MxMIndia

Tag: anil thakraney

  • This case involves more than the tragedy of one individual. The incident deals with the systematic failure of the state, the police and the aam aadmi at large… all the more reason the media needs to have access to the daily proceedings

    Anil Thakraney: Media needs access to rape trial

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    With due respect to the honourable magistrate who ordered in-camera trial of the Delhi gang rape and murder case, and to the judiciary in general, I have to say one is quite disappointed with the decision to keep the media out of the courtroom. Am sure the concerned magistrate had valid reasons for taking this decision, but the junta does have the right to be informed on the legal proceedings in this horrific case. Here we are, demanding transparency in all walks of life, and in the case of a crime that jolted the entire nation, there is a media blackout! It does appear rather odd.

     

    I suppose the in-camera trial decision was taken because of the likely overcrowding inside the court premises, and a possible ‘law and order’ problem. Well, it’s the job of the cops on duty to handle these issues. Sure, the Delhi cops can’t seem to be able to do much to help women in distress, but surely they can ensure discipline inside a courtroom. And in this case, there’s no question of ‘protecting’ the rape victim from prying eyes, as, sadly, the unfortunate girl has passed away. So these explanations don’t convince me much.

     

    Truth is, the public has every right to know the details of the arguments being put out by the prosecution and the defence lawyers, as also testimonies being filed by the various witnesses. We also need to be made aware of the remarks and observations by the judge. Not only because this trial means a lot to a whole lot of people, this case involves more than the tragedy of one individual. The incident deals with the systematic failure of the state, the police and the aam aadmi at large… all the more reason the media needs to have access to the daily proceedings. Media scrutiny will also ensure the case doesn’t slow down, as it usually happens in India.

     

    If there is a concern that news channel anchors will conduct their own ‘trial’ each evening based on the media reports (and this is quite possible), the magistrate can easily declare a ban on such frivolous discussions. But factual reports from inside the courtroom are important.

     

    Anyway, as I said earlier, this is simply my own point of view, and there’s no disrespect meant to the judiciary. Whatever happens, let’s just hope justice is awarded to the victim’s family as soon as possible.

     

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    PS: Haha. Fun, sarcastic posters on movies nominated for the Oscar awards this year. Really wish someone did a similar exercise on the ‘100 Crore Club’ drivel that’s been winning awards at multiple Bollywood fests.

     

    Link: http://www.theshiznit.co.uk/feature/if-2013s-oscar-nominated-movie-posters-told-the-truth.php

     

  • Coke should go all-out on the crazy quotient; they need to think of wild and charming incidents. No need for multiple situations, they should tell us one cool story/incident at a time. This will make the communication stronger

    Debrief: Coke: Crazy nahin kiya re!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Coke has extended the ‘open happiness’ idea. The latest TVC features ‘crazy’ things people do to bring joy to strangers. Apparently the situations are based on real incidents filed by Coke drinkers. This not a new thought, Maggi noodles has been doing the real stories gig for some time, and Coke has made the same error Maggi made in the treatment, but we’ll come to that soon.

     

    The ad features a collage of so-called crazy actions. A young cyclist high fives a middle-aged gent who’s extending his hand to hail an auto-rickshaw. One kindly soul gifts a Coke bottle to a security guard. A kid leaves a bottle for a tired Santa. And so on. I like the jingle, it’s quite catchy. This is a good thought because it opens up opportunities for thinking offbeat situations, and it should work in India because we folks usually ignore strangers. Nobody even exchanges smiles on the streets in this stuck-up nation, so people will find the idea novel.

     

    Yes, all fine and dandy. The problem is this: Situations featured aren’t really crazy. They might just make you smile on the first exposure but from thereon they do nothing to you. I think Coke should go all-out on the crazy quotient; they need to think of wild and charming incidents. And there’s no need for multiple situations, they should tell us one cool story/incident at a time. This will make the communication stronger.

     

    And if Coke isn’t able to get hold of exciting stuff from the janata, the creative team should cook it up. Viewers don’t care about the modus operandi, they look for entertainment. Maggi ads suffered from the same problem because they weren’t able to obtain fantastic Maggi moments. I think this can be handled in both the cases very easily.

     

    So go crazy full-on, dear Coke. You are onto a good thing, don’t mess it up by relying on dull real stories.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyEWtpYtpv4[/youtube]

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 2.5 Idea has potential, needs to get wings.

     

  • The last thing a troubled soul wants is to be judged by the interviewer. And there's a lesson in this for our aggressive, judgmental, in-your-face TV anchors and interviewers. Sadly, we don't have a single TV person out here in Oprah's league

    Anil Thakraney: We need an Oprah in India

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Why do top celebs like speaking to Oprah? Especially so when they desire to come clean on their sins? One obvious reason is the penetration of her show. You are assured of reaching millions of people at one go, so it’s a big bang for the buck. There are also nasty rumours going around in the case of the Lance Armstrong interview, suggesting that Oprah’s company and the TV channel paid major bucks to the cycling champ to ‘confess’ on their show. I suspect this is loose talk from Oprah’s envious rivals, so this reasoning is best left ignored.

     

    The other reason why Oprah gets preferred is that she’s a wonderful television interviewer. She brings in a healthy combination of curiosity and compassion to the interview. So, even as she fires tough questions, her eyes seem to suggest she does feel a tad sorry for the celebrity, for the trauma he/she is going through. This makes Oprah’s guests comfortable, and that’s critical for a good interview. Another good thing about Oprah is that she’s non-judgmental, she leaves that part of the deal to her audiences. This, again, is another reason why she’s favoured by celebs; the last thing a troubled soul wants is to be judged by the interviewer. And there’s a lesson in this for our aggressive, judgmental, in-your-face TV anchors and interviewers. Sadly, we don’t have a single TV person out here in Oprah’s league.

     

    About her much publicized two-part interview with Lance Armstrong, which the entire world watched, I have to say the disgraced champ blew an opportunity to win a little public sympathy. Even though he freely pleaded guilty to the doping charges, his mannerism and his body language told us the man isn’t really sorry for what he’s done, and it was also clear this TV interview was an exercise in currying favour with the anti-doping authorities, a desperate last ditch attempt at winning another chance to get back to the races. The key word he used is ‘flawed’. This means he’s still not taking responsibility for his actions, Armstrong seems to suggest there’s something wrong in his genetic make-up. Ergo, the cheatfest wasn’t deliberate. Complete nonsense, I say. Only the really gullible will fall for this crappy DNA logic.

     

    But full marks to Ms Winfrey for a good job done. In a way I feel bad for our desi celebs. Even when they decide to come clean, there’s not a single TV host they can go to without feeling edgy and nervy.

     

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    PS: Disruptive advertising at its best. That too from a direct television brand. Also, super use of movie star Charlie Sheen. A good example of how to be crazy in advertising while remaining focused on the product/service on offer.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2ZYIdmdx14[/youtube]

     

  • I like this one. Mainly because they have done something which none of the other car ads have done so far. Which is to humanise a technical feature

    Debrief: Volkswagen Polo: Humanising tech

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    The Volkswagen India guys are notorious for their, well, let’s just say, offbeat advertising. Remember speaking newspapers? They have continued with this tradition in the new commercial for Polo, though this time it’s more cute than corny.

     

    A mother picks up her son from school in her, yes, Volkswagen Polo. She tells the child that tonight he’ll have to do his homework by himself, as mom and dad are going out. Else, god will punish the child. When the kid expresses cynicism about god having spare time for naughty bachchas, the dad’s voice, sounding like god, booms on the phone, through the car’s Bluetooth device. The child is naturally amazed.

     

    Cool, I like this one. Mainly because they have done something which none of the other car ads have done so far. Which is to humanise a technical feature, in this case the Bluetooth option. So much better than the cold technical spiel car ads usually dole out. Also, the treatment is warm, this TVC will get noticed. I have just one small issue with the ad: Parents joining forces to make a total fool out of their little one? Urmm… am not so sure. But then, this is Volkswagen. We have to expect something offbeat, as I said at the start.

     

    Now I am worried about the possibility of god’s voice booming through my morning newspaper. Not that, dear Volkswagen, not that. I might just get a heart attack.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 3. Focussed ad, cute treatment.

     

  • If the team desires a continued, healthy run of this Big Brother clone, they need to be very picky in their choice of housemates, writes Anil Thakraney

    Anil Thakraney: Gh***a Alag Chhe!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I cannot claim ownership of the headline to this article, though wish I could. This is the crisp and to-the-point response from my tapori pal from Colaba, when asked of his views on Bigg Boss Season 6, which (mercifully) ended last week. Yes, it was that bad.

     

    Now, I am aware the show is targeted at the low brow audiences, but that’s no excuse for packing in ultra dull people inside the madhouse. This season’s collection was an all-time low, a group of completely uninteresting and unappealing participants. My guess is the producer and the channel suspected this to be the case along the way, and in a desperate last act, dispatched the totally lunatic Imam Siddiqui to this horrible party, to salvage some viewership. In fact, had it not been for this loon, the show would have been a complete disaster.

     

    If the team desires a continued, healthy run of this Big Brother clone, they need to make one big change for the future. They need to be very picky in their choice of housemates, as the viewing junta gets stuck with these sods for months together. I think there should be only one yardstick in the selection process: Either the person is highly engaging or he/she is fabulous to look at. Or is a really funny individual. Anyone who does not pass this criteria must be kicked out of the reckoning immediately.

     

    The complete flop show that was the ‘Grand Finale’ aired last weekend told me another thing: Mr Salman Khan is the real Bigg Boss of this show. Although I have no proof of this, I strongly suspect it’s the hunk, more than the voters, who decides the eliminations and the choice of the winner. The absolute power vested in the man means there’s no one from the team who has the guts to blow the whistle when things aren’t working. The finale was such a grand bore, it was a real challenge just to stay in. Yes, Salman Khan brings in his charisma to the proceedings, but his role should be restricted to anchoring it.

     

    Finally, to return to my tapori pal’s cutting-edge feedback, the ‘Alag Chhe’ promise was a blatant lie. It was back to street fights, juvenile tasks and a bunch of failed TV actors. If they had at least called it ‘Same Chhe’, my tapori friend might have been a tad kinder in his analysis.

     

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    PS: Fantastic marketing innovation for an air conditioner brand. Very smart way to get the public enthused, and the media excited. Millions of dollars of free publicity using a simple device: Big Nose. Superb!

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElmEcfPEw2Y[/youtube]

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own

     

  • The creative team needs to put their thinking caps on, eat some Parle-G biscuits, and dish out innovative solutions. Much like the bachchas do in the ads

    Debrief: Parle-G: Genius limited to the idea

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    ‘Kal ke genius’ is a very good positioning statement for Parle-G biscuit. The core idea is that instead of scolding kids for messing around with stuff, they should be encouraged in order to arouse their curiosity. This will then result in a better future for them.

     

    There is a series of TVCs on air, and each one features the bachchas tinkering around with everyday objects and coming up with innovative solutions. A daughter rips apart the morning newspaper and uses the letters to put up a birthday message for daddy. A group of kids uses the exhaust fumes of a bike to air their balloons. And so it goes on.

     

    It’s a brilliant idea, and very relevant to India, in particular. Because education in this nation mainly follows the learning by rote system… students usually turn into parrots to pass their exams. There is no scope for creativity in our schools. Which is why this idea will strike a chord with both, parents and children. And it’s a long term, highly campaignable thought… in fact, it has potential to trigger a social revolution of sorts. Full marks on the strategy and on the idea.

     

    However, sadly, the execution fails to take off. Clearly, the genius of the idea could not inspire the creative team. Somehow the situations and the treatment doesn’t excite, there is zero adrenalin in the videos. And therefore the ads leave you cold. I think the creative team needs to put their thinking caps on, eat some Parle-G biscuits, and dish out innovative solutions. Much like the bachchas do in the ads.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sADzIi4lOC8[/youtube]

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 3. Strong idea. Weak execution.

     

  • In this depressing scenario, all the fury in the media is indeed required. The viewing public feels a little vindicated. And the army jawans might feel their own anger getting vented

    Anil Thakraney: Rage on, Arnab!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Arnab Goswami is Indian television media’s all-season angry middle-aged man. That we all know. But when it comes to issues on Indo/Pak conflict, his anger turns into savage fury. As we are currently witnessing in the case of the mutilated bodies of Indian soldiers, the deed allegedly done by Pak soldiers. And Arnab’s anger very quickly becomes contagious; anchors on other channels, who start out rather calmly, switch to the anger mode. And for days it becomes a lot of shouting and heckling on all the news channels.

     

    My first thoughts: It’s a complete waste of time and energy. The Pakistani government gives a rat’s arse about all the drama inside Indian TV studios, and will continue with what they want to do. For example, all the rage over 26/11 has yielded zero results so far. It’s also quite possible that the Pak netas and indeed their army generals had no role to play in the mutilation of the soldiers’ bodies. This cowardly act may well have been carried out by a few barbaric, retarded Pak soldiers of their own volition; therefore it would be difficult for even Pak to get to the truth. In short, a pointless exercise, a needless diversion from the anti-rape campaign.

     

    However, on second thoughts, I do believe we need the anger going on Pakistani issues. Simply because we are a proven soft state, we have a Prime Minster for whom even opening the mouth becomes a challenging task. As usual, all we are hearing is the same old useless political reactions: We will lodge a protest, we will take suitable action, we will not allow this, etc. And this can and will have a negative effect on the morale of the army. Why fight for a nation when it doesn’t care if you die, and if the head from your body is chopped off?

     

    In this depressing scenario, all the fury in the media is indeed required. The viewing public feels a little vindicated. And the army jawans might feel their own anger getting vented. This venting is very important to maintain status quo.

     

    So rage on guys! Keep insulting and humiliating the Paki spokespersons. We are right behind you!

     

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    PS: Speaking of the Indo/Pak conflict at the LOC, here’s a stunning commercial from a music company. It’s set on Christmas Eve of 1914, when the Allies were at war with the Germans. Notice the honour code enemies dutifully follow in the zone of conflict. Wish the barbaric elements of Pakistan would learn something from this.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aRLGwsafTM[/youtube]

     

  • The approach of attracting girls has been used by bike manufacturers a zillion times, but this one stands out for going unabashedly all-out. The jingle is quite peppy too, and this adds to the ad’s appeal

    Debrief: Hero Glamour: The chick magnet

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Hero Glamour’s latest ad has a single minded promise: Pretty women will die to ride on the backseat of your snazzy bike. And in the treatment, Hero has raised the bar really high when it comes to the juxtaposition of bikes and hot chicks.

     

    So this dood rides around town on his Hero Glamour. No lady is able to resist the temptation to jump onto the backseat. Not the memsaab seated in her luxury car, not even the high fashion models. And the bike transports these ladies magically into la la land. The expression on their faces is orgasmic. This is a young biker’s ultimate dream come true, this is why he invests in such fancy machines. So from that perspective, this ad is bang-on.

     

    Features like Digital Analog Meter, Multi Reflector Headlight, etc, get hurriedly added through supers, but who’s interested in such banal stuff? All eyes are transfixed on the ladies, so much so that even the bike rider turns into a prop. The approach of attracting girls has been used by bike manufacturers a zillion times, but this one stands out for going unabashedly all-out. The jingle is quite peppy too, and this adds to the ad’s appeal. So, yes, this TVC should serve Hero Glamour well.

     

    Having said the above, the irony of the timing did not escape me. This commercial went on air around the time of the horrific Delhi rape and murder. And women across the nation have been on high alert ever since. In this charged scenario, I don’t see too many ladies wanting to hop onto the backseat of a stranger’s bike. However sexy the bike might be. So I have to say timing mein thodisi gadbad ho gayi.

     

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

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 2.5. Old thought but appealing execution.

     

  • How long will we allow ourselves to get fooled by these frauds? How long will we allow the world to laugh at our expense? How long will we let these charlatans use us?

    Anil Thakraney: Block the gas bags

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Every second day, since the Delhi rape and murder, a deranged neta or a phony baba rears his ugly head. And lets off a wind blast that smells pretty foul. It’s okay, I guess. The Constitution allows every individual the right to free speech, and that includes farting, one might presume. The problem is: I am now beginning to suspect these dolts aren’t really crazy, they are using the gassy opportunity to acquire instant infamy. And notoriety sells too, we know that. It’s much more valuable than oblivion.

     

    So, the familiar pattern unfolds: The man farts. The social media goes into a tizzy. The news channels go ballistic. Arnab Goswami and gang find juicy fodder to feed on. Screaming and jostling happens on TV debates. Next day, the newspapers do cover stories on it. The international media now gets interested; anything that makes Indians look like medieval fools sells like hot cakes in the west. On the weekend, the news mags dutifully carry forward this trash. And Mr Gas Bag, within a single week, turns into a huge celebrity. Phony babas acquire more followers. And opportunistic netas get quick OTS. And this sequence repeats itself.

     

    How long will we allow ourselves to get fooled by these frauds? How long will we allow the world to laugh at our expense? How long will we let these charlatans use us? In fact, I must add here that some of the farts belted out by these buggers are criminal in nature, they abet rape. The media needs to ponder on this subject. My own view is that it’s time to put a stop to this crap. These gas bags must be banned from the mass media. Not able to air their stink, these sods will quit farting. As simple as that. That indeed might be the best way to stop this weekly nonsense.

     

    And all the media time and space must be devoted to the rape trial itself. Even if it’s being held in-camera. We take our eyes off the ball, and the rotten system will slowdown once again.

     

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    PS: I couldn’t stop sniggering at this one. It appears the western world has decided to ape our desi ad guys. This is Brad Pitt endorsing Chanel No 5. Don’t miss the usual ad clichés, the ultra boring script and zero brand relevance. We get to watch this sort of rubbish celeb advertising all the time. People, our ‘talent’ is spreading far and wide.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oF8NAyqxGfk[/youtube]

     

  • Havells, which usually does funny or caring ads, has decided to jump onto the public service bandwagon for their new wires commercial. And they have failed to generate any electricity

    Debrief: Havells Wires: Creative spark missing

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Okay, so Havells, which usually does funny or caring ads, has decided to jump onto the public service bandwagon for their new wires commercial. And they have failed to generate any electricity.

     

    The TVC features a living room, with a dad and his little kid watching a Hindi news channel. A neta is seen ranting about the various burning problems facing the nation. Hatred, corruption, unemployment, etc. The same garbage that’s dished out to us during TV dinners. The maha bored kid gets a brainwave. He wraps the national flag around a ‘fire-proof’ Havells wire and proudly presents it to his impressed daddy. The nation is saved from ‘fire’!

     

    Now, I am quite aware what the Havells team is trying to do out here, and their intention is noble. Which is to ensure that a low-involvement product gets quickly noticed through smart alec advertising. However, this particular treatment lacks fire. For one, the association of the Indian flag wrapped around the wire with the efficacy of the wire is tenuous. It took me some exposures to comprehend what was going on. Then, using ‘burning’ national issues as a metaphor for fire protection is a bit childish, to say the least. I hate silly puns anyway. Puns are usually used by writers when an idea is missing. Lastly, I am quite tired of the precocious child thingy, it’s getting on my nerves.

     

    Yup, this commercial is basically burnt-out creative work.

     

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

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 1. Stupid pun. Forced association.

     

  • I am fully with the rest of the journalists who believe that Zee did the right thing. Even if the case is in court, the janata has every right to hear the man's version

    Anil Thakraney: Zee News’s coup

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    There are two distinct points of view on whether Zee News did the right thing with their one-on-one interview with the Delhi rape victim’s friend, who accompanied her on the bus. The Delhi cops are naturally pissed off and have threatened legal action against the channel. That’s because the cops came out quite pathetically in the said interview.

     

    Some media folks believe that Zee should not have carried this story. One, because the case is sub-judice and the friend’s (he’s the key witness) testimony in public may affect the trial. Two, they believe it wasn’t morally correct to exploit an injured victim for TRPs and make him relive the tragedy all over again, that too just a few weeks after it happened. While there might be a point in this line of thinking, I smell something burning out here. Because this was a journalistic coup for the channel.

     

    I am fully with the rest of the journalists who believe that Zee did the right thing. Even if the case is in court, the janata has every right to hear the man’s version. Because he had lived that very unfortunate situation, he knows better than anyone else on what exactly transpired that night. And what he said is pretty alarming. It was not just the criminals who did the rape victim wrong, the hangers-on who stood and did nothing and the cops who took their sweet time to react are also party to the girl’s death. These issues have to be exposed and discussed in public, because only then will real change happen. It won’t happen just by punishing the culprits.

     

    I also liked the way the anchor handled the interview. It was professional and to the point, minus the hysteria (unusual for a Hindi news channel). And the anchor very rightly kept away from the rape itself. In fact, the victim wasn’t discussed much, and this we must appreciate. All in all, full marks to Zee News. This was a much needed effort after the channel’s senior personnel had been accused of trading news for money on another story.

     

    And Zee News should ignore the nay-sayers. Every single media brand in this nation would have killed for this interview.

     

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    PS: I am a little confused on why the media chose to keep the rape victim’s identity a secret long after she had passed away. This not only doesn’t make sense, it’s unfair to Pratibha Murthy, Nayana Pujari, Jyotikumari Choudhary and many others. And if you are wondering who these girls are, then that saddens me. It is the loss of public memory that one finds most depressing.

     

  • The Delhi tragedy should serve as a major turning point for us in the media. Despite all the good work, one thing we have lacked in so far is doggedness. We must demonstrate it this time

    Anil Thakraney: Media’s New Year resolution: Not to move on

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Make no mistake about this: Had the crowds not revolted and had the media not kept up the pressure, for sure the horrific Delhi rape case would have become just another sad statistic. The case would have languished in the courts for years and years, exactly what happens in most rape cases. In fact, the cops wouldn’t have demonstrated the urgency to nab the culprits.

     

    However, the real struggle begins now. As the crowds thin out, as other stories take centre stage, the rape case will turn into one more story to be covered. That is in the nature of the media. This must not be allowed to happen. Each one of us journalists, whatever be our field of specialization, must take a solemn oath to not take our eyes off this tragedy, and to keep the relentless pressure on till justice has been delivered to the dead girl and till real change happens in the laws and, more importantly, in their implementation. Till special courts are created all over the nation and till all rape cases get dealt with inside six months. This is going to be a long struggle and we must be prepared for it.

     

    In that sense, the Delhi tragedy should serve as a major turning point for us in the media. Despite all the good work, one thing we have lacked in so far is doggedness. We must demonstrate it this time, and it will become a precedent for the future. The government’s desire has and will always be that the media will forget about stories with time. We must show them that it will not happen on this occasion.

     

    What’s the fear? That the viewers and the readers will get bored with the continuous coverage of the same story? Well, let’s give it a shot to check if that will indeed happen, or if that’s an unfounded notion we in the media harbour. Perhaps the problem lies in our heads. To my mind, the Delhi rape must be used as a lesson to change the way we function. It should not be business as usual. We owe it to the women and to the children of this nation.

     

    Every single one of us in the media must make this change our New Year resolution. Personally, I have taken an oath not to ever move on from this issue. Even at the risk of boring you to death.

     

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    PS: Yesss! Exactly my feelings, because India is swarming with stinky, sweaty people. Partly because of the weather, partly because of the over-crowding and partly because of poor self-hygiene. This is one desi ad accidently created abroad.