I've tried in vain over the past fortnight to find an ad that I would like to write about. So I decided to resort to the next best thing: write about past work.
While I was riffling through my book of memories, the work (other than Mudra's, of course!) that leapt out of its pages was quite predictably, the decade-long brilliant advertising for Fevicol.
Now if you are wondering if it is possible to shower any more praise on this much applauded brand, you are right. Much has been said and written about the advertising on the brand. So am I going to say anything new? Not really.
But even as I write this column more and more youngsters are joining the reading public and if my guess is right, none of them would remember the beautifully simple 1990 elephant "zor lagaake haaisha" TVC which was followed by the more recent crop of ads.
Since legends live on only by the retelling, let me do my bit in talking about the work and hope that a newer layer of students would be initiated into the power of simplicity.
The reason I believe most of Fevicol's work lives long in the minds of those who view them is that they are so very simple, easy to comprehend, and more significantly they are consistently so.
The humour has an air of uncomplicated, rustic simplicity and is not the sophisticated wit of the well read. In fact, it's their single-minded focus over the years of equating the brand with permanent bonding, and weaving this story into the tapestry of an India with which we all identify, that has been the foundation of their success.
And a strong, unshakeable foundation it definitely is. At this point in time, at least for the lay Indian, no other brand in India or in the world can replace Fevicol as top-of-mind for the most lasting bond. It owns that slot completely.
Now that deserves recognition not just at awards night speeches but periodically over the years. Let's hope it continues to build on this strong legacy.
What I've Learned
Temples - the new tourist destination. It looks like God is the new "youth icon" these days. Temples, once the domain of the retired and the abandoned, are fast turning into tourist destinations for the younger generation.
The average devotee has metamorphosed into a jeans-clad youngster, savvy with the rituals required to banish a dark phase or two in their lives. It is a phenomenon that is spreading across the country like wildfire.
Even little-known temples in far-flung locations are besieged by this new tribe. They are coming by the hordes, word-of-mouth being the most powerful means of communication.
Temple priests have turned into career counsellors, doling out advice on various issues from advocating the right time to change jobs to recommending a puja or two as consolation for that difficult boss you just can't do anything about.
I have no idea what has triggered off this sudden interest in all things religious but it definitely is an interesting phenomenon to observe.
Maybe it's the stress of performance that is driving them there; maybe it's greed - a vice that is fast gaining mainstream acceptance, respectability and some good press these days. They could even be labouring under the misconception that God is a short cut to the good life!
Or it could be the high-profile celebrity who whizzes in for a quick darshan, who could be the inspiration. It could be all or none of the above. But one thing is for sure.
Ever since the appearance and wallet of the devotee has undergone a transformation, so have the businesses that feed off the temple.
Hotel rates in these little temple towns have reached an all-time high and have upgraded their ranking to three and five-star status. Paying Rs 3,000-5,000 at these for a night is passé for this new breed of urban weekend devotees.
The repeated "footfalls", the word-of-mouth advertising, the ever-increasing surge of first-timers all indicate that the "product" is living up to its promise.
It's touching to know that even in this day and age when all decision-making is taken only after sufficient data is produced, something as intangible and inexplicable as religion can still hold its own.
It still has the power to draw the starved soul, jeans-clad or otherwise, into its peaceful confines and send it back refreshed to face whatever path that it has chosen for this life.
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