Why I Hate Celebrity Advertising.

Posted by Thomas

The genius of VK Murthy

Let’s just say one can’t talk about the films of Guru Dutt without discussing the incredible talent of this great man. VK Murthy was Guru Dutt’s cinematographer, who along with the director gave us some of the most memorable images in Indian cinema.

He was the first man in India to shoot in Cinemascope. That landmark achievement happened in Guru Dutt’s ‘Kagaz Ke Phool’, way back in 1959. The most unforgettable moment in the film is the almost surreal ‘beam shot’ during the song ‘Waqt ne kiya, kya haseen sitam’. And to me, this shot stands as one of the finest in the annals of Indian cinema.

How did he compose it? Listen to Mr. Murthy himself in an interview he gave to rediff.com 4 years back.

“We brought two huge mirrors and kept one outside the studio in the sun, that reflected the light onto another mirror, kept on the catwalk, and opened the balcony door to the studio. Light reflected from one to the other and the beam was created. We added some smoke to it, and that scene became a phenomenal craze in the history of cinematography!”

Now, check out the song…and importantly to the way it has been lit.

Posted by Murali

I wish I had done that

I don’t know what you guys feel, but I find that the lyrics of a lot of songs on the pop charts are rather puerile or filled
with double entendre.

Which is why I’ve almost stopped listening to recent releases.
So I was rather stunned to hear a song on the waves begin with following verse:

I'm changing lanes
I'm talking on the phone
I'm drivin' way to fast
And the interstate's jammed with
Gunners like me afraid of coming in last
But somewhere in the race we run
We're coming undone

Days go by
I can feel 'em flying
Like a hand out the window in the wind as the cars go by
It's all we've been given
So you better start livin' right now
'Cause days go by

Just when I started breathing again, the song picked up...

Out on the roof just the other night
I watched the world flash by
Headlights, taillights running through a river of neon signs
But somewhere in the rush I felt
We're losing ourselves

We think about tomorrow then it slips away
We talk about forever but we've only got today

I was wondering, just who has the courage to write a simple song about life in these times of exploitative themes?
Turns out the song is by Keith Urban.
The song is called "Days Go By".
See it with your eyes closed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yBlW-UEOmM
When the song ended there was just one thought in the mind of this wannabe songwriter:
“I wish I had done that!”
By the way Keith is married to Nicole Kidman.
I wish I had done that too.

Posted by Thomas

So what are you reading now?

Here is my favourite list of must read for people who’d like to take a spin in the advertising world.

1. 'Hey Whipple Squeeze This' by Luke Sullivan - this book gets my vote on being the best read on advertising.

2. 'Oglivy on Advertising' by David Ogilvy is a certified hit.

3. 'Confessions of an Advertising Man' by David Ogilvy. Still a classic and well worth the read.

4. 'Building Strong Brands' by David Aaker. Brand theory book a bit on the heavier side but clearly a planning must read.

5. 'The Little Blue Book of Advertising' by Steve Lance and Jeff Woll.

6. 'Flip' by Peter Sheahan. It’s about the Gen Y revolution in the workplace. To have the courage to devote a portion of your business resources to continually try new things...often drawing ideas from "the fringe" rather than from safe or traditional sources.

This is my take, what are your favourite one’s? Keep the contributions flowing in.

Posted by Monica

Media choices in tough economic times

This article is the supports the logic of sustaining a marketing budget when the economy is moving towards slump. It makes perfect sense for a brand to behave exactly in the opposite manner and take advantage of the fact that the competitors would have a low SOV (share of voice) during this period, media should be available at lower rates than usual. Last but not the least by using the power of advertising, to ride the rough tide.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/catalyst/2008/08/07/stories/2008080750050200.htm

Posted by Monica

Have you seen the trailer?

Movie trailers have come a long way. You see it everywhere. The idiot box spews snippets of fresh releases as and when you switch channels. You can’t miss their onslaught at railway stations, bus stands, or for that matter the moment you log in, you are witness to the next big flick in town.

For a moment, just rewind back in time. When you could watch a trailer only at the cinemas - before the movie began and in some cases, during the intermission break.

And the format was pretty much the same. A Hollywood movie will have the best sequences edited for consumption with a dude, who has a voice to die for, giving you the commentary. Vernacular movies plugged in famous song and dance sequences as teasers. That was just enough for people to go ‘we have to catch that flick’ with popcorn stuffed in their mouths.

The point is, should movie trailers reveal the clip at all from the movie? Can’t they look any different? They sure did once upon a time. Just click on the link below and see the way Alfred Hitchcock presented his trailer to a blockbuster he had just directed. He pitches the plot personally and that’s really cool, methinks.

Posted by Murali