In the late 1980s, political scientist Joseph Nye Jr. coined the term soft power. He defined it as it as a country’s ability to influence others without resorting to coercive pressure. Over the years, the term has been used to connote a country brand’s ability to create a positive perception and make it attractive in many ways. According to Masterclass, soft power can influence in five areas: business & trade, culture, education, governance and global…

Creating clutter-breaking advertising is tough. A majority of the ads are simply ignored – a fate worse than being noticed and disliked. Given the fuzzy briefs, opaque approval process and other ills of advertising, this is not surprising. My weekly compilation of clutter-breaking creative ads is a small tribute to such marketing & advertising teams who manage to get their ads noticed, recalled and liked. Tops Supermarket: underrated gifts I loved advertising from Thailand. Am…

My weekly compilation of clutter-breaking creative ads is a small tribute to marketing & advertising teams everywhere. An ad first has to get noticed. Unfortunately, a majority of ads are simply ignored – a fate worse than being disliked. Apple’s brilliant ad to highlight accessibility features, Spotify’s annual ‘Wrapped’ campaign are among the pick of the ads this week. Apple: The Greatest The mobile world is dominated by Android. When it comes to choice of…

Bournvita, is a malted health drink aimed at growing children. In India, mothers of such children have been its core target audience. ‘All round development’ has been the brand’s focus for decades. My earliest memory of the brand is its association with the popular ‘Bournvita Quiz Contest’ on the radio . In the recent past the brand has invested in the campaign idea ‘Tayyari Jeet Ki’ loosely translated as ‘preparation for success’ and created some…