Google: Technology, Creativity and now.. Marketing!

“Can America’s most iconic advertising campaigns be re-imagined for the web?”

As you logon to www.projectrebreif.com – this is the question that welcomes you to the website. Project Re:Brief is an advertising experiment by Google where it attempts to bring back some of the most famous advertising campaigns in the history of marketing in the US, and re-invents those still alive brands on the web.

As digital marketers (and regular brand managers) grapple with the all important question of how to leverage technology and the internet to communicate better with their customers, Project Re:breif comes almost as a guiding light – a set of case studies to re-imagine, if I were to steal the old Disney paradigm and apply it here, now and in a bid to fundamentally change display/banner advertising currently works on the web.

To popularise the concept, Google has extended the definitions of experiential marketing. Clearly, the people behind the project hold very deeply the fact that real engagement comes when the viewer “feels” the need to share the story with friends – just like I am doing right now. And that is the premise on which the two represented brands have been engaged with – Coke and Volvo – both experiments for Project Re: Brief. The team got in touch with the legendary men and women who designed these campaigns in the 70s and 80s and re-created the magic in collaboration with them.

“Story-telling” will truly be the future of succesful advertising – since this is the format that takes engagement to an altogether new level. The emphasis will not be on “what” you want to communicate, rather it will be on “how you involve your audience” while communicating with him or her.

Here’s an excerpt from an article about the experiment quoting the Product Marketing Manager, Aman Govil:

Google came up with the idea after talking about adapting classic ads into banners with New York-based creative agency Johannes Leonardo. According to Govil, it evolved after he saw the documentary Art & Copy, about 1970s ad world mavericks. “If we can shift the way the industry approaches building digital advertising, we can come up with amazing work that people will love, remember, and share 50 years from now,” he says.

Read the complete article at thinkwithgoogle and check out the Coke and Volve stories I just mentioned about on the Project Re:Brief website . I don’t want to dwell on it any longer – I’d rather leave you with the official video form the team introducing the concept:

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Attention-grabbing advertising need not always be clutter-breaking: Lessons from Vodafone’s IPL campaign

The essence of good advertising lies in the simplicity with which it communicates its message. Of course, in the context of modern day Television advertising, the buzzword is ‘clutter-breaking’.

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Vodafone has clearly emerged as a marketer who have, time after time, defied conventional wisdom in advertising. They have pushed the limits time yet again. Their recent ‘Fun Begins Now’ campaign during the IPL only goes to show the originality that has now come characterize their marketing communication.

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If you look at the ad in the context of a commercial break between overs in an IPL match – it just blends in and blends out. For instance, a casual observer might not even realize the onset of a commercial break at the end of the over. Likewise, a viewer distracted from the television during a commercial break will immediately get hooked on assuming that the ‘break’ is over and the ‘match’ has started. This is what I mean when I say that the advertising ‘blends in and blends out.’

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Just to illustrate my point take a look at the 3 ads releases so far – evidently, this appears to be some sort of a ‘teaser’ campaign.

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Different formats of attractive stadia scenes (and sometimes funny ones – like the guy coming out of the stadium washroom, sumo wrestlers in the background, etc)  almost look like a continuity of the match to a casual couch potato. It is only a few seconds into the visual that the words FUN BEGINS NOW flash onto the screen followed by the red background housing the logo.

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In the first edition of the IPL, Vodafone created news with their clutter-breaking ‘Zoo-Zoo’ campaign. In its fifth edition, they have yet again made news – this time in a very non-cluttering way, if I may put it that way.

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Brand: Vodafone

Agency: Ogilvy & Mather India

Kahaani: Pre-release opinion – Oh Calcutta!

What is a pre-release review? – It is an opinion about a movie, about expectations BEFORE the movie is released. I hadn’t really thought I would ever write about a movie before even seeing it. But the Calcuttan in me (notice the archaic spelling!) could not resist.

I was quite ‘taken’ by the trailer of the movie – it is distinctively Calcutta. Right from “Durga Pujo” to the Kolkata Police inspector in his trademark white uniform registering “Bidya”‘s complaint. While pursuing the research to know more about the movie, I also realized that I happen to somewhat know the script writer – Advaita Kala. We had met briefly last year through a common friend, she was just about launched her first book Almost Single, and she seems to have done pretty well for herself. She also wrote the script for Anjaana Ajnaani.

Kahaani has been directed by Sujoy Ghosh – ‘the man’ behind the distinctively Calcutta flavour of the movie, I guess. Some of the visuals are extremely pleasing – the ambassador taxis, the metro, the ‘dhak’ sound and the bells, the tram, the autos, victorial memorial, the narrow by-lanes.. I always seem to have an inexplicable eagerness to watch any movie based out of/shot in Calcutta. The familiarity and flavour is something that sticks deep. In fact, I don’t know why I seem to like watching this random Bengali movie called Bong Connection, which other than ‘Calcutta’ connection has nothing else to keep me too engaged!

I guess it is the city – its like a magnet. Binds people together. Keeps you hooked to it if you have a connection. As is often said, cornily, you can take a man out of Calcutta, but you can’t take Calcutta out of a man. Applies to me.

‘Kahaani.: Bring it on! Here’s the official theatrical trailer on youtube.

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Krishan VS Kanhaiya: Classic Paresh Rawal!

I am blogging after a long time. Although, there are a couple of important things to write about – A new book on marketing that I’ve read (I will blog about it later) and switching from Symbian to Andriod (late mover, I know!), right now  I am going to blog about a play I saw at the Tata Theatre, NCPA. The legendary theatre at Nariman point offered the stage to Paresh Rawal and his team who performed the play, Krishan Vs. Kanhaiya. The play is produced by Swaroop Sampat (Paresh Rawal’s wife and herself an actress and model – she won Miss Universe in 1979).

I haven’t seen too many theatres but in the few that I have, the obvious realization is that the mastery over the performer’s art has to be a lot more detailed and deep in case of theatre. In theatre, as in life, there are no re-takes.  And to me, Paresh Rawal characterises that perfection. No wonder his comic timing is often as accurate a sharp shooter.

This particular play shows Paresh Rawal playing a small-time businessman who runs an antique shop and his brush with God, religion, beliefs and virtues. Although it is a comedy, it opens some very hard truths about society, culture, religion and idol worship. In the form of dialogues in scenes that range from household issues between a couple to the corny, but still favourite ‘court scene’, the intent of the author comes out strongly in the script. The play itself flows in the form of  intense debates and discussions focussed on the specific issues that it wants to address The dash of comedy intertwined at every juncture is actually funny, and far from slapstick.

Although it encourages the audience to challenge the status quo and ‘know’ why rituals and rites are performed, it ends on a neutral note. The script (which is genuinely a piece of art!) leaves the intelligent audience to conform to his or her own beliefs without forcing him or her to take a stand. To that extent, it is open-ended in its message. But it is not open-ended in the communication. The communication is clear – ‘know thyself’ – and know what you are doing, and why. If not for the laughs that it is guaranteed to give you for the time that you are inside the theatre, watch it for the fact that it might make you challenge some of the things you say or do every morning.

Bali Travel Series: Kintamani volcano & Ubud art village

In continuation with my Bali Travel series (Read Part 1 of the same series on Bali Theatre), I thought I should now talk about the various ‘day-trips’ to Bali. While we explored quite a few options, the one we enjoyed the most was the Kintamani Volcanos/Ubud art village trip.

We started off form our hotel in Sanur early in the morning and started with the Barong Dance – a dance-drama depiction of Good Vs. Evil in traditional Balinese style. A ‘typical’ Kintamani tour – that countless tour operators, travel agencts and independent drivers will trying selling to you – will start with the Barong Dance which happens once a day at about 9 AM in the morning. Both Shruti and I agreed it was pretty average and could have easily been given a miss. The good part is that apart from the Barong Dance, the rest of the day/tour totally rocks!

A still from the Barong Dance

We headed to Ubud art village which falls on the way to the Kintamani Volcanos. Ubud, as the name indicates, contains a set of small micro-villages in areas adjacent to each other. Each of these ‘micro-villages’ (and this is my terminology) has small houses where a set of artisans live and work on their respective craft. For instance, there are separate areas for carpenetery, silver-smith and gold-smith, traditional Balinese painting, egg-painting, local textile, woodwork – and the craftsmanship is rich, intense and more often than not, onen is tempted to buy ‘stuff you can display at home.’ We purchased this soothing painting of Buddha and some hand-made cane lamps fr our living room.

A view of the Kintamani Volcano

It was almost time for lunch by the time we reached what we were most eagerly waiting for – the active Kintamani Volcano. The place offers excellent views and around the volcano one can see charred grasslands, around the volcanic opening. We were not fortunate enough to see Lava flowing out (or maybe we were fortunate to not experience that bit! ), but the icing on the cake was the realization that Bali, depite being such a tiny island, has everything – from gorgeous beaches to hills, coffee plantations, rice-fields and if that weren’t enough – an active Volcano!

How is Ms. J.Jayalalithaa different from Mr. Giorgio Armani?

One great man and another great woman – Not sure if greatness is common to both, but in her mind, the latter definitely seems confident. I will come to the Giorgio Armani bit towards the end of the article. While I usually refrain from commenting on Indian politics/politicians on TalkingTails, this is a thought that has been brewing in my mind for a bit and a news article (rather, a photograph) compelled me to share my views on how attention-hungry our politicians are.

I can imagine a baby craving for attention of her family members. But that is because the baby has seen less of the world and wants to be seen and heard and create her own identity. But how does one justify Ms. J. Jayalalithaa, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, 63 years old and a successful actress in Tamil, Telegu, Kannada and Hindi films craving for attention?

Of course, the lady in question has been coming up in a lot of discussion of late (as always!) thanks to her laptop to every child in Tamil Nadu initiative. While the initiative in itself is credible and might help take the power of the computer to the masses at a very early age, what irked me about the picture below was that every laptop had Jayalalithaa’s face imprinted on the screen flap – visible clearly to the whole world. It is as if the laptop has been payed for by Jayalalithaa’s private heirloom, rather than state money. Such blatant shows of power not only undermine the impact of the initiative, but also goes to  show how every breathe that many of our politicians take reek of self-propelling behavior. And all this, while they ‘pose’ to be serving the people, selflessly. Note, selflessly.

Personal branding at its scintillating best!

Cut to Milan, Italy. Mr. Giorgio Armani – perhaps an iconic personal brand himself and a living legend. Granted – he epitomizes neo-capitalism and has a clear focus on fashion, monetizing fashion and improving the quality of people’s lives with his artistry in apparel, accessories, jewellery and interior design. He makes it a point to ensure that no advertisements of any of Armani’s brands – Armani/Exchange, Emporio/Armani, Armani/Casa, etc – end up carrying a picture of the man himself. The reason is simple: he believes in the maxim that his philosophy should outlive him and must transcend over time.

Having spent 2 years in Lucknow, I have seen more than enough statues of Mayavati-ji strewn across important crossings and landmarks across the city. Clearly our leaders in general and our 2 leading lady politicians, in particular need to stop believing in:

“The evil that men do lives after them,
the good is oft interred with their bones”

- Act 3, Scene II, Julius Caeser by William Shakespeare

Dear politicians – I am sure the evils that you commit will outlive you. The little good that you bring to society will also outlive you, provided you stop shouting about it into people’s ears!

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THEATRE REVIEW: Bali Agung: The Legend of the Balinese Goddesses

There’s truly a lot to write home about my recent visit to Bali. For instance, I want to share more details about the fact that it is a completely Hindu country – replete with rituals, ceremonies and traditions. Really, I am quite enchanted by that island. It has everything – from a beautiful sea all around to mountains and an active volcanoe, and from tradidional Balinese massage and all kinds of water-sports at Nusa Dua to a ‘clubbing area’ for party poopers called Kuta. I will try and cover some of it in the next 2 posts in this 3-part series on Bali.

For now though, I will restrict this post to writing about something very special that Shruti and I saw there. At Bali Safari & Marine Park (bound to remind you of the Night Safari/Jurong Bird Park in Singapore), the Bali Theatre hosts a very special theatrical performance called ‘Bali Agung: The Legend of the Balinese Goddesses’. The play tells the story of the 12th century Hindu King of Bali – King Sri Jaya Pangus and his beloved wife Kang Chng Wie, daughter of a Chinese merchant. As the king steos out of home after many years of unsuccesfully trying for a child, he is seduced by Dewi Danu, the Goddess of fertility.

I will not disclose more of the story – and would instead, leave that for my readers to discover and perhaps experience the theatre in person. Rather, I would like to dwell on the fact that the lighting, stage, effects, costumes and the overall granduer was of a very high quality – perhaps even better than in production quality to the last theatre I had seen at the Esplanade Theatre in Singapore – and that was ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ – by Andrew Lloyd Webber (Read my review here).

What makes ‘Bali Agung’ stand out is the vivid marriage of music, visuals, storytelling, human performers and animals from Bali Safari. The 5 seem to integrate seamlessly to create an experience that is very pleasing to see from a distance on the wide stage in front of you at Bali Theatre. Although there are 180 performers in the show, and perhaps many more who work behind the stage, the 3 people who deserve a special mention are the Creative Director Peter J Wilson, the Balinese Choreogpraher I Made Sidia and for some ground-breaking music – Chong Lim, the Australian composer who also composed the music for the closing ceremony of the 2006 Olympics.

By the way, in case of any of you reading this are visiting Bali soon, please get me a CD of the music of this production by Chong Lim. It is available right outside the performance area. Let me leave you with the trailer of the production on the Theatre’s official Youtube Channel.

For more pics, schedules and details, do check out: www.balitheatre.com