A lot has changed in advertising & marketing over the last few years. Pundits will tell you about the marketer losing ‘control’ of the messaging and how the technology-enabled, digital consumer has changed the face of advertising as we know it. Yet some fundamental truths about advertising haven’t changed. It is in many ways what Howard Gossage said in the 1950s: ‘Nobody reads ads. People read what interest them, and sometimes it’s an ad’. Similarly,…

Halloween usually brings out tactical ads for US brands. This year too its no different. But there’s one brand killing it (no pun intended) with a shockingly different campaign. Booking.com (whose last effort was b#$%@ng funny ad) has a new campaign promoting its haunted hotels. I loved the concept and the art direction. Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Amsterdam The print ads follow the classic, time-tested cinema poster approach: Loved the copy at the bottom of…

Here’s a creative idea rooted in actual consumer behaviour. And interestingly enough also triggering an action to reinforce the point it makes. People use Google Search for information ranging from product reviews to general knowledge and the auto complete feature comes handy in most cases. Type in ‘I hate’ and Google automatically suggests phrases (‘I hate Apple’ is auto-completed with ‘I hate Apple products’, ‘I hate Apple fanboys’ etc. Such auto complete phrases are meant…

The key to success in benefit laddering is achieving a balance between the central feature (which is being exaggerated) and the stretched idea. The Ajinomto Stadium ad does it with aplomb.

There’s something riveting, magical even about the good old TV spot. When done well, you marvel at the fact that it tells a story in 30-seconds (OK, 60-seconds in this case), makes the best use of audio-visual medium, has great acting and yet sends out a commercial message. Agency: Lowe Production House: Curious Director: Vivek Kakkad Loved the casting – Raj Kumar Yadav and the lead lady do a fantastic job. And oh, so refreshing…

Listening to radio spots on most FM channels in India is nothing less than torture. Most of the spots follow a template – a conversation between two characters centred around the brand. The spots usually lack an idea and the production quality will be amateurish to say the least. The voices almost always seem unnatural, bored and hammy. The ad agencies may blame it on clients who aren’t willing to spend money on a well-produced…