Advertising Opinions

David Ogilvy – advertising guru--- once said that when advertisers run out of ideas they take the celebrity route. I couldn’t agree more. With celebrities indiscriminately endorsing everything and anything I soon lose track of the product and only remember the celebrity. While the celebrities laugh all the way to the bank I miss commercials which have a good script and most importantly actors who are not celebrities but excellent performers. Here are a few commercials which I for one rate as unforgettable. The naukri.com ads - well one doesn’t need to discuss them in detail the script and the performances say it all. While the actor playing Hari Sadhu became a legend (if the word legend is considered an exaggeration then I confess I do not mind exaggerating) of sorts portraying the grumpy boss, the two employees, even the one in the background who is desperately trying to please the boss by preparing his tea but at the same time suggesting S for Shameless , are a treat to watch. This

Yesterday morning I was in for a surprise; as I pulled out the copy of The Times of India from the door handle I heard somebody talk, I looked around but there was no one nearby, I then realized that the voice was coming from the newspaper. When I opened it what I saw was a full page advertisement of the new Volkswagen Vento and found a small black object stuck to it from which I could hear a recorded voice. What a superb and innovative idea to draw attention to the brand Volkswagen! The objective obviously was to create a buzz around the brand. We are likely to see many more such ads in future but Volkswagen was the first to do it and I am sure they have been able to get maximum advantage.  Most press ads and TV commercials for cars appear to be more or less similar after a point, Volkswagen have hit upon an idea that would set them apart from the rest. It is just not about being different but this talking press ad has people talking and discussing it. In order to stand out from the c

Twenty four years ago on 5th September Neerja Bhanot who was senior flight purser with Pan Am sacrificed her life to save the lives of several passengers in a hijacking incident, the news of which shook the nation. But why am I talking about this in an advertising blog? As many know Neerja worked as a model before joining Pan Am. She was seen in several advertisements such as Charmis Cream, Forhans Toothpaste, Krack Jack Biscuits, and many more. She also featured in a press ad campaign for a product whose marketing was my responsibility. Here is the story. During the early 1980s I worked as a product manager with Muller & Phipps (India) Limited and was in charge of marketing and advertising a set of products, one of them was Tiny Tot polycarbonate feeding bottles and silicone nipples. My company had allocated a very small advertising budget for Tiny Tot; advertising for feeders and nipples was permitted those days. My task was to get the best results from this limited ad budget. A