MxMIndia

Tag: anil thakraney

  • Senior leaders in the party ought to have asked Advani to retire a long time ago. The 86-year-old man is no longer a vote catcher, and his thinking is redundant. They didn't, and now find themselves in a sorry situation.

    Anil Thakraney: Shoot the Old Dog

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Have been watching the ‘Sulking Advani’ drama on television very closely. Not because the man interests me, but because it’s a deja vu feeling, I have seen this before. Not in politics, in the corporate world. It’s the same story: When the grand old man of the organization is past the sell-by date, the board of directors and the young CEO have no idea how to get rid of him, they get badly stuck. I am sure you have witnessed this situation in your own career at some point or another.

     

    I once worked at an ad agency whose creative chief, a few years away from retirement, had failed to evolve with changing times and was stranded in the old school. Basically, he was burnt out. The younger creatives could not connect with him, but were compelled to politely seek his views. The client service people would guffaw behind the old gent’s back, and the clients stopped asking for his presence at important meetings. But the man himself, in complete denial of his loss of relevance, soldiered on, making life difficult for everyone.

     

    The agency leadership could not muster enough courage to ask him to quit. And yet, he was deliberately left out of meetings. Not even, and this is the most humiliating part, consulted on creative department reshuffle. The man was totally isolated, but he would not get the message. Watching it all happen first-hand, I felt very sorry for him. And I entirely blamed the organization for this mess.

     

    Why? Because in this situation, to save everyone the misery, it was the CEO’s job to make that tough call: Amble across to the elderly gent’s cabin, and graciously show him the door. Sadly, this step, which is actually the best and the most professional one, seldom gets taken in many Indian organizations. Which is a pity.

     

    The BJP faces the same conundrum today. Senior leaders in the party ought to have asked Advani to retire a long time ago. The 86-year-old man is no longer a vote catcher, and his thinking is redundant. They didn’t, and now find themselves in a sorry situation. The party, if it lets go of him now, will be perceived as one that does not respect its elders. This directly goes against Indian culture, and could prove costly for the BJP in the coming elections.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Speaking of old dogs, here’s a speech by Dave Trott, a huge inspiration for creative people. Not just for youngsters, for senior creative directors, oldies who have lost their way or feel burnt out.

     

    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 ad is effective. It's a fantasy most men harbour, to meet this hot chick accidentally and get something going. Yup, the brand's in a good zone out here.

    Debrief: Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk: Messy choc, messy traffic. Works.

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Er, I am not big on people eating anything in a messy way, leave alone a gooey, sugary, milky chocolate. Which is why I am not a fan of CDM Silk advertising. But admittedly, perhaps some consumers are, which is why this brand has chosen the route. So let’s begin the review by assuming the mess works.

     

    The latest ad in the series features two car drivers stuck in a bad traffic jam. They both eat their respective chocolate bars (making a mess, of course), and this leads to the two vibing, as they playfully gesticulate. What happens later, whether they exchange cell numbers, go out for coffee, have a sex romp, get married, etc, is left to our imagination. But from the girl’s expressions, it’s clear our chap just got lucky.

     

    Which is why the ad is effective. It’s a fantasy most men harbour, to meet this hot chick accidentally and get something going. Yup, the brand’s in a good zone out here. Plus, with big cites notorious for deadly traffic snarls, such a situation is quite realistic, though by behaving like creeps in general, Indian men have put women on high alert.

     

    All said, it’s a cute, very likeable commercial. But I would urge you not to pull this stunt in real life. Because even as you are enjoying the choc and the moment, a sea of angry cars from behind will blow the crap out of you as soon as the traffic light turns yellow (even earlier). And trust me, there’s nothing silky about that feeling.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 3. Fun, aspirational, delightful situation.

     

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

     

  • Fans of bada netas have the right to follow the procession. But was Jiah Khan a leader of the masses? She was just another struggling starlet in an ocean of filmi strugglers. Apart from sensationalizing someone's tragedy, what good did come of this?

    Anil Thakraney: Can we not cover last rites please?

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Of course, young Jiah Khan’s suicide had to be covered extensively in the media. She was a member of the showbiz (even if a small player), and therefore public interest would be intense. Also, there’s a ‘lovers’ tiff’ angle to the tragedy, and this makes the incident even more interesting. All very fine, and I am sure this story will be closely followed by the media as the police investigation progresses, which is the way it should be.

     

    However, there’s something not very nice the media did once again, and I am pointing this out with the hope that we don’t indulge in this unfairness in the future. The press covered the dead girl’s funeral, and pictures of her wailing family members were lavishly spread out in the newspapers. (I did not follow the story on television, am certain they did the same thing.)  What is the need for this, what ‘public interest’ does this serve? Performing the last rites of an individual is a deeply personal moment, the family members and close friends are in deep anguish and dazed with shock, why would we want to shove cameras in their faces at this time? I think the media must come to an understanding that the last rites of a dead individual should not be covered. There will be plenty of opportunities at a later time/date to communicate with the family members.

     

    Some of you would argue that funeral processions of departed leaders are routinely covered by the media across the world. I am okay with this, fans of these bada netas have the right to follow the procession, even if via the media. I had no issues, for example, when Bal Thackeray’s cremation was covered on live television. It also helps give their zillion fans a sense of closure. But was Jiah Khan a leader of the masses? Heck, she didn’t even have an adequate fan following in Bollywood, she was just another struggling starlet in an ocean of filmi strugglers (Mumbai’s Lokhandwala Complex alone boasts of tens of thousands). So apart from sensationalizing someone’s tragedy, what good did come of this?

     

    To all editors and publishers reading this article: Can we agree that funeral processions of people like Jiah Khan will be kept away from public glare? Can we agree that even in the mad chase for readership and eyeballs, we will show respect for basic human dignity?

     

    Or, am I asking for too much from the savagely hungry Indian media?

     

    ***

     

    PS: I know, things have gotten a bit serious today. So let me leave you with a smile.  Here’s a cool way to demonstrate the start/stop function in a car, a warm way to humanize technology. Even I bawl like a baby when the traffic light turns red.

     

     

    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

     

  • Only one word comes to mind for Balki: Respect. For taking a tough stand, for making a powerful statement, for finding an honest way to reward his employees.

    Anil Thakraney: Lowe Lintas Awards: The Scam Free Zone

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    In my interviews with Balki, I give him stress for not willing to take part in the Abby awards. I have even called him stuck-up and arrogant. Of course, these are tricks one uses during interviews… in my heart, I have always admired the man for keeping away from meaningless award shows. And with each passing year, as GoaFest gets hit by fresh scandals, this view has only got strengthened. I am now convinced Balki’s got it absolutely right.

     

    However, the agency does (given the talent pool) continue to produce good work each year, and the creative folks need to be recognized and honoured. Enter the Lowe Lintas True Show. An event where the agency rewards itself on work they consider to be brilliant. This is not held annually, I suppose Balki decides which year is appropriate for the event, when he feels enough outstanding work has been put out by his agency. The burning question is this: What value can an award have if it’s not judged by an independent jury? This ‘minor’ issue is irrelevant to Balki, because he doesn’t respect the jury members Goa Fest usually appoints.

     

    The result: No controversies, no bad blood, and most importantly, no scam ads. Everyone has a good time at the event, as did I on Tuesday. I caught up with long-lost buddies, and because I have worked with Lintas in the past, it was almost like homecoming. I was present at the previous True Show event as well, and that was a smaller gathering. This year was a mega affair, the venue was grander, and it was packed with Lowe’s employees, creative directors from rival agencies, members of the press, and some Lowe clients. With such a large turnout, and after a few Patiala pegs, it was difficult to locate people you want to meet, I missed saying hello to many. Booze bottles as trophies is an idea I most liked. Suddenly, after all these years, I want to win an award, hic!

     

    But the most touching part of the event was Lintas honouring its rivals, for work that Balki and his team envy. And what this does is make the show bigger than just the agency, it turns The True Show into an industry event. The award given away to O&M on their work for The Hindu was richly deserved. I am not sure if the work for Gujarat Tourism deserved to be honoured, but that could be because of Balki’s soft corner for Amitabh Bachchan, the state’s brand ambassador. Scam award chhe, Balki! Haha, just kidding.

     

    Net net: Only one word comes to mind for Balki: Respect. For taking a tough stand, for making a powerful statement, for finding an honest way to reward his employees. And most importantly, for having a blast in the process.

     

    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

     

  • While these ads run during the commercial breaks, on the news programmes we find anchors and their guests hectically dissecting a brand-new scam. So, all the hard work done by the ads gets negated moments after exposure.

    Debrief: Congress Party: Ad fest in between Scam fest

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    So, Soniaji has decided the time has come to start selling her party for the next year’s general elections. I think it’s a bit too early, but perhaps Madamji has little faith in her party’s chances this time, and therefore the bugle is blowing hard more than a year ahead. Also, why would she worry about the ad cost… we idiots, the taxpaying junta of India, will foot the bill.

     

    ‘Bharat Nirman’ is the campaign slogan, I watched three ads. One deals with the boom in mobile telephony, another one talks about the spurt in educational institutions. The third one boasts of the Delhi Metro, and plans for other cities. The strategy is both, obvious and correct; it’s best to discuss the key achievements for an incumbent government in its election campaign. Also, the execution is warm and engaging. They have used aam aadmis and aurats of India, and their aam life stories. So all very nice and dandy.

     

    However, there’s a serious problem: While these ads run during the commercial breaks, on the news programmes we find anchors and their guests hectically dissecting a brand-new scam. So, all the hard work done by the ads gets negated moments after exposure. Which then makes me wonder: Shouldn’t at least some of the ads take on the issue of scams and scandals head-on? Instead of ignoring them? Maybe closer to elections, the Congress Party will think about this issue. Especially because the opposition party will definitely launch a frontal attack on UPA’s assorted corruption stories.

     

    All said, in my own humble view, the UPA will get booted out next year. All the ad money down the drain. Our money, to be precise. Grr.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 2.5. Obvious strategy. Creative is decent.

     

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

     

  • Mahi was at least transparent in his dealings. Maybe this wasn't about honesty, maybe it was about financial naiivete. Either way, the truth is, he put his own name on record. The media must acknowledge this.

    Anil Thakraney: Mrs Dhoni should have invested in Rhiti

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Well, now that the dust has settled on the N Srinivasan saga (for the moment, that is), the media is going after Dhoni on charges of conflict of interest. Apparently, Captain Cool, at some point, held a cool 15 percent stake in a sports management company called Rhiti (what an odd name!), and this constitutes what we call ‘unfair trade practice’. This is because there are a few other cricketers managed by this company, and it would be in Rhiti’s interest if they got selected to play for India. The conflict arises because as captain, Dhoni has a say in team selection.

     

    While technically speaking the media has a valid point, and Dhoni is answerable for this direct investment, I really think we should go a bit easy on the guy, we should give him some breathing space. For three reasons. One, apart from doing commentary, cricketers don’t really have a solid career post retirement, and they have to look for investment opportunities while the going is good. Dhoni can start a restaurant or a hospital or a dance bar, but perhaps these things don’t interest him, his heart may lie in an activity he understands most: Sports. Therefore investing in a sports management company isn’t really out of place.

     

    Secondly, sports is a totally performance based activity (unlike many other professions in India, especially Bollywood, where failed sons of stars keep getting fresh opportunities), and even if Dhoni got Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja (Rhiti clients) an entry into the cricket team, these blokes have to quickly deliver. Or perish. So this so-called ‘conflict of interest’ has a very small role to play in this case. N Srinivasan’s situation is entirely different. He headed the BCCI and owns Chennai Super Kings, that’s a Deadly Dodgy Deal.

     

    Thirdly, we have to admit Mahi was at least transparent in his dealings. Like some of our respected netas, he could easily have invested benaami money in Rhiti. Or even invested in his wife’s or cousin’s or chacha’s name. But he chose to put his own name to it. Maybe this wasn’t about honesty, maybe it was about financial naiivete. Either way, the truth is, he put his own name on record. The media must acknowledge this.

     

    In short, fine, let’s cover this story. But please don’t crucify the man, he deserves better. There are enough big fish swimming in the dirty Indian Ocean to go after.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Haha. Totally cute ad from Taco Bell to push their Dollar Menu. What I like most about this one is how nicely they’ve sold their low price offer without damaging the brand. Rather, they’ve made it rock.

    http://www.fastcocreate.com/1682903/a-spunky-senior-channels-christopher-walken- in-new-spot-for-taco-bells-dollar-menu?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ fastcompany%2Fheadlines+%28Fast+Company%29

     

    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

     

  • Chori? Perhaps. Still, you have to admit the director of the Aircel ad has done a good job, one can't take that away from him/her.

    Debrief: Aircel: Charming. But is it original?

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Sweet Aircel commercial. Very endearingly directed. For the first time I have liked Dhoni in a commercial, he looks happy being in it. The Indian cricket captain usually looks maha bored in the ads, as bored as he looks at the pressers these days, as he turns into a mannequin when asked questions on the IPL mess.

     

    But the most important reason I like the ad is the performance by the little autograph hunter. Very cute, very real, and his expressions and body language are stunningly perfect. This situation feels like it’s happening in real time. Full marks to the director, this commercial looks simple but it mustn’t have been easy to shoot. So, good show.

     

    However, a veteran ad man points out that the commercial is a copy of Coke’s classic ‘Mean Joe Green’ commercial from 1979. I am linking both the commercials below, you can decide if the Aircel creative team got inspired or not. Yes, the ads do have the similar plot, the treatment is similar too. Chori? Perhaps. Still, you have to admit the director of the Aircel ad has done a good job, one can’t take that away from him/her.

     

    Aircel
    		 Coke

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 3.5 – If the ad is original. 1 – If it’s ‘inspired’.

     

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

     

  • In the advertising context, Pawar's return sends out a strong signal to the rest of the ad world: Take your chances, buggers. Keep encouraging scam ads, you will be rewarded.

    Anil Thakraney: And, Bobby Pawar is back.

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Good for Bobby Pawar. The Ford scandal during his last job at JWT doesn’t seem to have dented his reputation one bit. He’s now been lapped up by Publicis, and life goes on as usual. Hopefully this time around, Pawar will set up tight controls within his agency to monitor ads created solely to win awards.

     

    Incidentally, right after the Ford howler, I had a drink with a few ad pals, and as it often happens, we ended up talking shop. Everyone unanimously agreed that Pawar will be back in action, very soon, at another large agency. No, this wasn’t the consensus because the man is talented (which he must be), but because we all felt this is what happens in India, somehow the powerful people manage to survive scandals. Look at politics, for example. Despite a series of scams, the tainted leaders remain untouched. And the few who do get sacked, find their way back into the power corridors in good time. India is a forgiving nation. So that explains it.

     

    The negative outcome of this situation, of course, is that it encourages rubbish behaviour. In the advertising context, Pawar’s return sends out a strong signal to the rest of the ad world: Take your chances, buggers. Keep encouraging scam ads, you will be rewarded. And if you do get caught with your pants down, chillax for a while, take the much-delayed holiday to that exotic location. Sooner or later you will find yourself back in the saddle.

     

    Before I wrap up, two quick points on Bobby Pawar: I don’t know the man at all, have never worked with him, haven’t even had the opportunity to say hello to him. So I have no personal grouse with him, it could have been any other creative director in his place. It is also quite possible that he had no knowledge of the controversial Ford ads created by his juniors, and therefore wasn’t personally responsible for them. Perhaps Pawar’s a great guy, and good luck to him on his new assignment.

     

    My only little problem: That it will be business as usual in the Indian ad world. Like nothing ever happened. Sad.

     

    ***

     

    PS: My shortlist for the next season of Bigg Boss. Feel free to add your recommendation: S Sreesanth, Gurunath Meiyappan, Pavan Bansal, Phaneesh Murthy, Chandresh (Jupiter) Jain, Ankeet Chavan, Mrs Ankeet Chavan, Ajit Chandela, Suresh Kalmadi, Niira Radia, A Raja, Sudipta Sen, Abhijit Mukherji, Vindoo Dara Singh, Kshitij Thakur, N Srinivasan, Varun Gandhi, Justice Katju.

     

    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

     

  • Graduates have been frantically hitting on their institute alumni for jobs bu some of the desperate ones have been going about this is an incorrect manner, rues Anil Thakraney

    Anil Thakraney: Dear fresh MBA, you’re pissing me off

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Yes, I know it’s tough landing jobs for management school grads these days. (As also for mass communications grads, I would imagine.) The economic slowdown hasn’t ended, many companies have frozen or scaled down recruitment plans. There are too many institutes throwing up too many students, and the market isn’t able to absorb all of them. In fact, this year has been particularly horrid, even some IIM grads found it difficult to get jobs. Who would have ever thought the day will come.

     

    And so, desperate times call for desperate measures. Graduates have been frantically hitting on their institute alumni for jobs, with the hope that the ex students, now at senior positions in the corporate world, would come to their rescue. That’s a correct strategy; the date base of past students is easily available, and some business leaders, for emotional reasons, would offer fresh grads at least an interview opportunity, if not a job. So all kosher on that front.

     

    However, some of the desperate grads have been going about this is an incorrect manner. Case in point, the business management school I passed out from. (This institute shall go unnamed, I don’t wish to make their struggle harder than it already is.) A few students from this institute have been relentlessly stalking me, and to think I don’t even look pretty! Regular e-mails, requests for Linked-In connect, Twitter chase, and the worst of them all… phone calls at odd hours. Even this sort of harassment can be forgiven if, and this is the important point, these dudes bothered to do their homework before going after you.

     

    Because if they cared to do a little research, they would discover, without much effort, that I am no longer part of the corporate world, I haven’t been so for many years. I shifted to journalism nearly fifteen years ago. Which obviously means I have no job opportunities to offer these fresh MBAs. So when they pursue me, they are not just wasting their own precious time, they are messing up my mind, and getting me really agitated in the process. Of course, they can contact me if they, too, wish to be journalists, but that will only happen if they bothered to do their goddamned research in the first place.

     

    I’ll end with a strong message to all new business/communication school grads: The worst thing you can do in this trade is to approach someone without doing your homework. That really sucks. And when you do that, I am left feeling that you deserve to be jobless. Digest this very carefully. And then deal with it.

     

    PS: Ah! Brilliant, brilliant Bourneville ad, loved it! India mein bhi aisa ad karo, bhaiyya. We need to anyway kill the excessive sweetness in our advertising.

     

    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

     

  • It is a realistic situation (this is what Sreesanth must be going through right now), and the cop speaking in Haryanvi dialect is too funny.

    Debrief | Quikr.com: ‘Spot’ on!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I totally approve of Quikr.com’s advertising. This is because they use disruption very effectively to break the clutter, and that’s the ideal ad strategy for a young brand that does not have deep pockets. You need to knock hard to get noticed. In addition, Quikr.com does something even better: they run topical ads. Again, a smart thing to do, this gets the ads discussed.

     

    The latest TVC deals with the spot-fixing scandal in the IPL. A cop advises cricketers not to sell their souls for money, and to instead sell their used items via Quikr.com. Fridge, TV, A/C, etc. The camera pulls back, and we discover a man standing next to him (a prisoner), fidgeting with the towel. The cop accuses the chap of spot-fixing, and then starts torturing him.

     

    Haha. Good fun, I likes. It is a realistic situation (this is what Sreesanth must be going through right now), and the cop speaking in Haryanvi dialect is too funny. That too is authentic, because the bowler has been arrested by the Delhi cops. Notice that the ad would have cost peanuts to produce, but the impact is immediate. Always a sign of intelligent advertising.

     

    If there’s one little problem with the ad, it’s that I feel they should have cast a Sreesanth lookalike. And made him weep exactly the way our man did after Bhajji gave him that crashing back-hand flip. That would have been so very cool.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 3.5 Topicality works. It’s funny too.

     

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

     

  • Cricket has given the master batsman everything; it's time to give something back to it, writes Anil Thakraney

    Anil Thakraney: Gavaskar’s silence is deafening

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    For many guys from my generation, Bachchan was the childhood hero. But even at a young age I was smart enough to be able to differentiate real and reel life, and therefore the movie star meant little to me. Today when I see Big B moronically sell us cookies and jewellery (don’t those ads make you cringe?), I am glad I did not make him my idol. My one and only hero was Sunil Gavaskar, and I still admire him for his cutting insights on cricket. I vividly recall Gavaskar taking on the most lethal fast bowlers of this world, wearing only his white floppy hat… that was sheer guts. More than physical strength, it needed nerves of steel. He was THE man to me.

     

    About two years ago I chased him hard for an interview for a magazine. But failed. I can think of two reasons why. Some retired cricketers now prefer to speak only in exchange for money. Or, perhaps my nasty reputation preceded me, and therefore my childhood hero thought it’s best to duck this one. If that was so, he made a terrible mistake. Being a fan for life, my knees will have trembled in his presence; Gavaskar could have had me for lunch.

     

    However, today when I watch my hero desperately play those ultra defensive shots on the IPL scandal, it breaks my heart. This could be because he has been and desires to be on the BCCI’s payroll, and he does not want to risk losing that revenue stream. Therefore in his appearances on NDTV (another paid contract), all he does is side-track important questions, or defend the organization that has ‘Controversies’ enshrined in its mission statement. This man cannot be my childhood hero, this must be an imposter. It deeply saddens me to state this.

     

    I wish India’s finest batsman ever (I rate him above Tendulkar) chooses cricket over money. And takes the bull by its horns. Gavaskar is universally respected in this country, his views will make a huge difference. The IPL mess has put the credibility of the game on the line, and we need heroes like Gavaskar to rise to the occasion. Cricket has given the master batsman everything; it’s time to give something back to it.

     

    Throw that helmet out of the TV studios, Sir. If blokes like Andy Roberts, Malcolm Marshall and Michael Holding could not intimidate you, why would you worry about a businessman called N Srinivasan? Be the hero you always were in my eyes. Take him on, and hit him out of the cricket ground.

     

    PS: Terrific idea. Hold an exhibition of posters containing the worst client feedback, and make a charity organization happy. Indian creatives need to do stuff like this. So much better than indulging in dirty scam ads.

     

    Link: http://www.boredpanda.com/sharp-suits-worst-client-comment-posters/

     

    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 creative team had the right idea. And yet, there was something missing, the ads failed to shine. After a few exposures, boredom set in

    Debrief: Cadbury Gems: Weak animation

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Correct IPL strategy by Cadbury Gems. Within the core umbrella positioning of ‘Raho Umarless’, they ran a series of commercials during the just concluded tournament, where the gems were animated to behave like cricketers and spectators.

     

    The creative team had the right idea. They married the various colours Cadbury Gems come in with the colours of jerseys the different IPL teams wore. This was a cool idea, because it helped tie the brand with the games seamlessly. Also, the treatment, as you’d expect from candy advertising, was the usual fun and masti, so all that’s fine.

     

    And yet, there was something missing, the ads failed to shine. After a few exposures, boredom set in. Compare this animation effort with Voda’s hilarious Zoozoos and Zumis, the difference was like chalk and cheese. So then what went wrong? I suspect the problem was in the execution. Since the ‘characters’ remained at the level of Cadbury Gems, they lacked visual appeal. I am not an art director or an animation artist so I don’t have pat answers. Still, here’s a thought: Could some of the gems have been created to resemble cricketers, and made to behave the way Dhoni, Gayle, Bhajji, Sreesanth, etc, might behave? This would have helped bring in lots of laughs, and would have helped the gems look a bit cuter. As a bonus, Cadbury Gems would have got star power in the ads without having to pay these guys a penny.

     

    In fact, they could have fed on the latest IPL scandal, and added a few bookie gems.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 2. Strategy perfect but the creative lacks spark.

     

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