Harry Potter V/s human contradictions

AGKSPEAK

Weave a story intelligently into a plot and introspect to succeed

What I've Liked
My granddaughter solemnly assures me that the Harry Potter lookalike whizzing around in the new Bajaj Discover commercial is on the Firebolt "" the latest in international standard broomsticks! My ignorance of the finer aspects of the broomstick notwithstanding, I admit to sharing her fascination for the latest TVC from Bajaj. It has cleverly bridged the gap between novelty and practicality.

Using a topical icon like Harry Potter on his magical broomstick as the benchmark for speed also conveys the charming innuendo that the new Bajaj Discover has no human competition or, as Rowlings would put it "" this "Muggle-made" machine is second to none other than the Firebolt. It is a refreshing change to watch the duo as they race through mountains and forests in a faraway land without the usual song-and-dance routine of films.

Very nicely edited with a good music score, this TVC shines through the current clutter of ads. Hitching the brand to a star is a much-used technique, both in India and internationally, but this ad reveals how an oft-travelled route can still be made fascinating.

Though special effects are integral to the ad, it doesn't take away or distract from the storytelling with the focus kept on highlighting the product's attributes.

The ad is entertaining, contemporary, well-executed and very nice looking. Quite a feat achieved, indeed.

What I've Learned
Bundle of contradictions
Human beings are walking bundles of contradiction. During my early days at Mudra, I realised I was often contradictory. For instance, Mudra was up and running from scratch in just four to six weeks time, but I took two years to finally decide on the site for MICA! I could be extremely kind with my colleagues but could be equally hard if they failed to perform.

Decision-makers in my team also had an unpredictable pattern and that's when I decided to handle the matter. We called Dr Indira Parikh, an organisational behaviour scientist from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, who immediately put us to the test.

We wrote a one-page analysis of ourselves and I remember staring at the blank sheet like the rest of my team members. We could analyse everyone's behaviour but we rarely did an analysis of ourselves! That little exercise in introspection exposed us to the extent of our individual dichotomy of thought.

Once Parikh demonstrated this little reality to us, she helped us see how crucial it was for the entire team to focus on a common mission or platform, irrespective of how each one of us felt about it at that particular moment in time

She then set about chalking out a few basic guidelines for us and we pretty much were back on track. I am glad to say that Mudra moved forward at a blistering pace. From being in the top 30 agencies, in barely nine years, we are one of the top three agencies in India.

Email : agkbrandconsult@yahoo.com