MxMIndia

Tag: Hard Knocks

  • Time for debates and angry tweets/FB updates is over. It's time for hard action. The Goafest organizers should announce that scam ads entered slyly as official work will invite a hefty fine for the ad agency

    Scamadgate-2 | Anil Thakraney: Penalize the scamsters

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    There has been a rather muted reaction to Leo Burnett’s Tata Salt scam radio adverts. In contrast with all the sound and fury over the JWT Ford Figo ads. Surely Burnett’s ‘crime’ isn’t any lesser. I can only think of one reason: The ad junta is tiring of news on scams, a few senior industry folks I spoke with only shrugged with helplessness and resignation: ‘So what’s new, man?’

     

    Enough has been discussed on the subject of scam ads (including by myself), so there’s nothing more to add. However, I am now convinced all this talk has been pointless, that scams will always rule in the desi ad world. Not just because these ads land people new jobs and increments (and are therefore created), but because India is a country of scamsters. There’s a ghotala happening in all walks of life, so why must the ad frat be any different, they haven’t arrived from Pluto. I guess the time has come to accept that they will happen again and again. And therefore, the debate must shift from ‘How to cure this disease’ to ‘How to control it’.

     

    The social media buzz suggests creating a separate category for scam ads, thus legalizing them. This idea is as old as the hills, I recall proposing it fifteen years ago in the ad mag I was editing at the time. This will never work because once they are called ‘Unreleased Work’, such ads will not land people any real recognition, and therefore no new jobs. Agency heads will treat it as ‘jerk-off’ stuff, and dismiss it. So then what to do?

     

    I think the solution lies in financial punishment. For the next year, the GoaFest organizers should announce that scam ads entered slyly as official work will invite a hefty fine for the ad agency. Let’s say, a penalty of Rs 25 lakhs per scam ad. The world’s second oldest profession isn’t generally respected by the masses. And that can be corrected a bit by passing on the amount collected as fines to charity organizations. The ad world gets a positive name, and the threat of monetary loss will deter many potential scamsters.

     

    The GoaFest team must give this suggestion a serious thought if they want their trophies to get some respectability. They need to play the role of cops, and not just festival organizers. Because frankly, I can’t think of any other way out of this rotten mess. Time for debates and angry tweets/FB updates is over. It’s time for hard action.

     

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    PS: On a recent visit to Delhi, I noticed that this product finds pride of place in the medical store shop windows. Not surprising, given the rising rate of crimes against women in India’s capital city. At this rate, ‘Pepper Spray’ will replace India Gate as Delhi’s glowing symbol.

     

  • The IPL is huge, it's very successful, and it's here to stay. Everyone loves it. Uncles, aunties, bhabhies, nephews, nieces, saases, bahus, and the family dog

    Anil Thakraney: I concede defeat to IPL

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I have been secretly wishing for the last five years that by some miracle, the IPL vanishes from the scene. Instead, it’s been going from strength to strength. My big allergy to this pyjama form of cricket is that it’s everything but cricket. As a so-called purist, I detest what this tamasha has done to the game itself, and these issues have been debated before.

     

    That aside, I have two other grouses with the IPL. One, the laundry list of controversies. The list is so large, one could write a book titled ‘IPL & Scandals’, and it will be an international bestseller. I recall interviewing the IPL CEO Sundar Raman (for GQ) a couple of years ago, and the question listing the controversies was ten times larger than his response, I had to edit the question to maintain some sort of balance! Since then, the suitcase of scandals has grown even larger. Makes you wonder if such a tournament is worth staging.

     

    My other complaint with the organizers has to do with the manner in which the IPL was born: Sans grace. Lalit Modi (now persona non grata) directly lifted the idea from the Zee group (ICL), without even leaving behind a little Post-it note saying ‘Thank you for the idea, guys’. Rather, the BCCI used tremendous money power to demolish their show, even going to the extent of penalizing young players who had signed up with the ICL. Here’s another interview memory: I met Kapil Dev (then in charge of putting the ICL together) in 2007 (for Mumbai Mirror). The national hero looked utterly crestfallen and defeated… he knew he was captaining a fast sinking ship. I can’t bring myself to respect a project that’s created out of malice and vendetta.

     

    However, all this doesn’t change the fact that the IPL is huge, it’s very successful, and it’s here to stay. Everyone loves it. Uncles, aunties, bhabhies, nephews, nieces, saases, bahus, and the family dog. As ticket sales plummet for traditional cricket, there’s always a mad rush for this nonsense club cricket, people beg and plead for passes. And the TV audiences remain faithful over the long two month period. Plus, it makes marketers very happy. Advertisers queue up to open their purse strings, even if they otherwise complain of ‘recessionary times’. In short, the nation has taken to the IPL gleefully, and old world relics like myself have no option but to eat humble pie and watch the madness from the sidelines.

     

    So let the games begin. Yes, I will gate crash this party. Look out for my review of the opening ceremony on Friday. I am already going ‘Dhumping Dhapaka’, or whatever else Farah Khan calls it.

     

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    PS: Now this I like. We need more such cool and spirited souls in India. We are a nation of stuck up people, and it is maha refreshing to watch singer Anvita Dutt personally arrive to accept her ‘insult’. Jai ho!

     

    Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5yXEB6meCo&feature=youtu.be

     

  • MxMIndia Editor-at-Large Anil Thakraney analyses the issues thrown up by the JWT-Ford scam ad controversy, and puts things in perspective

    #Scamadgate | Anil Thakraney: Let’s face the facts

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    For many creative people, it’s not been a long weekend to celebrate. I noticed there was high action on social media, as folks got busy venting over Bobby Pawar’s unfortunate sacking. While on one level I am delighted to witness this ‘standing up for a colleague’ campaign, must say that in all the furious excitement, people seem to have overlooked some key considerations. Also, I could not help but notice a similarity between the outcry and another campaign that’s underway simultaneously: And that’s ‘Pardon for Sanjay Dutt’. In one case, Bollywood has launched a massive PR drive to save their ‘hero’. And in the other one, ad land is seeking justice for their own fallen star. Both campaigns have one thing in common: Lost in emotion, we aren’t able to view the situations objectively.

     

    So allow me to deal with the main arguments put out by the creative people:

    It’s not a scam, the posters were approved by the client: This is technically correct. If a Ford executive endorsed the ads, they become official work. And the news is that Ford has sacked the concerned employee. This seems fair. However, that still doesn’t change the fact that these ads were created purely for winning awards, that they were never intended for media usage, and therefore they still fall in the ‘scams’ category. In my previous post, I have already discussed the issue of scam ads, and on what needs to be done thereof. Scam ads are rampant in the ad world, several guys and gals do it. But the JWT gang got caught with their hands in a very messy scam, and therefore there had to be retribution.

     

    Bobby Pawar is the convenient ‘fall guy’: Ermm, not really. When work produced by an ad agency brings global disrepute to a client (as has happened in this case), the buck must stop at the desk of the creative chief. The captain has to take full responsibility of his ship, that’s the right way to go about professional life. Sacking only the crazed, award-hungry youngsters is a cop-out, that would send the wrong signals. Also, now that it’s clear that Ford had indeed endorsed this work, it’s no longer a case of some stupid kids jerking off in the back office. JWT’s responsibility becomes total and absolute. And the leader of the pack becomes directly accountable.

     

    But shouldn’t Colvyn Harris have been punished too?: Supporters of this line of argument believe thus: Why must only creative people suffer when advertising is supposed to be team work. And that surely there were servicing people involved in this campaign. Also, as the big JWT India boss, Harris should have been the one to pay. Indeed there is merit in this argument, and am hoping that the client services director who approved this work has been sacked too. However, I am against the idea of penalizing the agency CEO. For the simple reason that Harris would (assumedly) leave the charge of all creative work to his NCD, that’s the professional thing to do. That’s why you hire a national creative director at a very high cost, so that he/she controls the agency’s output. Therefore, logically, that’s where the buck must stop. Let me give you a parallel: If a newspaper runs a false, misleading, illegal story, it’s the editor who will get axed, and not the publisher. Even though bringing out a newspaper is teamwork.

     

    The agency should have stood up for its creative people: I entirely agree with this point of view. If you are expecting your creatives to raise the bar, be prepared to back their edgy work. If you are reluctant to do so, stick to hiring only the safe players. So far, so good. However, in Ford Figo’s case, the creatives didn’t raise the bar, they lowered it to a new low (refer to the para below). And this resulted in a very angry large multinational client, a client that the agency had to assuage, or risk losing forever. Some senior blood had to spill, and Sir Martin Sorrell himself would have been left not very amused if it hadn’t. So before you trash Colvyn Harris (and I carry no candle for him), you must also view this issue from his angle; perhaps the CEO had no choice. I am quite certain if this work had happened for a local, small-time mosquito coils maker, Bobby Pawar would still be inside his cabin. These are harsh realities of the global world, and we have to accept them.

     

    These ads are tongue-in-cheek, we’ve lost the ability to laugh: I must tell you I am always first in queue to back work that challenges the acceptable boundaries. All along in my career, both in media and advertising, I have landed in trouble for believing and indulging in this principle. I am also always ready for a good laugh; safe and boring work pisses me off, my ad reviews will tell you that. But to create a campaign where women are projected as ‘mobile commodity’ is being totally insensitive to the gruesome rapes that keep happening every other day in India, often inside moving vehicles, AND THAT IS NOT FUNNY. If you find these ads hilarious, you need to get your head examined and your values sorted. This nation is deeply misogynistic, and women have been paying a heavy price on account of this sick mindset for a very long time. So please get this right: If you can’t be a part of the solution, for god’s sake don’t be a part of the problem.

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are personal. Follow him at @anilthakraney.

     

  • Had the media not raised a hue and cry, these murderers were lost to us forever, there's no way the government would have negotiated furiously with their Italian counterparts to find a way to get these doods back. A pat on the back is in order, and am hoping it comes from the usually sleepy PM

    Anil Thakraney | Credit for return of marines must go to media

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Some observations on the two big stories of last week. One, as the government (and strangely the opposition party!) takes credit for the return of the killer Italian marines, no one should forget the role played by the Indian media. In fact, in my books, this is the media’s victory, another feather in the cap. Had the media not raised a hue and cry, these murderers were lost to us forever, there’s no way the government would have negotiated furiously with their Italian counterparts to find a way to get these doods back. A pat on the back is in order, and am hoping it comes from the usually sleepy PM. A side-note on this issue: The marines will live a life of luxury inside their embassy, right till the trial is over. After conviction, which will quite obviously result in a jail term for a few years, they’ll fly to Italy to serve the sentence out there. Wow, how very cool! Wonder who’s having the last laugh in this tragic tale.

     

    Two, despite the boredom I expressed with the Sanjay Dutt saga (read my Friday post), the caravan is chugging along merrily. Bollywood’s PR machinery, now that the frat has discovered the ‘pardon’ option, is in overdrive. They are determined to see that baba never goes to jail again. Of course, these filmi types wouldn’t care for the long term impact of this on the nation’s collective psyche, that’s not their problem. But Justice Katju leaping to the rescue of the criminal star is nothing less than shocking. The retired judge, in his infinite wisdom, forgot that influential people such as himself must stand up for the weak and the deprived. Not for those who are already rich and already well connected. Not sure if Katju realizes this, but his emergence as a huge fan of Sanju baba has dealt a body blow to his own credibility.

     

    One other thing: I saw Katju speak very rudely with NDTV’s Nidhi Razdan and CNN IBN’s Bhupendra Chaubey, when the TV anchors were grilling him over the Dutt pardon issue. Both the journos maintained their composure in the face of what was nothing short of live television humiliation. In fact, Katju even questioned Razdan’s anchoring abilities! To be honest, my blood was on the boil just watching all this go on, full marks to these guys for taking it all so calmly. I do hope to meet Justice Katju someday. Up close.

     

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    PS: Must say I am disappointed with the ‘new’ Anandi in Balika Vadhu (Colors). It’s my favourite daily serial, and the producers usually get the casting bang-on. In all these years this must be the first time they’ve got it wrong. The new maiden lacks distinctive character on her face, as also the gravitas required for this particular role. She’s just another pleasant TV face, the sort we encounter in every single soap. Sad.

  • The star must take the Supreme Court verdict on the chin, and prepare himself for some jail time

    Anil Thakraney: The Sanjay Dutt road show

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I know it sounds a bit harsh to say this, but I am glad the Sanjay Dutt crime saga has come to an end. It has been going on for twenty long years, and frankly, it’s gotten really boring now. The star must take the Supreme Court verdict on the chin, and prepare himself for some jail time. Crime was committed (it’s irrelevant whether Dutt was involved innocently or otherwise), and therefore there must be punishment. And who knows, he could be let off much sooner than three and a half years on account of ‘good behaviour’, and there’s always his sweet MP sister around to keep the Dutt family flag flying.

     

    As for the hectic media coverage yesterday, the same, established template came into operation: TV reporters dutifully parked themselves outside the star’s Pali Hill residence, all busy speculating, as the man wouldn’t speak to them. Some Hindi channels gladly fished out eerie footage of the 1993 blasts. Any legal mind who was willing to speak was chased for a sound byte. Entertainment journos were consulted on the likely losses to Bollywood. And of course, movie people queued up to express their intense grief. These days these bleeding hearts vent on Twitter as well, which is the only real change that’s happened in twenty years. I write this post in the evening, and am sure the 9PM TV debates will also work on the same template. The usual bunch of TV suspects will be called to shower us with pearls of wisdom. It’s the Sanjay Dutt script we are all so familiar with.

     

    And to be fair, one really can’t blame the TV channels. What else can you do but follow the set diagram? Nothing has changed in terms of the facts of the case, so you can’t possibly invent a new angle, even if you tried. Am quite certain that secretly, all the journalists must be happy this is finally done and dusted, regurgitating the same stuff over and over again can get very tedious.

     

    Before I sign off, I must state for the record that I have spent some time with Sanjay Dutt, and I can tell you he has a good heart. But that’s of no consequence when it comes to law and order. All his fans must accept this and move on.

     

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    PS: Incidentally, here’s the column I wrote for Mumbai Mirror when Dutt was convicted by the TADA court, back in the year 2007. Six years later, I have EXACTLY the same things to say to the convicted star. Yes, I am part of the same media template, this story’s gone on for so damn long!

     

    Link: http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/53/200708010308471561291c80b/Kudos-to-Kode.html?pageno=14

     

  • I have a bad feeling Justice Katju thinks of Indian journalists exactly what he thinks of the rest of India; perhaps he believes that 90 percent of us are fools, and that might be the reason for the latest diktat

    Anil Thakraney: Katju Sir, how do you teach curiosity?

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Haha. Press Council Chairman Justice Shri Markandey Katju has bowled another deadly googly. He now demands that journalists must have certain qualifications before they are hired, and he wants that to be mandated by law. Here’s the link to the story in mxm india: http://www.mxmindia.com/2013/03/mxm-mondays-do-journalists-need-to-be-qualified/

     

    I have a bad feeling Justice Katju thinks of Indian journalists exactly what he thinks of the rest of India; perhaps he believes that 90 percent of us are fools, and that might be the reason for the latest diktat. Be that as it may, one question immediately comes to mind: What sort of a qualification would Justice Katju deem as being appropriate for journalists? Is he happy with the Diploma in Mass Communications sort of a thing? Or does he have something else in mind? Doctorate in social sciences? Master’s degree in law? PhD in qualitative research? Graduate degree in English Literature? Would be interesting to know what would satisfy the boss.

     

    Incidentally, does Justice Katju know that Carl Bernstein, the celebrated American journalist who broke the sensational Watergate scandal, wasn’t even a graduate, that he dropped out of college at the age of 16 to be a journalist? There are plenty of such shining examples. This is not to say the media should hire only school and college drop-outs. Every degree brings value to an individual’s skills, that’s common sense stuff, so there’s no point arguing with that. And it works for all walks of life. But I am not really sure where Justice Katju is going with this, where is he going to draw the line in terms of mandatory education levels.

     

    However, I have a larger point to make: My own experience in journalism has taught me that aside from obvious skills like writing, articulation, research-gathering, etc, the Number One talent every journalist must possess is Curiosity, with a capital C. Minus that, a journalist is pretty much useless. And this is true whether he/she works for a mass TV channel or a niche industry portal. All the degrees collected by the individual are junk if he/she isn’t inquisitive by nature.

     

    So then, dear Justice Katju, how do you teach someone to be a nosy parker? That single most important journalistic attribute. I would really like to know, I am curious! 🙂

     

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    PS: Good TV campaign by END7, an international NGO. The ads show how celebs react when faced with a ghastly tropical disease. Apart from other big names, it features our very own Ms Priyanka Chopra. Ready to squirm? Er, at the disease, not her acting skills.

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYimJKg9QiE[/youtube]

     

     

     

  • It's now a given; the moment a cricketer retires, by default he walks into the commentary box. The latest entrant, VVS Laxman, is painful to hear. He speaks poorly, provides zero insights, and has a voice that makes a sixer sound like a boring thingy

    Anil Thakraney: VVS: Very Very Sad

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    It’s now a given; the moment a cricketer retires, by default he walks into the commentary box. When, ideally, his first priority ought to be coaching young teams and/or joining/starting a sports academy. This is because commentating is far more lucrative, and it carries zero responsibilities and headaches. I am quite certain Rajya Sabha MP Shri Sachin Tendulkar has already begun work on his diction.

     

    But this instant migration from the pitch to the box isn’t easy, and most of the cricketers struggle very badly, at the cost of the viewers. The latest entrant, VVS Laxman, is painful to hear. He speaks poorly, provides zero insights, and has a voice that makes a sixer sound like a boring thingy. Laxman Sivaramakrishnan has been tormenting us with his clichés for years, and the less said about motor mouth Sidhu the better. Sanjay Manjrekar communicates like a novice, and Ravi Shastri has been hired purely to generate senseless hysteria. Sunil Gavaskar and Saurav Ganguly are the notable exceptions, the saving grace. I am also reminded of Lala Amarnath from back in the seventies. He used to come up with sharp observations; we would, as kids, eagerly await his gems at the end of each match day.

     

    And of course, Imran Khan, the late Tony Grieg, Richie Benaud and Ian Chappell have always been a delight to listen to. What this tells you is that having been a cricketer may help to commentate better, but it does not necessarily make you an interesting communicator. Either you have the gift of the gab or you don’t. Therefore, the sports networks have to exercise quality control, they simply can’t hire every cricketer who calls it a day. And I haven’t even begun speaking about the nonsense that goes on inside the Hindi commentary box. These days I mostly watch the Indian cricket telecast minus the sound.

     

    Just as a good movie director won’t necessarily make a good film critic, just as a great painter won’t necessarily become a reliable curator, just as a kickass CEO won’t necessarily be a good dad, the same theory applies to sports commentary. I am quite certain there is enough talent out there for cricket commentary (after all, this nation is flushed with ‘experts’), and all that the television networks have to do is to find them. It’s their laziness to conduct this search that has ended up saddling us viewers with rank bad commentators.

     

    Get some fresh blood in the box, dear Sony Max, ESPN/Star Sports, Neo, etc. In fact, the IPL is a good place to start, unless you’ve already signed up Sidhu, VVS and Sivaramakrishnan. In which case it’s now left to the sexy cheerleaders to save the day.

     

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    PS: Nice IKEA commercial. Notice how the inter-play of need for storage room and need for room in relationships lifts an otherwise ordinary promise: Total furniture solutions. Wonderful!

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWJImv6ci9I[/youtube]

     

  • Conspiracies make for juicy gossip sessions. No one is willing to even accept the possibility that Singh may have simply killed himself in the dead of the night

    Anil Thakraney: The Ram Singh conspiracies

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    And so, as you would expect, the media (mass and social) is buzzing with conspiracy theories over rapist-cum-killer Ram Singh’s death. Every single bizarre theory is being propounded, but no one is willing to wait for the inquiry committee to do its job. Why? Well, because conspiracies make for juicy gossip sessions. No one, not even the Tweeters, is willing to even accept the possibility that Singh may have simply killed himself in the dead of the night.

     

    Think about this: The whole world is baying for your blood, you have been identified by the key witness, there’s no chance in hell of getting out of this mess. Every other day you are being forced to eat shit, or being sodomised by fellow inmates. And the jail staffers aren’t really keen on stopping the torture, they are, in fact, delighted at the free entertainment. Also, if it took them four long years to get rid of a hardcore terrorist like Kasab, you may have to live in this hell-hole for a much longer time. So what’s the best option? Get the bloody f*&k out. I or you would do the same thing in these circumstances; we would find crazy methods to eliminate ourselves. I can imagine Singh convincing himself every other day with this compelling logic: Katle bhaiyya, isi mein samajhdaari hai.

     

    In other words, it’s entirely possible the undertrial invented an ingenuous method to commit suicide. Therefore instead of indulging in wild conspiracy theories, the media should spend all its time and energy in questioning the Tihar officials for their gross negligence. Here was a man dying to kill himself, they ought to have known.

     

    One other thing: Once again the so-called human rights activists are out of the woodwork. All vociferously defending the rights of the scumbag called Ram Singh. It’s funny how these guys always rise for the rights of criminals, but never for the victims and their families. If you suffer from a low blood pressure problem, watch these folks in action. You’ll heal without any medical help.

     

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    PS: Spotted Arvind Kejriwal smiling at me from the back of a Delhi auto rickshaw. Poor man, guess he needs to find low cost avenues to fund his party’s promotions. Kejriwal certainly won’t be able to afford a full page ad in the TOI. Anyway, do hope the ‘aam aadmi leader’, while buying space from the rick drivers, convinces them to stop denying their aam aadmi passengers. After all, it is these dolts who, with their refusal to ply, triggered the horrific Delhi gang rape and murder.

     

     

     

  • The man's sudden disappearance into thin air presented an opportunity for the media to conduct a large-scale, nation-wide investigative story. This was not done for seven long years. So why all the chest-thumping now?

    Anil Thakraney: Little Bitti Madness

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I was travelling all of last week, and therefore I caught up with news television in small doses. And the comedy circus I saw over convicted Odisha rapist Bitti Mohanty’s arrest left me guffawing. Times Now was busy trying to grab credit for the arrest, as were, I suspect, a few other channels. Perhaps that’s the reason I spotted a faint smile on the rapist’s face, I can think of no other reason for this, the chap faces a hard time in prison.

     

    Two messages I want to send to editors of news channels. One, the media had absolutely no role to play in young Mohanty’s capture. From what I could gather, the Kerala police received a tip-off from an unknown source, they investigated and found the absconder. So then why were some channels gloating? It completely beats me. If you have been raising the issue of the rapist’s disappearance on your silly chat shows, and if that had put pressure on the security agencies across the nation to launch a desperate manhunt, then perhaps you have some reason to gloat. How can you take credit over a chance capture? It’s beyond belief.

     

    In fact, I would say the man’s sudden disappearance into thin air presented an opportunity for the media to conduct a large-scale, nation-wide investigative story. This was not done for seven long years. All that the channels did was indulge in a lazy rant, so why all the chest-thumping now? Is Times Now expecting a Pulitzer for this ‘grand success’? All I can do is snigger away.

     

    The other thing I wish to say to the editors is this: Even if you DID conduct a huge investigative campaign which led to the discovery of the vanished man, it’s extremely distasteful to gloat on air. Shows you in a very poor light. Confident people and brands don’t pat their own backs, they wait/hope for others to do it for them. Hope my colleagues in the television media remember this truth when they actually contribute in a crime expose. In Mohanty’s case, they were caught napping. Gloating over this one is a ROFL moment for their viewers.

     

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    PS: A good example of how to make technology get out of its cold environs, and come alive with fun and games. At least in the advertising. Dell says you have to create an alternate universe. I say you need fertile imagination. After all, what is high tech minus imagination? Must-watch for creatives who get bogged down by briefs on hardware and software products/services.

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBETjUv0iXk[/youtube]

     

     

     

  • While one is all for feminism, I am allergic to militant feminists, the sort who are convinced that every single male walking the earth is a bloody misogynist, and the creep deserves to be immediately annihilated. Obviously this kind of thinking is counterproductive

    Anil Thakraney: Be a cool feminist

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    While one is all for feminism, I am allergic to militant feminists, the sort who are convinced that every single male walking the earth is a bloody misogynist, and the creep deserves to be immediately annihilated. Obviously this kind of thinking is counterproductive. And what worries me is this, and I state this from firsthand experience, having spent a number of years in the world of media and advertising: More and more young women seem to be growing into the militant mould in the world of communication.

     

    How did this come to happen? Well, if the mother hen, so to speak, is virulently anti-male, the chicks, so to speak, who work under her, are sure to emulate the example. And this leads to the mushrooming of hard-edged feminists in media companies and advertising agencies. Let me tell you this very candidly: There’s nothing more off-putting and repulsive than a woman who’s convinced of male inferiority, and whose mission in life is to go one up on us men.

     

    On this Women’s Day, here’s a thought for my fairer friends: The reason women make for better team leaders is because of the feminine values they bring to the table, apart from the obvious gender-neutral leadership skills. She can be tough and compassionate at the same time. She can be extremely focused yet sensitive to her people’s needs. She brings in a great deal of commitment to the job, and yet gives poor performers in her team a long rope. This makes for a deadly combination of professionalism and humanity, and this is why I strongly believe the CEO ratio, which is currently skewed in the favour of men, will swing the other way in the coming decades. Yes, women make for better leaders, that I am entirely sure about.

     

    However, the militant sort fritter away their natural advantages by trying to constantly score over men, by being intolerant of any criticism of feminism, and by being dogmatic in their set beliefs. And ironically, when they do this, they make the same mistakes we men have been making for centuries. In fact, they become exactly like us men!

     

    As the Indian corporate world stands on the cusp of change, I urge my beautiful colleagues to be proud feminists. But to not lose their innate feminism in the process. That would go directly against what they are trying to achieve. Be strong. Be sexy. Be cool. Be kind. And we cave men will love and respect you even more.

     

    Happy Women’s Day!

     

     

  • Why doesn’t a smart TV news channel offer Justice Katju his very own daily show? For half an hour every evening, our all-round expert vents on national television, gifting us with his gems for the day in his inimitable style

    Anil Thakraney: Wanted: Justice Katju Unplugged!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I like Justice Markandey Katju. Not necessarily as the chief of the Press Council, but as an ever-green television personality. He is like a breath of fresh air on the news channels that otherwise saddle us viewers with the same bunch of bores and jokers. Katju won my heart when he famously declared that 90 percent of Indians are fools. Though I would have loved him even more if he had pegged that figure at 99 percent. That would be a more accurate description.

     

    That apart, Justice Katju is a highly entertaining man. He speaks his mind ferociously, doesn’t shy away from television pow-wows, and revels in controversial situations. Although the man denies he makes such sensational remarks to court controversies, I am quite certain Katju enjoys being on prime time. It’s perhaps an unfulfilled desire being satisfied. This explains why he frequently provokes powerful people/groups, and gets into television skirmishes. His more recent targets of ire were BJP’s Arun Jaitley and Narendra Modi. Previously, he’s taken on the media, movie stars, cricketers, Mamata Banerji, Pakistan… the list is long. Shri Katju has an opinion on everything under the sun and the moon, and his kickass views are always captivating. When he’s not invited to the TV studios, our man lets off steam on his Twitter page.

     

    And this gave me an idea: Why doesn’t a smart TV news channel offer Justice Katju his very own daily show? A ‘Justice Katju Unplugged’ sort of a thingy. For half an hour every evening, our all-round expert vents on national television, gifting us with his gems for the day in his inimitable style. That Katju is totally entertaining we already know, but having served as a judge, he carries enormous credibility (which is why Suhel Seth and Shobhaa De, who too have an opinion on everything, don’t qualify). I think the show will score heavy on the TRP charts. And it will be a welcome break from the same dull bores we watch on television debates every evening.

     

    So here’s hoping one of our TV honchos makes this offer. I am quite positive Justice Katju will lap it up. Even though the first target of his vitriolic attack could be that very channel, you can never rule anything out with His Honour. See, that’s why the man is such a hit.  🙂

     

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    PS: Haha. Any ad person will tell you these posters are an agency creative’s nightmare. A couple of Irish designers have turned the worst comments from clients into hilarious posters. They are funny, provided you read them after a few large pegs.

     

    Link: http://www.demilked.com/sharp-suits-posters/

     

  • These duels have to be fought on the marketing battlefield, not in courtrooms. That’s where the real action is

    Anil Thakraney: The Dettol/Vim slugfest

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    So, the Vim (Lever) guys have taken the Dettol (Reckitt) guys to court over the dishwasher ad. This sounds like a lot of fun waiting to happen. Because comparative advertising is always entertaining, as we viewers sit back and watch two marketing giants slug it out.

     

    Hit this link for the full story: http://www.mxmindia.com/2013/02/bang-bang-fmcg-majors-slug-it-out-via-ads/

     

    However, I have always believed that involving the courts to sort out ad disputes is a waste of time, energy and money. For two reasons: One, by the time the court order to pull the ‘offending’ ad arrives, the damage is already done. And even after the court order, a canny marketer will find an innovative way to keep the onslaught going.

     

    In this particular case, I know where Dettol is coming from; even though it’s an old, established brand, their dishwasher is a new product, and they had to do desperate things to grab some of the leader’s (Vim’s) market share. Which explains the full and frontal attack. And it makes enormous strategic sense. Vim has always promised tough action on grease (the ‘visible’ problem). Dettol has played to its core strength, they say it will kill the germs (the ‘invisible’ problem). So it’s a strategic move that makers of Vim should have seen coming, they ought not to be surprised. Dettol’s USP across its product range has been the antiseptic value, so they were going to play that card with the dishwasher too. And methinks it’s going to work, nothing better to get the worried mama’s attention than to speak bacteria with her.

     

    So what should Vim do? Well, they have retaliated, but their reactionary ad, while on the right track, is a tad weak. The ad says that an antiseptic is harsh, and that Vim clears germs too, but that’s not powerful enough. That’s like a rap on the knuckles of a person who’s just punched you in the face. I think Vim should launch an all-out counter attack, and hit Dettol where it hurts. They should create hard-hitting ads on how, for example, the residue left behind by an antiseptic agent can be detrimental to the family’s health. In fact, they should create a huge scare around it. That would put their opponent on the back foot.

     

    Net net: These duels have to be fought on the marketing battlefield, not in courtrooms. That’s where the real action is.

     

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    PS: How dare they mock the vegans! I am a ghaas phoos khaanewala, and I take serious offence to this Taco Bell ad. Thanks to the pressure exerted by people like me on the social media, they were compelled to pull this commercial. Good riddance, I say! 🙂

     

    Link: http://video.ca.msn.com/watch/video/taco-bells-banned-commercial-offends-vegetarians/2jqa6o5h?cpkey=377f705b-f017-5f96-25ec-65077f4c813b%257c%257c%257c%257c