Memorising the three little words

AGKSPEAK

There is a TV commercial on air which reminds me of Ogilvy's observation on advertising that is entertaining but falls way short of product memorability. If I remember right, he mentions how his wife remarked that a billboard she saw was very good, but couldn't recall the brand name!

So here we are, with our very own desi example: a blockbuster of a TV commercial for Videocon, with two of the most celebrated celebrities, a clearly visible whopping production budget and ample time for story-telling.

As my family sat around the TV set, I watched the expressions on my daughters and sons-in-law's faces as they laughed along with the "jokes" and then I waited with bated breath for their reaction... it was almost as if each of them was wondering who would be the first one to admit it! The proverbial swivel of their heads followed, as they all turned towards each other and voiced the question that I am sure India is asking: "What is it all about?"

So here we have it, thirty or sixty very entertaining seconds, where yes, we do remember Shah Rukh as a cricketer, and Dhoni in a glitzy jacket and something about role playing followed by five seconds of the Videocon logo.

Hopefully, there will be a sequel (or a remake, in true Bollywood style!) where all will be explained and the sponsor will finally get to say his piece!

What I've Learned
Words as fire extinguishers

As they say: "It only takes a spark, to get a fire going". Likewise, it only takes a word sometimes, to prevent it. It's a thought that has often crossed my mind, especially when I travel. I invariably opt for the aisle seat and the price I pay for the privilege is to get unrelentingly assaulted by haversacks slung around by my unconcerned co-passengers.

It wouldn't come as a surprise to me if one day, I lose my control and vent my anger on one such insensitive but unsuspecting co-passenger.

How much simpler it would have been if, on the other hand, just one of them turned back and said a quick "Sorry"! Whatever happened to those words: "Please", "sorry" and "thank you"?

They seemed to have slipped out of common use altogether. If only people used them often enough, I am sure that a majority of the violent skirmishes that occur with alarming frequencies these days could easily be prevented.

Even though we as a race are outwardly tolerant of each other's weaknesses and bad behaviour, we simmer and seethe under the surface nevertheless, only to erupt in volcanic proportions when we've had enough.

But a well-timed "please" or a "sorry" holds the power within it to extinguish the most powerful outburst. Sometimes even a joke does it "" it might seem like a sheepish attempt to calm troubled waters "" but it still works.

Another effective fire-extinguishing device is a quick lapse into your mother-tongue. Even though it is rude and uncivilised to do so, especially in a company that doesn't follow the language, a quick detour to emotionally bond with a fellow gaon-wallah can scotch a potential flare-up.

I wish today's parents drummed the three little words into their children's growing-up years as ours did, rather than indulging rudeness as being "cute and so smart". Because who knows they just might get unwittingly torched by a victim's rage!

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