MxMIndia

Category: BLOGS

  • Anil Thakraney remembers the sting he did for Mid-Day on Mumbai's dance bar girls where he danced with them, picked on one girl, showered money on her, and… Well, read on 🙂

    Anil Thakraney: A night at the dance bar

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    No, I am not jumping up and down with joy now that dance bars will return to Mumbai (unless Shri RR Patil finds a way to circumvent the SC order). This is because I am not a dance bar man, chucking hard-earned money in the direction of girls gyrating shabbily to Bollywood item numbers isn’t my idea of a night out. Also, some of you might be wondering why I am discussing this issue on a media and marketing portal. Well, the answer is simple: Dance bars remind me of the coolest sting I have done in my journalistic career, don’t think I have had so much fun at work, and I want to relate the experience for those who might have missed the story which was carried in Mid-Day.

     

    The year was 2005. Patil had ordered the closure of dance bars in the state, his main reasoning was that dance bars are actually pick up joints, that the dancing girls are prostitutes. This got me thinking. Why not suss if the girls are indeed prostituting. Dressed as a filthy rich but sex-starved businessman from Rajasthan (gold chain and all), and accompanied by three photographers pretending to be friends, we hit four of the most happening dance bars in Mumbai on a single night. At each place, I would order beer, enjoy the ‘performance’, shake with the gals (though that’s usually not permitted) and zero in on one. Shower her with lots of cash (billed to Mid-Day, of course), and leave a little note in her hand that contained my cell number. It was clear: If the young lady was indeed a prostitute, she would call for sure. I was a cash-rich dude, after all.

     

    Guess what? Days after, not one dance bar babe bothered to contact me, not one. Mid-Day fronted the sensational findings, much to the annoyance and dismay of RR Patil. The minister, unable to deal with the result, got busy dissing such ‘debauched’ style of journalism, haha. But I had super fun doing the story, which explains why it’s still fresh in the mind. Imagine being paid to dance with pretty girls, flirt with them, shower them with money and invite them for a ‘personal’ meet. Ah, what career can be better than that?

     

    By the way, I must add a few of my pals, and Tarana (then a jock with Radio Mid-Day), made a snide and hurtful remark. That it was possible the four girls didn’t want to sleep with me for all the money in the world. Ouch, ouch, ouch! This is what Patil should have said in his defence, but to expect our rural netas to be witty is like expecting pothole-free roads in monsoons.

     

    PS: Cool ad for a butter brand. Wonderfully captures the joy of cooking, and it’s shot beautifully too. Makes you want to rush to the kitchen and create magic.

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • For the next five years, Anil Thakraney advises the channel to towards creating more game-changing programmes

    Anil Thakraney: Balika Vadhu on Colors was a game-changer

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Hard to believe it’s been only five years, it feels like the channel has been around for a very long time. In a short time, Colors has managed to create a niche for itself in the Hindi GECs segment. This must not have been easy, given that Zee, Star Plus and Sony had already established themselves long before the new player arrived. Since ratings play a cyclic game (one big show can catapult a channel to the top rung), I don’t go by numbers. But it’s clear that Colors has made an impact on the viewer’s psyche, and congrats to the team for that achievement.

     

    I must also state for the record that their flagship serial, Balika Vadhu, is the only Hindi soap I currently watch. This is because the serial feels very real, in the lives of the protagonists we see glimpses of our own. Indeed, Balika was a game-changer when it arrived on the scene because it broke the genre of the over-the-top, garish, unbelievable soaps that used to rule till the year 2008.  Since then, Balika has gone on to inspire other soap-makers. Colors needed such a kick start programme to get instantly noticed.

     

    However, sadly, the rest of the channel’s programming hasn’t really been different, their serials haven’t shown the same freshness. Bigg Boss, the reality show, may not garner big ratings, but it keeps Colors buzzing on Twitter, which explains its continued run. I have never been a fan of this dimwitted show for just one reason: The channel deliberately invites the demented sort as guests, hoping that their shenanigans will get the viewers hooked. My view is, this can be achieved with witty, interesting, feisty people. We don’t need morons for entertainment. Here’s hoping Colors will keep this in mind for the future.

     

    For the next five years, I would advise the channel to return to its roots, and passionately work towards creating game-changing programmes. In a previous post, I mentioned why producing American quality serials is very dicey in Indian conditions, therefore a Homeland or a House of Cards will be very difficult, if not impossible to do. However, that doesn’t mean the channel can’t push the envelope. Now that the best of Bollywood talent is beginning to take television fiction seriously, the smart channel will be the one that exploits this opportunity quickly, teams up with the hottest young writers and directors, and puts out programming that’s offbeat and interesting. Is Colors up for the challenge? That is the question the channel’s leaders need to ask themselves as they blow the five colourful candles.

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • Male clients in India don't get their attention swayed by the jewellery a woman wears, that happens with a precariously plunging neckline, writes Anil Thakraney in this review of the new Tanishq TVC

    Debrief: Tanishq Mia: Very real, very well-executed

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Another good ad from Tanishq, must say the team is pretty consistent. The commercial for Mia tells you the brand understands the aspirations of today’s working woman, of her desire to excel in her work AND look beautiful while she’s at it. But there’s a slight problem with the treatment, I’ll come to that shortly.

     

    In the ad, the control freak lady boss commands her junior to forget about wearing jewellery for a critical meeting, she wants the client to stay focussed on the presentation. But our feisty gal gives two hoots, and lands up for the meet decked up in her fancy Tanishq Mia earrings. Naturally, the boss isn’t amused, but the exec makes a winning presentation, and so it all ends well.

     

    A bossy she-boss is a cool idea, there are plenty of these dominating types in the corporate world. Also, the situation is very real, an older woman would secretly resent a much prettier younger employee. The problem is, you disobey such a tyrant boss, you better be ready with your resignation letter. Ms Cruella will make life miserable for you even if you happen to be a star performer. Which is why instead of a happy ending, this situation leaves me with a nasty feeling that our gal is in big, big trouble. To counter this, I would have altered the dialogue a bit. The boss issues an army-like command, even though it’s delivered gently: ‘Lose the earrings’. What if she said, ‘Honey, you sure you want to wear jewellery for the meeting?’ This would indicate that the boss isn’t really a tyrant, and that means the disobedient employee’s job is safe.

     

    Another little problem: I can tell you from experience, male clients in India don’t get their attention swayed by the jewellery a woman wears, that happens with a precariously plunging neckline, though it guarantees to win you the business. 🙂

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 4 The ad is already a topic of discussion in the corp world

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views of the writer are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • The pressure must go on till we see real change, not just when it comes to the food-safety of kids in Chhapra, but all over India, writes Anil Thakraney

    Anil Thakraney: Is the urban bias finally disappearing?

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Nitish Kumar must have been quite shocked. Not just because of the death of many children, whose only fault was to consume a free meal, but because of the kickass reaction from the media. Must say even I am pleasantly surprised. The story was covered extensively, and some channels/newspapers are still at it. That the tragedy happened in a rural area of Bihar, to rural kids, did not dampen the enthusiasm. It’s great to see this, because the desi media is usually obsessed with stuff that happens to the middle class Indians living in urban areas.

     

    Imagine if a similar incident had happened at SoBo’s Campion School or at Dehradun’s Doon School. What if twenty three kids had died after eating crap from the cafeteria? Yessir, shit would have hit the ceiling mighty hard. The media’s affinity for the urban areas is understandable to an extent. For one, journalists feel a sense of identification with the middle class, because these are ‘people like us’. Additionally, editors are often compelled to think urban, because that’s what interests the advertisers. A Pepsi or a Coke will quite obviously want coverage of Mumbai and Delhi rather than Chhapra and Vellore.

     

    As a result, stories of ‘unwashed’ rural Indians often get ignored. We have to ask ourselves this question: The sensational Delhi gangrape and murder on a moving bus… what if it had happened in Harihar or Gorakhpur? Would the media backlash have been equally strong? I suspect not. Clearly, this bias is not good for the nation’s future, folks living in low profile towns and villages are Indians too, their lives are just as important and precious.

     

    But the Bihar tragedy tells me things could be changing, and if so, it’s high time. Am glad with the nonstop coverage, the pressure must go on till we see real change, not just when it comes to the food-safety of kids in Chhapra, but all over India. I usually find fault with the Indian media but this time I would like to congratulate all the journalists. Nitish Kumar has been put on the mat, and that’s the way it should be.

     

    PS: Haha. Aussie Air Force decided to get cute in this recruitment ad for engineers, they put out a complicated puzzle. Only after solving the puzzle, applicants would find the number they needed to call in order to apply for the job. But a typo in the ad brought the advertiser a great deal of embarrassment. Moral of the story: It’s okay to do a smartie ad. But make sure it’s created by smart people.

     

    Link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2349782/Job-ad-challenged-readers-solve-maths-puzzle-backfires–TYPO-impossible-solve.html

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • Instead of creating new situations with the 'youth' shouldn't Bajaj Electricals have built on the memorable ad where an old man attempts to steal from the fridge in the dark of the night, writes Anil Thakraney

    Debrief: Bajaj Electricals: Elephant in the room

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Bajaj Electricals has completed 75 years of existence, and they have released a TV commercial to commemorate that. Themed ‘Shine On’, the creative strategy, at first glance, seems to be on the right track; instead of featuring the product range as the hero, they have concentrated on the application of each product and its direct interface with the consumer. Also, the treatment isn’t serious, they have tried to bring in humour, so all that’s fine.

     

    However, what caught my attention is the last shot, that of an old man attempting to steal from the fridge in the dark of the night, as he’s caught by his missus with the help of the Bajaj bulb. Yes, it’s the same classic shot from the ancient Bajaj Electricals ad, and it immediately brings back childhood memories for many of us. In other words, a fantastic property for the brand. This got me thinking: Instead of creating new situations with the ‘youth’, which is the obvious approach, shouldn’t Bajaj Electricals have built on the memorable ad?

     

    This is what I would have done: With lookalikes of the thieving uncle and his alert wife, I would have created many ads, each for a specific Bajaj product. This would have been done like a soap opera with only these two characters, as they goof off while trying to outwit one another in different situations. Over time, the couple becomes a long term property for the brand, and because they are such likeable folks, people would build a bond with them. Also, don’t miss the jingle in the old ad (I am linking that commercial too), notice how cool it was, we still recall it after all these years. And then compare it with the ‘contemporary’ nonsense they have now put out.

     

    Thing is, if you have such a strong property in your portfolio, why not go all out and milk it? Why create new stuff which is anyway ordinary and done-to-death? Sometimes the gem lies in our own backyard, but we fail to notice it. Perhaps a Bajaj bulb can help find it? 🙂

     

     

    New ad
    Old ad

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 2. Okay ad, but opportunity missed.

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views of the writer are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • What happened to the girls was outrageous. It not only assassinated their right to free speech, the action taken by the cops was completely unjust, writes Anil Thakraney

    Anil Thakraney: Palghar FB case: Cops need to be punished

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    The Bombay HC has slammed the Maharashtra government for not punishing the cops who arrested the two young girls for their Facebook post in the aftermath of Bal Thackeray’s death. In my post at the time, I pointed out that today’s kids need political education from their parents, as the 24X7 virtually connected young urban India is often disconnected from what happens in the real world. So that the bachchas think before they post. And yet, it must be said what happened to the girls was outrageous. It not only assassinated their right to free speech, the action taken by the cops was completely unjust.

     

    And the incident had far reaching implications; it sent alarm bells ringing across the social media, there was a great deal of panic, and I believe many people are still quite wary about what they post. Of course, as I said, people need to look before they leap, but they can’t be fearful all the time, that takes away their fundamental right to expression. Which is why the erring cops ought to have been prosecuted, and not just suspended. This would have ensured policemen think many times before harassing ordinary citizens. Now that the Bombay HC has echoed the same thought, I think it’s time to start an FB campaign to make this happen. We need our virtual space to be vibrant, not spooky.

     

    Also, what I found most galling is that on the news channels (the mass media!), politicians regularly insult and defame each other and their rival parties during the heated debates. But absolutely no action gets taken against them. Why? Well, the answer is obvious. Interpretation of the law is different for the aam aadmi and for the rich and powerful. Which means one can slander anyone on TV and nothing will happen, but an innocuous post on FB can send you to jail. Wow!

     

    I am hoping that my fiery pals on social media will not let this issue die down. If we keep quiet today, they will come for us tomorrow. We have to ensure the concerned cops are made to pay for their act so that we don’t see a repeat of such unfair incidents in the future.

     

    PS: Ever wondered why we don’t get to see such tempting chalkboards outside restaurants and bars in India? Well, guess the proprietors are worried that taporis passing by will use them to play football, or that some kleptos or beggars will walk away with the ‘booty’. Anyway, here’s a listing of the most creative pub chalkboards from the UK. Good fun.

     

    Link: http://www.thepoke.co.uk/2013/05/06/50-brilliant-pub-chalkboards/

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • After reading out emotional and meaningful poems at protest venues after the Delhi gangrape, Prasoon Joshi was on ‘Storyboard’ saying advertisers are marketers after all and we just try to sell products

    Ranjona Banerji: Disappointing Prasoon Joshi

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Do people invite Shaina NC to their shows only to take issue with her or ignore her or humiliate her? I am no fan of this member of the Bharatiya Janata Party but I cannot understand why she is invited as a guest to studio discussions only for her views to be pooh-poohed. It is true that her views are usually extremely silly – in which case, why ask her to share them unless you want to expose her? There are many other foolish people in all parties who regularly express their equally daft views without being treated with similar contempt.

     

    On Arnab Goswami’s show last week, Shaina NC tried the impossible task of trying to defend RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s India versus Bharat remarks regarding rape. There were other Sangh Parivar worthies like Subramaniam Swamy and GVL Narasimha Rao on the show who also did their bit but Shaina NC got the most flak. There were times when she looked on the verge of tears. On the Best of the Big Fight on NDTV, Shaina NC got the same treatment from Vikram Chandra and other guests like Madhu Kishwar for her somewhat confused remarks about how India was a fully spiritual nation (as in no sex please). Please note that this was seen as a “best” bit.

     

    The other question of course is: why does Shaina NC want to get treated like this? There is a theory is that she is the most personable face that the BJP has, which is why she is sent out to defend the cause. There is another sexist theory that she has a pleasant face. And a somewhat nasty theory is that she is one of the more stylish members of the BJP, especially since she belongs to India and not Bharat (by Mohan Bhagwat’s definitions, not mine). Plus there’s a cynical theory that her father Nana Chudasama was hedging his bets by making one daughter join the BJP. Whatever the reason, it is unfortunate that she is such a sucker for punishment.

     

    I can safely say this much: Shaina NC is not the sort of person edit pages of newspapers would or should invite to write opinion pieces.

     

    **

     

    Prasoon Joshi

    Have to say that I was most disappointed with Prasoon Joshi’s appearance on CNBC’s Storyboard show with Anuradha Sengupta. For someone who has used his advertising experience to craft himself as a sort of Renaissance man, one would have expected some better responses on a show about how the media can become more gender sensitive. There was Joshi at protest venues after the Delhi gangrape reading out emotional and meaningful poems. And there he was on CNBC saying well, advertisers are marketers after all and we just try to sell products.

     

    The “too bad if you don’t like it” attitude was attempted to be ameliorated by some anodyne remarks about how gender sensitivity as important but it was mere tokenism at best. Unfortunately, there was no Arnab Goswami to call him out. However, the hypocrisy was exposed one way or another.

     

    I suppose the problem comes from wearing too many hats and sometimes you forget when you’re a sensitive poet and when you’re a hard-hearted purveyor of rubbish.

     

    **

     

    The Indian media has stuck to the rape story and the treatment of women in India for over three weeks now, showing incredible tenacity. India TV, often not the most credible but always entertaining, had a brilliant sting operation last week which exposed how women in India are harassed for the simple crime of just standing by the road.
    The media has of course been helped by sheer idiocy of remarks spewed forth by politicians and so-called spiritual and societal leaders.

     

    **

     

    A pat on the back to the media for sticking to the law and not revealing the rape victim’s name, even though the father has apparently given it to the UK Mirror. The Hindu had a front page note from editor Siddharth Vardarajan explaining just how the law worked as far as India is concerned

     

    The news agency ANI has apparently taken action against a stringer for taking remarks by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat about a woman’s place being in the kitchen out of context. Bhagwat was it seems explaining how marriage worked in the western system unlike in India where it is a spiritual union. Sadly, a woman’s place remains in the kitchen here as well, judging from how our worthies feel about women in public places!

     

    Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She is also Contributing Editor, MxMIndia. The views here are his own

     

  • In Freaking News, which will now appear every Tuesday and Friday, Ranjona Banerji reviews the fare in the morning papers and the nightly news. And sometimes the afternooners, the newsmags and all that's on the Web.

    Freaking News: How the media covered 10 years of Gujarat riots

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Interesting to see that Hindustan Times has gone for all out coverage of 10 years of the devastating riots in Gujarat, while The Times of India has played it down. This is particularly intriguing because at the time, TOI quite beat all other papers when it came to covering the Godhra train attack and the subsequent riots. Disclosure: I was deputy resident editor of the Ahmedabad edition of The Times of India at the time.

     

    Of course, it must also be pointed out that Hindustan Times does not have an edition in Gujarat, only a bureau and as Sujata Anandan, political editor for HT, then Mumbai bureau chief, pointed out in a related piece, she had to send people from Mumbai to cover the terrible events. It is possible however that the Delhi edition of TOI has not picked up the relevant stories, which is even odder because 10 years ago it was TOI Mumbai which shied away from riot-related stories and opinions. Apparently the resident editor at the time did not think it was relevant.

     

    On Tuesday, in the Hindustan Times, Harsh Mander, former IAS officer now social worker who works with Gujarat riot victims, hopes that there will be, well, hope soon. The day before Ashok Malik had asked whether it is time to forgive and forget. I wonder about that and our ability in India to behave as justice is an on and off system which we press when it suits us.

     

    Television, in particular CNN-IBN and NDTV, did focus on the riots and their aftermath: after all both their main faces Rajdeep Sardesai and Barkha Dutt did cover the riots extensively, perhaps for the same channel at the time, my memory fails me here. As a print journalist however, the strident hysteria of TV reporters and anchors, especially at such critical times, can often be more of a hindrance than help and so it was 10 years ago in Gujarat. Provocative people may make for good television but sometimes it can lead to irresponsible journalism.

     

    * * *

     

    Having spent a few days in Delhi, or more correctly Gurgaon, it is fascinating to see how crime dominates the papers. Is this because crime dominates events here or because local journalists look out for it?

     

    * * *

     

    On TV land on Monday night, Arvind Kejriwal’s remarks about Parliament being full of robbers, rapists and murderers got some play (see what I mean about TV promoting people just to create good television?). Karan Thapar on CNN-IBN wanted to know whether everyone agreed with Kejriwal and the Election Commission’s intent to tweak existing laws to bar people accused of severe crimes for contesting elections, within a certain time limit.

     

    The normally rambunctious Chandam Mitra of the BJP, normally quick to have hysterics was abnormally quiet as he hummed and hawed and said a debate was necessary and suppose the accused was later proven to be innocent? (Incidentally, this problem of later being proved innocent never bothers the BJP where Muslims accused of terrorism as concerned!).  An activist pointed out that the proposal was seven years old and surely that was enough time to debate the matter.

     

    Prashant Bhushan, who defended Kejriwal, said a few innocent people suffering was a small price to pay to keep criminals out.

     

    The Times of India, in its second editorial, slammed Kejriwal and Team Anna for swinging their “bludgeon in all directions while assuming partisan and authoritarian overtones”, which can only lead to the movement floundering.

     

    * * *

     

    On NDTV, Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury got into a made-for-TV fight with an anti-nuclear activist. This was more interesting than the issue itself – foreign-funded NGOs – which got nowhere.

  • The entire media effort should be on exposing, and naming and shaming the individuals and groups responsible for this mess of potholes, writes Anil Thakraney

    Anil Thakraney: Brouhaha over potholes is silly

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Every monsoon, newspapers go crazy over the issue of potholes, and then the news channels dutifully pick it up. Campaigns get launched, protests happen, municipal officers get interviewed, angry reader letters get printed and then… it’s back to the new year, a new monsoon and new potholes. It’s been no different this year, many newspapers in the metro towns have been raging over these lunar craters.

     

    Complete waste of time, money and most importantly, precious newsprint. What is the point in crying about potholes year after year when nothing changes on the road? And nothing will change because potholes, and we all know this damn well, are babies of corruption. Of course, our engineers know how to build good roads (after all, there are no potholes on roads where the so-called VIPs usually travel), so clearly there is a lot of money being made by a lot of people through the dirty holes. Which is why the media must go after the disease, not the symptom. To give you an example, is attacking boils on the body the method to treating chicken pox?

     

    The entire media effort should be on exposing, and naming and shaming the individuals and groups responsible for this mess. This would mean carrying out investigative stories and sting operations, going after municipal corporators and engineers who’ve earned monies way beyond their known sources of income, publishing large pictures of the culprits, in short, putting the fear of god in the system. And it’s only fear which will result in better roads, because it will help to control corruption. In fact, the word ‘Rain’ should put dread, not romance, into the hearts of the road maintenance authorities, because they will know the media will get cracking.

     

    So then why aren’t the newspapers doing the obvious? Because publishing pictures of potholes with angry captions alongside is easier and cheaper. Well, guys and gals, you know what, I call this lazy journalism. There are people dying on our roads because of the bloody potholes, they aren’t just an irritation anymore. Surely we can do better than screaming and whining.

     

    PS: The Japs have found a brand new medium for advertising. No, it has nothing to do with the digital space, they have gone for flesh and blood. Women in Tokyo now carry ads on their thighs. Superb idea, I say! This is one ‘spot’ that can’t be missed, it promises captive audiences. Welcome to thigh land. Hope desi advertisers are taking note.

     

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • As long as the money tree grows, 'culture and value' differences get sorted in double quick time, writes Anil Thakraney

    Anil Thakraney: Omnicom/Publicis merger: Nothing will change

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I have been reading articles/posts in the trade press on ‘the ad world’s biggest merger’, and I find them half-amusing. Reporters/columnists have been scurrying around trying to find an interesting angle, and industry chiefs have been belting out the usual clichés.

     

    Well, here’s the thing: Life will go on as usual. The conflict of interest theory is bollocks, as has been proved by previous mergers, clients will continue to get serviced by their existing agencies. If advertisers sack their agencies, it’s mainly to do with the substandard work they might be doing (especially in the digital space where many traditional agencies continue to struggle), and not because of international shareholding changes.

     

    And no, there shan’t be any mass layoffs either, that’s not the reason advertising networks merge. In fact, both, Omnicom and Publicis leaders, would want as less disturbance as possible, they would desire status quo on all levels, so that clients don’t feel edgy and employees don’t feel insecure. In other words, as an employee, whether you are based in Kuala Lumpur or Chicago or Mumbai or Paris, your life will go on as always.

     

    Some people have alluded to the likely ‘clash of culture and values’ between an American and a French organization, and I say that’s nonsense. Politicians of the two nations may have an ideological conflict over the Iraq war but businessmen know only one currency, and that’s cash. As long as the money tree grows, ‘culture and value’ differences get sorted in double quick time.

     

    Reportedly, Sir Martin Sorrell has stated that the deal is bad for Omnicom’s shareholders. Well, it would be out of character for Sorrell to be a cheerleader for the merger, but yes, that’s the only real impact: It’s the shareholders of the two networks who need to study the fine print, it’s only their lives that get hugely impacted.

     

    So then why merge at all? For just one reason: To improve media buying efficiencies. Think about it as two families, who otherwise stay separately, joining hands to shop at the local fish market. They would get a better price for machhi, and having achieved that, the families return home to their routine lives, and cook the fish the way each likes it. Which is why nothing changes.

     

    However, there’s one problem with the deal: The big bosses of Omnicom and Publicis will run the show together, as equal partners, there’s no one single leader. This structure seldom works, there can never be two swords in one sheath. I guess in their hurry to raise the toast, Maurice Levy and John Wren forgot this age old maxim.

     

    PS: Haha, and I thought only Arnab babu does sensational television interviews like these. Clearly, there are Arnab clones all over the world media. This is the classic case of pakaoing the guest for the sake of pakaoing. Enjoy!

     

    Link: http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/is-this-the-most-embarrassing-interview-fox-news-has-ever-do

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • The differential factor can goes for a toss when when you extend the brand personality. The Vibe should have come with its own attitude, writes Anil Thakraney

    Debrief: Verito Vibe: Where’s the Vibe?

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    In principle, I like what Mahindra Verito does in the advertising: Focus on the owner rather than the car itself, highlight the personality of the owner and thus build the brand’s image. In Verito’s case, it’s for the man who’s matured and wise. But as they extend this personality to a new product, things get complicated, and I will come to that shortly.

     

    The sedan Verito now has a hatchback sibling called Verito Vibe (though the carmaker chooses to call it a ‘compact sedan’), and the brand personality continues. So our wise lad does not jump signals, races with a scooter but deliberately allows the latter to ‘win’, etc, and of course, there’s a hot chick on standby to show appreciation. (Yes, whatever we men do is pointless unless a member of the fairer sex is impressed, or so our advertisers believe.)

     

    I have to say after a few exposures on television I assumed this is a new ad for Verito. The ‘Vibe’ part completely eluded me. It’s only after I took the ad up for review that I discovered this is a variant. Something for Mahindras to chew on, this is what happens when you simply extend the brand personality, the differential factor goes for a toss. My view: The Vibe should have come with its own attitude.

     

    Another thing: Our chap, who has a heart of gold, lets the scooty win because a child is riding pillion. This is very similar to the Salman Khan chaddi/baniyan ad currently on air, where the hunk allows the rival to win an arm-wrestling bout only because he (the rival) is accompanied by a handicapped child. Don’t think Verito Vibe’s brand manager would want us to equate his car with underwear.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 1. Personality extension confuses, branding gets hit.

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views of the writer are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • The commercial is single-minded and it doesn't bore you on repeat exposure as the focus stays on the problem for most of the duration, writes Anil Thakraney

    Debrief: Toyota U Trust: 100% empathy

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Cool ad from Toyota for their used cars, and it’s mighty effective too. Because it strikes at the heart of the used car buyer’s fear: that he/she will end up with a third rate gaadi, which is often the case. You gotta be terribly lucky to get hold of a decent car in the second’s market, I can tell you that from my own research which I conducted along with a mechanic.

     

    Most of all, the TVC is highly entertaining. Our dude majestically walks out of his home in the direction of his car, looking pretty full of himself. Residents from the housing colony start disappearing as soon as they sight him, we soon find out why. The poor chap’s car won’t budge, and he badly needs a push. This evokes high empathy as many of us have been in this situation at some point or another. And naturally, the ad ends with the Toyota assurance.

     

    Good work. The commercial is single-minded and it doesn’t bore you on repeat exposure. The focus stays on the problem for most of the duration, and I am fine with that. They don’t need to harp too much on the solution in this case because it’s Toyota you are talking about, so the trust factor is already taken care of. Smart of Toyota not to insist on ‘better branding’, that would have killed the ad.

     

    Yes, I am certainly checking out Toyota’s used car shop the next time I need someone to (reluctantly) push my car.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 4. Funny and very effective.

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views of the writer are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney