Right on target

AGKSPEAK

Nostalgia for advertising that endears, and kudos for an Ahmedabad that enlists.

What I've liked
There's a whole lot of snow in this new TVC for Scorpio. Entire landscapes of it actually. As I sit sweltering in the May heat, watching that freezing cold world with its foreign cast all bundled up in expensive overcoats, I can't but help feel just a tiny bit like an outsider.

It's not just the enormous quantities of snow that feels a bit "other-worldly". Having a helicopter take off from the driveway does add its bit too. What's more, using it to get a mountain of snow off your Scorpio! Well, the TVC for Scorpio is not alone in its world of superlative imagery.

We seem to be going through a phase of extravagance in our advertising these days. Not a dollar, or euro for that matter, has been spared in the making of these films.

The other lavish production that sweeps across a magnificent canvas of earth, wind and sky (computer animated though the effects maybe) is the new TVC for Thums-up.

This ad has it all. Film star, daring stunts, phenomenal special effects, stunning landscapes, a cool set of wheels (I presume), well-cut action sequences, and of course, thunder and lightning to top it all.

But though my eyes are being seduced by these flamboyant displays of sumptuous production values, why does my heart long for ads that have been crafted on a much humbler scale?

Hutch's tiny pug pitter pattering across a nondescript Indian countryside, a baby with a ponytail on top of her head lisping that she loves Rasna, Fevicol's bus full of hardy villagers precariously making its way along a dusty road, the Garden girl spinning around, saree swirling, prints and textures floating across the TV frame, Dhara's bowl of liquid-gold jalebis changing a five-year old "decision" to leave his home... the list goes on and on.

Small films with endearing ideas spun around everyday stuff, workable across generations, and through the ages. Real, relatable stories that don't cost the earth, don't boast of superstars or expensive foreign locales.

They all have one thing in common, though, and it's not the production budget. It's one little idea, beautifully told, that snuggles its way into your heart and remains there for life.

What I've learned
A diamond in the dust
I had a surprise visitor the other day while at home in Ahmedabad. A personable young man dropped in to recruit my services for a small group that he was trying to put together. After the usual round of small talk, he launched into a passionate speech describing his vision for our neighbourhood.

He had it all planned out "" the sidewalks, the parks, the seating spaces, the drainage, the greening of the roads. He had a plan for each detail. And he wanted me to join him and a few other "celebrity"/senior citizens to help him put his plan into action.

While I sat there listening to him, it was almost like listening to a brand plan in a well-appointed conference room. All that was missing were the omnipresent Power Point slides. But the research, the detailing, the budget, the "path forward" could have easily been a plan for re-launching a brand.

He invited me to discuss the issues further, along with the rest of the group at his office (believe it or not, it was in a garden). Clearly I was impressed. Not just with his passion for our civic amenities, but more so because he was... a government employee! An Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation employee, to be precise.

Who would have imagined that the government could have such highly motivated employees such as these any more? He could have easily been mistaken for an ambitious, young middle-management executive in a large corporation, getting his job done because he knows it would boost his KRAs (Key Result Areas) and that would mean better perks, better housing, and a promotion maybe.

But to stumble upon one such in a municipal corporation of all the places, was more than just a breath of fresh air; he was a beacon of hope. The first thought that crossed my mind after meeting him was that maybe the government could be a good place to work.

And if this young man is a sign of things to come, who knows India could just be well on her way to start looking like Shanghai and Dubai. It won't be a pipe dream anymore.

agkbrandconsult@yahoo.com