Such an Insightful Ad.

Good ads are rare. Ads that strike a chord based on a grain of truth are like uncut white diamonds. This ad from Mass Mutual is just that. We all come to a point in our lives when we tussle with our parents over picking up the cheque after a meal. This ad shows this little struggle and also goes one step further. It shows what goes in the minds of a father and son as they fight over the bill. It's cuteness personified. And yet, it's solid marketing. Insightful, thought-through and hence, effective.

The Holy Grail of Answers for Creative Directors.

Once in a while Medium throws something at you that's so simple and good, you know it's bound to change your world. Like this article here from Amber Cartwright. She leads the design team at AirBNB and talks about how a creative director can slot his employees (designers in her case) as per their habits and working patterns and then help those resources break out of those patterns and deliver better. It sounds a little reductive but honestly you can identify with all the individuals listed here. You too have come up with too many options and didn't know which one to go with. You too have unnecessarily done an elaborate competition analysis. The point being Amber has hit the nail on its head. Let us thank her for it. And let us always strive to break out of our own patterns.

https://medium.com/swlh/lessons-i-ve-learned-from-leading-designers-c1a51d7e3dca

Fortune Ran a Faux Interview with Lex Luthor.

It's not the most efficient piece of content marketing. Fortune's reader base isn't going to be the first to queue up for watching Batman vs. Superman but you have to appreciate the cheekiness at work here. To paint Lex Luthor as this modern-day tech genius, 'our saviour from the future apocalypse' is actually smart. The overall article also benefits from having Jesse Eisenberg playing the role of Lex Luthor. Jesse already gave us a very egocentric Zuckerberg. So it's not a stretch to see him slip into the old shoes of another megalomaniac inventor. Although, the overall headline of the article could've been better. Find the article after the jump.

http://fortune.com/contentfrom/2015/10/05/lex-luthor-jr/ntv_a/3dsBA58oDAfxgFA


PS: Much to my amusement, I saw a Make in India banner talking about India's weapon production expertise with the article. Those not in the know, Lex Luthor's co. LexCorp is a pretty big weapon's manufacturer. A meta targetted banner on a meta ad. We live in such fun times.

There's a Reason Why Times is the Best Newspaper in the World...

and despite their dropping circulation numbers, they are going to survive. They were late to digital like all traditional businesses whose world was shook up by digital but they are far more surefooted than other news papers. Exhibit A - this exciting photo essay. Also, look up the work from T brand Studio, their in-house agency for brands.

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/oct/03/adulthood-adulting-millennials-growing-up?CMP=fb_gu

Snowden Makes the Cheekiest Entry Possible on Twitter.

Follows NSA and then perfectly uses that ol' Verizon tagline.

Can you hear me now?

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) September 29, 2015

Microsoft's Bing Takes Another Shot at Google.

Bing is better in a whole lot of ways. The problem is being better doesn't count. Being first does. So, you will never use Bing without the benefit of doubt. You will think of search and you will think of Google.

Anyway, Bing spends a lot to convince users like you and me to switch from Google to their search platform. Their recent shot come when Google divided the company into smaller groups and called it Alphabet. They even launched this neat website abc.xyz to explain the philosophy of the new parent company.

And this is the website Bing launched to rickroll Alphabet - abc.wtf

Mean, simple, neat stuff. 

Carnival of Rusk.

I like Rusk toasts as much as the next guy. Well, probably a lot less. But that didn't stop me from thinking of this super ludicrous jingle for Rusk toasts.

D' you breathe the name of your saviour in your hour of need,
And taste the healthy flavor for its without 'real' wheat?
Of implication, insinuation and ill will, 'til you cannot lie still,
In all this turmoil, before red cape and foil, come double dip in a glass tea.

Come feed the rain
'cause I'm thirsty for your love dancing underneath the skies of lust
Yeah, feed the rain
'cause without your love my life ain't nothing but this carnival of rusk. (x2)

It obviously takes shape from the underrated band Poets of the Fall's Carnival of Rust. Believe me you, it'd be a good hit on YouTube. No, really, it will.

Good Cinematography is Where You Can't Figure Where the Camera Stops and the SFX Begins.

Check out this epic tome from Droga 5 for the homely smell in your home. The voice over is a little flat for an 'anthem' like spot but once again it proves one thing - brands should stand for things.

Brands can't just be functional entities. They should punch a little above their weight and stand firm in where they stand in the broad hierarchy of life. Apple stands for simplicity and fulfiling the lives of the individuals who use them. Uber (now, inevitably) stands for freedom from bad public transport systems. Coke, despite being just a soda, stands for, well, happiness. And now Air Wick, thanks to this lovely spot, stands for making your house, a home.

Now This is What You Call Classic Art Direction.

Guardian gave the Tom Hardy starrer a 2-star rating. The film's art director laid out the unflattering two stars in a sea of higher-rated reviews to make it seem as if the Guardian too lauded the movie. Misleading? True. False advertising? True. Genius idea? Yes, of course.

Incredible way of making my two star review seem like I didn't hate the film pic.twitter.com/zvOyIxHQ3h

— Benjamin Lee (@benfraserlee) September 8, 2015

Why Your Copywriter Looks Sad.

In this lovely publication from DMA UK, we learn about why your copywriters are sad. It's in-depth, incisive, *always spot-on and often funny.

Some of my favourites:

I'm not a copywriter. I'm the track changes approver.

Less Fewer copywriters know how to writer.

If you really love to write, then don't get into copywriting. *ouch*

On taking up copywriting as a profession: *It* chose me.

http://www.flipsnack.com/mergimg/why-your-copywriter-looks-sad-ftnl7es8x.html



*except the Vodka for breakfast part. A good number of us stick to cereal. Also, DMA, thank you for giving me a Leader award last week. 

My Kids Can Be a Bunch of a Kids.

I teach 20-year-olds sometimes. It's fun but taxing. The taxing bit might have to do more with my schedule than the actual teaching.

Anyway, here's something strange I uncovered during teaching. As long as I'm standing and teaching them, with all of them under my watchful eye, no one will utter a word. Everyone is involved. Nodding. Paying attention. The works. The moment I grab a chair or I go near my laptop to play a commercial, the defection sets in. Whispers flutter through the class. Smiles are exchanged. It feels silly but it's fairly tangible. It's as if as long as am watching them, they will behave. The moment I turn my back, they want to mess around. I thought since these guys are all above 18, all constitution marriageable-age adults, things would be different. Turns out they are dearly holding on to their childhoods .

Although it's not all that bad. I won't say that each passing generation gets worse. I've noticed each passing batch gets more whip sharp and audacious. I hate to admit that I notice each preceding year I see the kids get a little meaner to each other and somehow their attention spans get shorter. The important thing is that they are getting smarter. Also, to stand up and watch over them. 

Sharing For Memory. For Posterity.

We advertisers sell things. Mostly in the most inelegant, intrusive manner possible. But sometimes we advertisers do it right and an ad becomes more than ad. For instance, I'm an Indian, sitting in Mumbai, and I am not big on sea food. But this ad for Rubio's, a specialty sea food appeals to me so much that I know I'm going to eat there someday. It takes me to the beach. It makes me feel the salty sea breeze. It makes me hear the rustle of the waves. And it's just an ad trying to shill sea food. So yes, advertising, when done right, does more than sell. It turns guys sitting in Mumbai into brand advocates. And in turn, it gives the brand advocates an easy way to experience the ocean from their office desk.

The Future of Advertising Isn't Advertising.

A few years ago you aimed for Yahoo's home page. That's because a few years ago, Yahoo was the world's home page. It was great value for money. Now, the internet's home page changes every few years. From MySpace to Facebook. From Facebook it's moving to much smaller screens with much bigger horizons. Is the future for us advertisers to then cater to the whims and fancies of the day? Should we restrict ourselves to making content for these mediums - share a snap, or an Instagram write a tweet?

The future demands bolder things from us. The future is about engaging the audience. The future is about creating opportunities where there are none. The future for ad agencies isn't about selling products or services, it's about creating and improving products and services.

Consider Life Paint from Volvo. This glow in the dark paint was specially created to help cyclists paint their kits and cycles so that they look more prominent whenever light falls on them and easily avoid accidents. Now Volvo doesn't make cycles but they sure as hell stand for safety. With an innovation like that, they put forward their brand's philosophy in an innovative way and also earned free press and brownie points from prospects.Such cross-platform forward thinking is where the future is. Hope to see you and your agency there.

Trying New Things...

So, yes, I can get wound up in these routines. Routines that often become ruts. Like you know, blogging every day. So, I'm gonna try freshen things up a little. I am using my phone's camera as often as I can again. I'm also trying to make new friends - not much of a headway there but for the obsessive workaholic shy moron that I am baby steps count. So when I take my first break in two years this Tuesday, I promise to try a different sort of photography project. Something to do with people and not just the place. Something that makes me come out of my shy guy bubble. Wish me luck, world, here I come. 

The World Could Do with More Inexplicable Sweetness.

Like a whole other Indians, the most reliable alarm clock I ever possessed were my parents. Parents use the lethal combination of screaming, kicking and cajoling to wake you up. After I reached college, I was left to my own devices (read alarm clocks with snooze buttons) and I wasn't really good at making it on time for our lectures. Especially the early 7 o'clock ones. I did the best I could but if I was reaching 10-15 minutes late, then it didn't count, did it now?

Around the time of our college festival, I was responsible for promotion and ideation. I mentioned to one of the teammates how getting to college on time was a big issue and how I had been kicked out of class that very morning.

There was this other girl in the team who heard this and volunteered to wake me up. I thought she was being nice but I didn't think she'd get up at 5:30 am and call. The next day, much to my surprise, she did. And then she continued doing that for the next 2 years. Whenever she was in a lecture and I needed a wake-up call, she used to pretend she needed to head to the wash room and call me from there.

I've no idea why she did it. Even my own batch mates weren't this nice to me. It's easy to think that she had a soft spot for me. But I don't think I did anything to win her affections. She, just was, sweet to me. Inexplicably so. And I was grateful for that. And I wish everyone in this world could somehow find a way to be that inexplicably nice to someone else. 

How Bogart Built a Brand with a Distinctive Drawl and a Trench Coat.

It's impossible to think of noir movies without Bogart and it's impossible to think of Bogart without noir movies. They both complimented and completed each other.

Bogart's big mug, his tall built and his gruff voice became the hallmarks of the noir film loner (Or loser). Another of his trademarks was the trench coat. Granted it rains a lot in noir films and granted a lot of people wear something as utilitarian as a trench coat but only Bogart could carry it like a coat of arms. And after having seen countless Bogart movies, I too am craving for a trench coat.

Now I know I won't be able to carry it off as well as him. I also know that India's not big on trench coats. We don't have companies like the London Fog which would make quality trench coats. Besides a trench coat is best worn with a hat for both functional and stylistic reasons. And let us all not kid ourselves into thinking we could pull off hats. 

So now that's settled let's get back to ol' Bogie. Bogart did something that most of us 'ad guys' fail to do. You used what you had - your distinctive drawl, your striking, often cold withdrawn stare and of course the trench coat to give us a noir super star. You carved a 'position' for yourself that no one has been able to 'capture'. You were a brand that people loved and recognised. And as I watch The Maltese Falcon tonight, after some 70 years of its release, I realise that you are a brand that's impossible to replace.

Close Enough Isn't Good Enough.

Today our work was nominated in an awards show. The only problem - we didn't win. Although even getting nominated is an honour I felt somewhat underwhelmed. I knew the entry we sent in had a fair shot, but I guess what we all, including yours truly knew that it wasn't a sure winner.

Now, that's a little strange because most good ad agencies won't sell an idea that wouldn't work. And we do that just fine. I guess it's time for me and my team to do work that would both work for the client and the awards shows. The budget, the deadlines, the feedback are excuses. It's time to pull up the socks and win some awards. God knows I have to win some more to compensate for today.

That Awesome Nike Commercial I Nearly Forgot About.

Nike doesn't sponsor big sporting events. It hijacks them. Of course, they put big money in media to promote their films but more than often they create films that people want to watch. Case in point, this epic flick from Guy Richie that used GoPro antics even before GoPro was mainstream. 

PS: Note how Guy Richie starts the film with a penalty kick and ends it with one too. And with that he basically shows what the brand is trying to say - an athlete's work is never finished, he has to keep working to improve himself.

Dear Top Management, Don't Dazzle and Disappear.

I don't like top management. Even more so when its top management from the side of vendors or publishers. In a world where every company is chasing a bigger turnover and a slimmer bottom-line, the CEO/MD/Chairman is the de facto sales guy. Put him in a room and he will charm everyone. He will promise the moon and then...disappear.

Once I was part of the team that was working on a series of print assignments with one of the world's most subscribed and most respected print magazines. To our surprise, for one of our first meetings, the CEO himself was present. He was a sharp guy. He knew all the ins and outs of the business. He even made some really useful suggestions for someone who was not clued into our client's business. We charted out a plan of action. Got the client's buy-in and then got on with work.

After a month or so when it was time to deliver the final output, we found ourselves in a minefield. The team assigned was a little lackluster. They had the impressive ability to be oblivious to our every deadline. Their approach was half-assed. Their ideas, half-baked. The CEO was never in the picture after the first meeting. As things looked extremely FUBAR, our top biz guy lost his cool and gave the CEO an earful. The CEO assured him that he would 'personally' look into it. Needless to say, he didn't.

The final project left a bad aftertaste in everyone's mouth. It may have made it easier for the magazine and the CEO to meet their quarterly targets but it ensured a good half a dozen industry folks would be wary of him. In fact, it's going to earn him more bad word of mouth than he could ever anticipate. As we speak, I have a project for which his magazine would be a great fit. No points for guessing, he isn't going to get any more business from me or my team this decade.

All in all, the point I want to make is this instead of dazzle and disappear, it would be great if people would actually deliver. Any pragmatic business person can wheedle and turn in good numbers. A really good one knows that building a relationship, scaling it and growing with it is what actually turns businesses around. 

Fix Your To-Do List.

Okay, I'm a workaholic. I thought I wouldn't be one of those but it's actually not that surprising. I've always been single-minded about things. And it serves me in good stead. At work. I scored some major brownie points at work today. I also decided that it was about time I learnt how to edit videos. Get a hang of either Sony Vegas or Adobe AfterEffects. And then I noticed it. I wanted to learn something that would let me be more efficient at work. I didn't want to learn it for the sheer joy of it. I didn't want to learn something that would help me grow as a person and not as a professional. Never mind the fact that more videos would make this blog more enjoyable for you, dear reader.

We all have this To-Do List. The job we want at a particular age. The package we want after serving a particular tenure. But none of us have this list for our personal goals. The number of marathons you want to run by 25. The number of continents you want to visit by 27. The number of languages you want to speak. It's time I added these life goals to my to-do list. It sounds like a minor thing but things are looking really intense right about now. I mean I wanted to learn Mandarin because I wanted to work in China and that took precedence over the fact that I wanted to learn French because, well, who doesn't love French?

Anyway, must work on that. Also, stick to the other resolution I made of sleeping on time. Night.