decision to hang up his large boots. Obviously there is merit in this discussion, even if Tendlya himself doesn’t wish to be a part of it. Cricket is a young man’s game, and a 40 year old batsman does sound like a misfit. This is further confirmed by the master’s consistent failure to perform. Of course, he’ll play the odd decent inning, but that doesn’t take away from the point.

     

    So then why is the Rajya Sabha MP unwilling to leave the pitch? Part of the problem I guess is the state of living in denial. Your mind says you can rock it, but the ageing body isn’t falling in line with that thinking. This can happen in any field of activity (even sex!), but it becomes a huge problem in sport. Sachin may still be as tough in the head as he was two decades ago, but that won’t improve his reflexes. He also gives me the impression of being a stubborn man-child. Notice how Sachin continued with that shoddy new hair style of his for months together despite all the criticism in the media, even from his diehard fans.

     

    However, there’s another theory doing the rounds, and this one is far more sinister than a bad hair job. Sachin is mindful of the endorsement contracts that are still alive, and the impact of his retirement on these deals. Naturally the contracts become null and void if the man suddenly retires, and hefty refunds (possibly even penalties) will become payable. It’s very likely that these financial matters are playing on the MP’s mind. And preventing him from walking away into the sunset. If so, this is terrible. Because this means Sachin will play for a few more years, causing problems not just for the team but for his own self. A billion Indians would hate to watch the old master make a fool of himself on the cricket ground.

     

    I think for the greater good, all those advertisers who have signed up Sachin should release him from the contracts immediately. There are enough young guns in Indian sports, they can fish elsewhere. In any case, Brand Sachin is no longer as potent as it used to be (this factor deserves a post by itself), so it’s better to move on.

     

    Perhaps with this weight off his shoulders, the master will do the right thing. Which is to join the commentary team. And also focus on how he can make this nation a slightly better place.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Ah. Just another day in the entirely stressful advertising life. 🙂

     

  • A hospital is not a place where you make 'Bakras' out of people, it is a place of the sick and the dying. This is not just completely unethical, it's bloody insensitive

    Anil Thakraney: Australian radio jocks should be jailed

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Abetment to suicide will obviously be an unfair charge, but the two Aussie radio jockeys whose wild prank led to the suicide of an Indian-born British nurse must definitely be made to face at least some prison time.

     

    For those of you not in the loop, an Australian station’s radio presenters, Mel Greig and Michael Christian, made a hoax call to the hospital in London where Kate Middleton is being treated. Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse, took the call and believed the lie when the jocks claimed they were members of the Brit royal family. When Saldanha later discovered she had been made a global fool of, the sister apparently took her own life. In short, a joke gone horribly wrong.

     

    Following worldwide outrage, the two RJs have been sacked, but I don’t think that’s enough. The two should be charged under the relevant Australian law, and they need to pay for their crazy antics. Some of you might argue that the jockeys were having a good gaffe, that they did not intend for the nurse to die. Yes, I buy that. In fact, I believe our radio stations should learn a lesson from these guys, our RJs are specialists at annoying listeners with mindless chatter. I also accept that Cyrus Broacha had been doing stuff like this for MTV, and many unsuspecting souls were made ‘Bakras’ by him. However, there’s a huge, huge difference in the case of the dead nurse.

     

    The difference is that the idiotic RJs messed around with a hospital staffer. This simply cannot be defended. A hospital is not a place where you make ‘Bakras’ out of people, it is a place of the sick and the dying. This is not just completely unethical, it’s bloody insensitive. And the worst-case scenario happened; someone committed suicide. Clearly, all this nonsense is a direct result of excessive competition in the media. Which compels some personnel to cross the line of control. And these rubbish deeds need to be clamped down upon, the offenders duly punished. Whether it’s journalists taking money for news or RJs risking people’s safety, some prison time would set the right example for both kinds.

     

    ***

     

    PS: What’s with Twitter? It seems to get the worst out of people, many end up with foot in the mouth. The latest victim is British Airways. An airline staffer allegedly retweeted a highly racist message, and the airline is in trouble for that. BA claims that someone hacked their Twitter account, though I won’t be surprised if that turns out to be untrue.

     

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2234688/British-Airways-apologises-retweeting-racial-abuse-customer-angered-flight-cancellation.html