MxMIndia

Tag: anil thakraney

  • Even a simple thing like a Facebook page can be created to upload resumes of habitual scamsters. This will ensure folks think many times before they cheat

    Anil Thakraney: What to do with scam ads?

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Quite frankly, if there is a scam happening in every walk of life in this maha corrupt nation of ours, how can we expect the advertising creative people to behave like Bapu or Mother Teresa? They are products of the same rotten system; they haven’t arrived from planetNeptune. Which is why I don’t really blame the sods who indulge in fraudulent ads. They are simply living up to the high moral ideals that have been set in this country.

     

    Still, have you ever wondered about the real reason why creatives do this mischief?

    And what can be done to control this menace without Anna Hazare’s intervention? I think both, the explanation and the solution is simple. This is no Agni missile science.

     

    The reason these scam ads thrive is the same reason hawkers land up on the footpath right outside your apartment block. Because people buy from these hawkers. If the residents become united and declare that they will not buy a single item from these trespassers, the hawkers would vanish. Similarly, ad agency chiefs must not only throw out job seekers who land up with scam work, they should blacklist these chors, so that the entire ad world becomes aware of their misdeeds.

     

    Even a simple thing like a Facebook page can be created to upload resumes of habitual scamsters. This will ensure folks think many times before they cheat.

     

    The core problem is that creative directors ACTUALLY hire people based on the work done and awards won through scamming, rather than based on the real advertising they produce. And this encourages people to churn out fake ads. So the solution lies at the desk of the agency leaders.

     

    The question is: Are they willing to stem the rot? Probably not. My own suspicion is that some of the ad bigwigs themselves do scam ads. And so this explains why the problem is proving to be so difficult to solve.

     

    In short, no point blaming the youngsters. They are only following a system that has been allowed to flourish.

     

    * * *

     

    PS: Here’s a list ofIndia’s worst journalists. Compiled by a blogger, and it’s the result of a poll. (Also don’t miss the comments.) You may or may not agree with the views expressed, but you have to agree it’s a totally interesting read!

     

    Link: http://www.mediacrooks.com/2012/04/indias-worst-journalists-2012.html

     

     

  • Anil Thakraney is not at Goafest, but he lists his Do's and Don'ts: including how you can land a job at Ogilvy and why you must carry a permanent black marker with you!

    Anil Thakraney’s 7 Do’s and Don’ts for Goafest

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I am not doing Goa this year. Though I did attend the fest some years ago, and noticed that the participants need to do a few things differently in order to make better use of the event. Here’s my list of suggestions, if you are en route to Goa:

     

    1. Carry a permanent black marker with you. And if you notice a scam ad pasted in the exhibition area, write in full caps on top of that entry: SCAM. Do it even if YOU submitted that particular entry. There has to come a time when the ad world outgrows this charade. So why not begin the shubh karya this year?

     

    2. If you are sloshed and hugely fed and have to attend a speech by one of those luminaries, I suggest you try and grab a seat at the rear. Don’t try to please your boss and diligently head for the front row. There are other ways to suck up. And I say this because if the presenter turns out to be too sleep-inducing, you can make a quiet escape from the rear without being noticed. This is much better than being caught yawning. I do this at every speech I attend, and it’s served me well in life.

     

    3. Gherao the organizers and demand that they find a way to break the ice with Lowe. Even better, do this after downing six large pegs. It’s critical that all leading ad agencies take part so that Goafest can become a truly meaningful awards event.

     

    4. Please don’t hang around the entire time with colleagues from your own office. That is stupid. You do that back home anyways. Here’s an opportunity to meet with colleagues from rival agencies and from other cities, to forge new alliances. And if you are really lucky, she may even slip in her room key into the sandy pocket of your Bermuda shorts.

     

    5. This is for the suits: Please DO NOT wear floral shirts. It’s much too pretentious, wannabe and desperate. Stick to semi-casuals. You will be appreciated for that.

     

    6. Please say a warm hello to Piyush Pandey. In Hindi, of course. And claim that you’ve just arrived from Etawah or Allahabad or Kanpur or Varanasi or Kumaon. You may land a job at O&M. On the spot.

     

    7. Please hang around in Goa (at your cost, of course) for an extra day. You could check into a seedy hotel and spend the day ogling at the Russian chicks on Anjuna beach. Not only will this be fun, it does not make sense for 3000 delegates to exit Goa on the same day. The Goa airport, even on uneventful days, is quite chaotic. Post Goafest, it becomes a bloody nightmare.

     

    Have a good time! Cheers!

     

    Anil Thakraney wrote this as part of his Hard Knocks blog. We thought it’s just right for the Anchor – Ed

    Click here to view all Goafest 2012 stories

    Click here to view all Goafest 2012 stories

     

  • What does Aircel have to do with Dhoni's self-belief saga? This ad is valid for any brand and any product category

    Debrief: Aircel: Misplaced belief

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    ‘Let’s keep believing’, says Aircel. Okay man, will do. But believe in what? In myself or in the Aircel call center executive who will hopefully have solutions to my billing problems? That minor detail doesn’t get explained in the new Aircel advert.

     

    So, I suppose ‘Belief’ is Aircel’s brand new corporate philosophy. That’s fine, but this platform has been sucked out dry in advertising. I wonder if people, er, believe in it anymore. Also, the treatment of the ad film, which features brand ambassador Dhoni explaining to a young friend (and to himself) the importance of not losing hope in bad times, is too close to one of those booze commercials the cricket captain does. I almost expected Maahi to sign off the ad by asking the kid to ‘Make it large’.

     

    Blasphemous thought.

     

    But more than the positioning and the treatment, I have a serious problem with brand linkage. What does Aircel have to do with Dhoni’s self-belief saga? This ad is valid for any brand and any product category… self-belief is a universal concept.

     

    Also, because the brand arrives abruptly in the end, its recall is gonna be a dicey issue. I would be rather surprised if Aircel gain’s much from this effort.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJbpzQSO3U8[/youtube]

    Yep, I believe in Maahi. Nope, I don’t believe in this ad. I think I’ll just go and make it large.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 1. Weak idea and execution.

     

  • With the baggage of 'STAR News' off their back, they can re-engineer the channel, and ABP News can become that one Hindi channel that takes news very seriously

    Anil Thakraney: Will ABP News eschew sensationalism?

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    So, STAR News is ABP News. Now the two partners have decided to separate. Cool! But my question is: Will this just be an exercise in name change, with all else continuing to be the same? Exactly as the messBombaycontinues to be after the name changed to Mumbai? Ditto with Bengaluru and Poschim Bongo. (As for the last, it’s getting messier with Didi in charge, but I shan’t say more, else she’ll get me arrested.)

     

    Well, I hope not. Now that Ananda Bazar Patrika has total control, I hope the Bengali group, known for its ‘respectable journalism’, extends that respectability to ABP News. STAR News, along with the other Hindi news channels, has always thrived on speculation and rabid sensationalism. It’s almost as if the category owners had decided that Hindi news watchers are restless morons, folks who will only come back if the content is absurd and outlandish. This is obviously not the case.

     

    The problem is, the channel owners DECIDED to be sensational; in their war for ratings, they chose that route. The viewer never asked for it. And in this march of madness, all the Hindi channels fell like nine pins, as each struggled to beat the other guy on dishing out dramatic stuff. Net result: There is very low credibility with the Hindi news channels. We visit them for tamasha, not authenticity.

     

    The point I am trying to make is this: ABP has that chance now to set things right. With the baggage of ‘STAR News’ off their back, they can re-engineer the channel, and ABP News can become that one Hindi channel that takes news very seriously. It can break the cycle of sensationalism, and position itself on the platform of credibility. In any case, with all the hair-raising content on display amongst the various channels in the category, this will provide ABP News a clear brand differential. So it seems to make sense from the marketing point of view as well.

     

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

    Yup, India badly needs a Hindi news channel it can trust. And hopefully ABP News will try to be that. One sincerely hopes the name change doesn’t only mean a change of name. Like when Bombay became Mumbai. And continues to be a filthy slum city.

     

    * * *

     

    PS: Cute commercial from Audi. It’s inspired by the fairytale of how the ugly duckling changed into a lovely swan. Superb execution.

     

  • Good stuff. The ad will appeal to the non net savvy folks too, and this could result in a huge boost in sales for Flipkart

    Debrief: Flipkart: Clever and entertaining

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Using kids as adults isn’t really a novel idea in advertising. But because it’s done well in this instance, ads from Flipkart are always great fun to watch. Flipkart is back with a brand new series of commercials, and the one I watched is quite funny.

     

    This time the theme is ‘Shopping ka Naya Address’. And it looks like Flipkart is out to nail folks in the non-metro towns as well with an old world Hindi film treatment. The ad features three generations of a family living together in a house. The grandson receives a pack via courier that contains a mobile phone which the grandpa has ordered. From Flipkart, of course. The boy’s father plays the cynic of the family, and he expresses doubts over online transactions. This makes his missus join in the conversation, and it all gets really amusing. As kids play elders, with all the make-up and expressions in place.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt18PjLzNcw[/youtube]

    Good stuff. The ad will appeal to the non net savvy folks too, and this could result in a huge boost in sales for Flipkart. The execution isn’t slapstick or over-the-top, and that’s why it works. The humour is understated and this makes the ad charming. And the kids have simply rocked it.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 3.5 Smart marketing strategy. Cool creative work.

     

  • Imagine's fictional shows were completely me-too, and most of their reality stuff was a huge disaster. In such a scenario, Imagine's closure does not surprise me at all…

    Anil Thakraney: Lack of imagination

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Even a kid will tell you that there are just toooo many TV channels inIndia. Both, entertainment and news. And even as talks of a shake-out have been doing the rounds for years, more channels are waiting to start operations! Like everything else inIndia, it’s a mad house out there.

     

    Quite obviously, there can be place for only so many brands. The advertising pie is limited, and it cannot be shared by so many hungry mouths. And in the Indian context, a vast majority of a channel’s revenues come from advertising and not through subscriptions. In such a scenario, Imagine’s closure does not surprise me at all… in fact, I wonder what took them so long.

     

    As for the many other struggling channels, they are fortunate to be run by very deep pocketed suits. But those deep pockets, like Turner’s, will dry up at some point. It’s a matter of time.

     

    Imagine came on to the scene in 2008, when the Hindi GECs market was already divided between Star, Zee and Sony. Each had already established itself, and all three channels enjoyed viewer loyalty. To break into this extremely capital intensive and crowded house, Imagine’s only chance was to unleash kickass, totally offbeat programming. ‘Shock and awe’ ought to have been the mantra. 2008 was also the time when the nation had begun showing early signs of tiring of Ekta’s traditional saas bahu sagas, and there was a huge opportunity for Imagine to be the game changer that the market wanted.

     

    Alas, it was not to be. Imagine’s fictional shows were completely me-too, and most of their reality stuff was a huge disaster. ‘Swayamwar’ was perhaps the only ‘hatke’ programme, but in the GECs biz model, reality shows and movies are, at best, jam servings, laid out to entice viewers to the bread and butter fiction shows. And if the latter is a thakela and done-to-death fare, the channel is sunk. Which is exactly what happened with Imagine.

     

    Make no mistake about this: Imagine’s problem wasn’t funds or staying power or distribution or even talent. It was very simply this: Lack of imagination.

     

    * * *

     

    PS: This is a memo Shri David Ogilvy sent out to his employees way back in 1982.

     

    On how to write. It’s fantastic. You will notice that his suggestions, in this day and age of micro blogging and short attention spans, are more valid than ever before.

     

    Link: http://www.listsofnote.com/2012/02/how-to-write.html

     

  • This has been a trial by the media, the channels have been playing the cops, the lawyers and the judges all rolled into one. And all this only to give a ‘fresh slant’ to the story

    Anil Thakraney: What lessons have we learnt from Aarushi?

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Aarushi is back in the news. And it’s quite obvious that the media heat on the 2008

     

    Aarushi Talwar killing in Noida has kept the investigation going. Just as it happened in the Jessica Lal murder case. If the media hadn’t given so much attention to this crime, Aarushi’s X-file would most likely have been closed a long time ago. So far so good.

     

    However, the manner in which the electronic media has covered the story in the last four years has been nothing short of unfair and unethical. It’s one thing to put pressure on crime investigation; it’s another thing to break every single tenet of journalism with impunity. I recall the two extremes that were played out on the TV channels in the aftermath of the murder. On the one hand, there were the Star News reporters busy re-enacting the murder and virtually declaring that the parents were the killers. On the other hand there was Sonia Varma of NDTV in a chat show with Aarushi’s mom, not just bonding with her but making every visible effort to make the lady appear victimized. And in between these two extremes there has been a whole lot of speculation raging on, and every single news channel is guilty of it. What took the cake was the narco-analysis tests of the suspects being freely broadcast for public consumption!

     

    No, I am not saying for a second that the intentions of the anchors/reporters were motivated. But it is equally true that without realizing it, they have been sending all good journalism practices for a toss. This has been a trial by the media, the channels have been playing the cops, the lawyers and the judges all rolled into one. And all this only to give a ‘fresh slant’ to the story. This sort of a public tamasha doesn’t happen anywhere in the world media, apart from a few yellow tabloids.

     

    Click on the image for larger view

    No, after four long years, we still don’t know who killed Aarushi. Maybe we’ll never know. But thanks to an over-excitable media, many reputations have been tarnished forever. Question is: Have we learnt our lessons? I suspect not. I have a strong feeling that in the mad chase for TRPs we will make the same mistakes all over again.

     

    Sad.

     

    * * *

     

    PS: Fantastic press ad. Reminds me of the golden days of Trikaya andEnterprise, when the agency writers would churn out stunning prose. This advert kills all the myths that float around about press ads. That people don’t read long copy. That you have to say things straight and quick. That press ads are at best a reminder medium. All nonsense.

     

  • Must say, quite a risky move from Yatra.com. People will either recall Salman and his antics, and forget all about the brand, or the star will become synonymous with the brand and that will help in recall

    Debrief: Yatra.com: Dangerous strategy

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Totally filmi commercial from Yatra.com, the travel portal. They have hired the services of Salman Khan and have packed in all the masala Sallu bhai’s flicks contain. And of course, the macho hero does what he does best in his movies: Act himself.

     

    Salman plays some sort of a travel agent who spends all the ad time making fun of a partner/customer over the wig the man is wearing. Basically all the nonsense Khan indulges in on the big screen. Of course, we have no idea how Salman fits into Yatra.com and how exactly we get better deals. What happens in the ad is what happens in Salman’s movies: He totally hijacks the show.

     

    Must say, quite a risky move from Yatra.com. This is like a loaded dice that can swing any which way. People will either recall Salman and his antics and forget all about the brand (what Yatra.com does for you gets lost in all the filmi drama). Or, the star will become synonymous with the brand and that will help in recall when one is planning to travel. He could improve the brand saliency. Only time will tell Yatra.com if they’ve benefited from the actor or if they’ve pissed away a whole lot of money.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75PU4RwdXJU[/youtube]

    Just one small side observation: A little birdie tells me the middle aged hero has got hair weaving done inDubai. In which case, should the joke not be on him? 🙂

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 2.5 Marks only for the entertainment Salman provides.

  • I wasn't even aware that Cag awards still exist. They've become so low profile and unhappening in recent years, I imagined they had shut shop some years ago

    Anil Thakraney: Cag awards: Need to be revived

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Interesting story on Cag awards in mxmindia. Here’s the link in case you missed it:

    http://www.mxmindia.com/2012/04/why-cag-has-stopped-awarding-seniors/

     

    To be quite honest, till I read this particular article, I wasn’t even aware that Cag awards still exist. They’ve become so low profile and unhappening in recent years, I imagined they had shut shop some years ago. In fact, I often used to wonder what went wrong.

     

    Once upon a time, Cag awards were the most respected and the most wanted in the ad world. Creatives used to value them hugely. Unlike the Abbies which were perceived to be commercial in nature, and therefore lacked the value of Cag awards.

     

    The difference between the two was essentially what happens with film awards. Those in the popular categories and those awarded by the critics. The latter is more valued by the film frat. According to the story in mxmindia, what led to the de-valuing of Cag awards is that scam ads slipped in, and the scamsters robbed the awards of the credibility they possessed. A pity, really. Because in my books, Cag had the opportunity to be that ONE awards competition which most ad people would continue to covet and which would truly reflect their skills.

     

    Surely the entry of scamsters could have been controlled. It’s not so difficult to do.

    All you need is a copy of the media plan and a letter from the client. To kill the whole idea because of that makes little sense to me. Also, GoaFest charges heavy fees per entry. And therefore its revenues are dependent on the ad frat. This makes the organizers powerless.

     

    In my interview with Shashi Sinha, he mentioned that given a choice he’d invite clients to the jury team, but the creative directors won’t allow it. What Sinha didn’t say openly is that the real control lies with the creative directors so there’s nothing he can do. They pay for the festival, right?

     

    Cag could have been that organization where there are no entries. Or the entries aren’t paid for. Like the film awards. Where the jury members select the winners on their own. And this allows the organizers to run the show in their way, on their terms. Minus all the scams and controversies that have been known to dog GoaFest.

     

    And Cag could so easily have found sponsors who desire to be associated with a clean, respected ship.

     

    In fact, I believe this can still be done. It needs just one entity/organization to revive the awards and make them the most valued in the Indian ad world.

     

    * * *

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qxjz_P3yjwM[/youtube]

    PS: Brilliant commercial from Land Rover. What a refreshing way to advertise a powerful SUV. Says so much about the brand without having to pack the ad with the usual, tired, vehicle-in-action shots.

     

  • Good approach. By demonstrating the scheme laterally, they have made the Docomo offer get wings.

    Debrief: Tata Docomo: Entertaining and effective

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    The Tata Docomo guys have done a bizarre thing in their new campaign. They have made hottie Ranbir Kapoor, their brand ambassador, dress up as a really old man. A crime in itself, but one that could have been overlooked if the advertiser had at least put out a little reason why the young actor was made to go geriatric.

     

    In the commercial I watched (and there are many more), Kapoor plays a cheating old down-market restaurateur. He insists on serving three idlis per plate, and if the patron wants only two, well then, too bad. Kapoor will still charge for three pieces.

     

    It’s Tata Docomo’s way of selling their ‘Pay for what you use’ scheme. As in, unlike the old, cheating Kapoor, they will only charge for what you use.

     

    Good approach. By demonstrating the scheme laterally, they have made the Docomo offer get wings. A direct route would have been pretty cold and boring.

     

    And this approach immediately becomes entertaining. Nope, you won’t tire of the commercials even on repeat exposures. Must say, so much better than those horrendous Ranbir Kapoor talk shows that Tata Docomo used to inflict on us.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC-tq7XJ0Ew[/youtube]

    However, I still have one problem: Why is Kapoor decked up as grandpa? Why, why, why? Why take a sexy man and then totally kill his sex appeal? Why?

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 3. Lateral route works.

     

  • The latest expose on the cops is a reminder that Tehelka must do many more sting operations

    Anil Thakraney: Tehelka: Must drop bombs

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Very good sting operation by Tehelka. Totally in public interest, and their findings are pretty frightening. They have carried out a sting on some Delhi cops to find their sensitivity (or the lack of it, as it turns out) to rape victims. And as we all might have suspected, yes, the stung cops’ attitude is medieval. They do believe women often ‘ask for it’. And this in turn leads to lackadaisical investigation process.

     

    This particular sting operation reminds me of the kickass way Tarun Tejpal started out his Tehelka. It used to a bomb factory, the sensational website carried out many stinging exposes, and each one shook the nation. Subsequently the portal faced the wrath of the then government and went through horrible financial difficulties. All this is well documented and discussed so I shan’t go into the sordid details.

     

    However, some years down the line Tehelka was relaunched as a rather serious magazine. Tarun seems to have left the edit room, and now the stings are few and far between. I don’t know the mag’s exact readership figures, but am quite certain they aren’t earth shattering. And that’s because the brand has lost its edge, its USP; it shut down the bomb factory.

     

    The latest expose on the cops is a reminder that Tehelka must do many more sting operations. They can continue to do the intellectual stuff, but what will get them serious readership is if the bombs get dropped on a regular basis. And the team doesn’t need to worry anymore. The Indian media has grown real mighty in the last decade, and if Tehelka were to get persecuted by the government circa 2012, the entire Indian media’s weight will fall on the ruling party like a tonne of bricks. Surely Tehelka needs to forget about the past. It will never repeat itself.

     

    And most importantly, I do believe that with the sort of mess that goes around in this nation in all walks of life, there is an urgent need for many intelligently done sting operations. Obviously those that serve a larger public purpose, like their sting on cops. And Tehelka is good at this game, no one does it as smartly as they have been known to do.

     

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi8CLGqOAIg[/youtube]

    Yes, Tarun Tejpal must come out of his self-imposed exile. And re-open his ammunition factory.

     

    * * *

     

    PS: Good advice from Brit author Martin Amis. On the importance of avoiding dead words and clichés in writing. Valid for both, literary writers and copywriters.

     

  • There is nothing wrong with the TVC per se, it's the script that plays out on our soaps every prime time evening, and so uncles and aunties will love all this feet-touching business.

    Debrief: Tata AIG Life: A public service ad?

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Good values = Great future? Hmm. Not really sure about this. Else every decent bloke would be Mukesh Ambani. However, the Tata AIG Life guys are convinced about this theory.

     

    Their new TVC tries to say that a strong foundation is essential for a person’s future. And they have equated foundation with values. The ad features a young gal who wants daddy to meet the love of her life. But the dad is a bit of a khadoos, and believes that the new generation lacks values. However, our smart dude arrives and promptly touches khadoos daddy’s feet. Khadoos is much impressed and this sounds like good news for the lovers.

     

    There is nothing wrong with the TVC per se, it’s the script that plays out on our soaps every prime time evening, and so uncles and aunties will love all this feet-touching business. So that’s cool. The problem lies in its link to the brand. The story takes so long to reach its climax, the Tata AIG Life spiel gets hurried through in the end. A voiceover rattles off something about a good investment start for better returns, but that’s blink and miss stuff. Almost like a statutory warning.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enHvyXJ-INU[/youtube]

    Net net: The TVC establishes Tata AIG Life’s own values, that they must be a bunch of nice guys. But what exactly these nice guys can do for your hard earned money gets left almost unanswered. In short, as they say, operation successful but the patient died. Tch, tch, tch.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 2. A pleasing commercial that does little for the brand.