Just watching some of the Ads on TV, these days, is like an exercise in catharsis. You just feel that you must have committed some terrible atrocity on the ad-maker in your previous birth, for which he is punishing you in this one, making you relive the hell you must have put him through, each time you turn on the TV.
For one there is that new Airtel Ad, that features SRK and Saif. I hate it. I can`t really put a finger on why, but I do. Airtel has come up with quite a few notable commercials in the past, most notably the ones which depict familial bonds. Such ads work for you, because the common man can identify with the concept being highlighted. I really don`t understand why they had to dumb down, that too by spending a bomb. " I miss you so much, it hurts" goes the ad, but every time I see it, I go, "The ad is so bad, it hurts".
The other segment I have a grouse against is the fairness cream one. Come on! They make it seem as if having a dark complexion is a crime; one that deserves capital punishment. We made a huge hue and cry when Shilpa Shetty was targetted by Jade Goody; but, can we honestly say, we are not racist ourselves? These fairness cream ads certainly make me feel, we are. From portraying the darker sibling, to be the butt of jokes, and urging her to emulate her fair-complexioned sister in the colour department, we are indulging in something akin to modern day apartheid, driven by the commercial frenzy to boost market sales. They have taken it a step further by targetting the Indian male too. Men, who earlier were indifferent to this particular aspect of their personality, are preening themselves in front of the mirrors, like there is no tomorrow. They call him the 'metrosexual' man, huh! We now also have 'ubersexual' and 'retrosexual', a category, which, I think you are classified under, depending on whether or not you use a beauty product. Gimme a break!
The soft drinks industry is making a mockery of the Indian sensibility, and no one is batting an eyelid . If I were to take the cola ads seriously, I should be able to take a leap from the 10th floor of my apartment,land in the middle of a highway, swerve out of the path of a speeding truck, while at the same time, flicking a thums-up from the back, without breaking a bone, or being run over. Wowweee! I always wanted to be Superman!!!
I would also be able to metamorphose into a smooth-talking alien, who would very easily gain entry into his girl friend`s house, by convincing her non-pepsi drinking, alien-obsessed brother, that you were actually sent by extra-terrestrials to guard his sister. Guys, getting a Rakhi tied is so passe`.If you really wanna do your job as big brother responsibly, go guzzle a can or two of pepsi every day.
You could also unearth, your hitherto hidden talents as a shrink, by making a Mowgli-like character, overcome his fear of both fire and humanity, and befriend them, all by making him take a sip of Coke. Why spend millions on tracking Osama, when the secret to controlling him is so easily available. Just make sure, that for a week, instead of water, you supply coke, in his prospective lairs, and voila, at the end of the week, you`ll see Osama walk out of his hide-out with a smile on his pepsi-dribbling lips. If only, our world leaders had the vision to make use of this miraculous beverage at the turn of the 20th century,we could have averted the World wars.
There are plenty of other ads , that make me want to break the TV, and it is only some of the genuinely good ads, that still remain on television ( And, of course, my Dad`s presence), that help me rein in my destructive impulses. For every bad Cola ad, that makes you want to tear your hair in frustration, there is an ad that helps you in retaining your crowning glory; Case in point, those Fevicol ads, which I actually look forward to, for their ability to promote the brand, without having to make celebrities indulge in histrionics. India, today is a force to be reckoned with, with nearly all the top brands, wanting to foray into the Indian markets. Notwithstanding the slump in the economy, India is where the moolah is, as far as all the ad-gurus are concerned. For the sake of the millions of prospective buyers, I hope the advertising campaigns too,live up to expectations.
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