Orchard Fresh

Time for a softer MBA

2010-06-15T12:30:00.001+05:30

With the fracas around judging errors in Goafest 2010, advertising has become a profession that’s been grabbing the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

I’m going to skirt this topic for just one reason. Our clients don’t care about it.

Instead I want to bring up a topic that is relevant as we are at the start of the new academic year.

Ever since the economy opened up, and that’s almost 2 decades ago, marketing as profession has matured in India. Scores of youngsters, many of them MBAs, now handle responsibilities ranging from product management, advertising, promotions, to exhibitions, new media etc. They take decisions worth millions of rupees, many of which determine the fate of the brand. A sizeable percentage of these decisions are “aesthetic” decisions. My question is, how is business education preparing them to take such subjective calls?

The last time I checked, no MBA course covers graphic design adequately. Yet, these graduates sit on judgment on expensive advertising campaigns, effecting changes without knowing the aesthetic implications. Most of the time the quality of the verdict depends on individual right brain competencies that formal business education has not ventured to deal in. So if the marketing professional is a music enthusiast, chances are his inputs on a jingle is likely to be worthwhile. Else he might actually be ruining a good thing. Now imagine if the project at hand is a multi million rupee commercial.

So, for a start, I recommend that MBA education must include comprehensive courses in Graphic Design, Music, Cinema and Art. Thereby the marketing person can take informed calls on aesthetics. In fact, the creative folk will begin to see him as an insider.

Expanding the argument further, I’d say that our MBA education comes woefully short when it comes to developing right brain competencies. Studies across the world have shown that this is what distinguishes the top performers in many sectors. Einstein’s scientific thinking was aided in large measure by his mastery over the violin. Dr. Raja Ramanna, one of the founding fathers of India’s success in nuclear energy, was an accomplished pianist. I strongly urge the IIMs to loosen up a bit and bring a sense of play into business education. Teach subjects that inspire the individual to thrive in his strengths. I read that IIM Bangalore plans to introduce the Bhagvad Gita as part of the curriculum. This is an inspired move, in my opinion. Daniel Pink in his book “A Whole New Mind” says that in the new age, people who have majored in fine arts will rule the business profession. While he is not to be taken literally, what he implies is that mere factual knowledge is not going to build leaders. Those who can rise above all this, into realm of “artistry”, they are the ones who will change the world.

The sum of my argument is this. At the core of business profession is creativity. It’s time business education prepared students for this.

Posted by Monica

Check out the real talents in business today

2010-04-26T11:00:00.004+05:30

When we hear of some earth-shattering campaign that has broken, we get to hear the agency behind it first. Then, perhaps the creative honcho who's the big name in that agency. The part that's left blank are the creative team that was actually behind the idea. (In most cases at least.)

Adage has done a fab job of putting up a list of creative hotshots who actually worked on some of the best campaigns you see around the world today.

Have a look here.

Posted by Murali.

India gets its chance to host its first Portfolio Night

2010-03-23T09:55:00.003+05:30

Ogilvy Mumbai will host the first edition of Portfolio Night in Mumbai. The event is scheduled to be held on May 20. For the uninitiated, Portfolio Night gives young Copywriters and Art Directors an opportunity to showcase their work to some of the best Creative Directors in the industry. You can get to know about the tickets here.

Posted by Murali.

Maybe

2010-03-19T11:30:00.004+05:30

I've been thinking. About how in school, we ran around, and stuck to our own cliques with ferocious loyalty. Never caring, or acknowledging the existence of the others. Many things were missed. Many possible friends, stayed strangers. Many roads, were never taken. But maybe we were never meant to take those other roads. Maybe that's the way it should remain. Maybe some were destined to remain strangers. Just maybe.

Posted by Shane

The best of Scorsese

2010-03-08T14:54:00.003+05:30

How can one funnel down the great auteur's 10 best screen moments? To my mind, there are so many, that take your breath away. But Jason Solomon of The Observer has put together of what he thinks are the 10 best cinematic moments of Martin Scorsese. You may agree or disagree with the list. Nonetheless, they are all glimpses of great cinema you can't ignore.

Have a dekko here.

Posted by Murali.

The most impactful smoking ad you would see

2010-03-04T15:47:00.006+05:30

Mr. Albert Whittamore, passed away in Dover, England. He was 85. And the reason for his death - smoking. It was his idea that his hearse would carry this message, serving you as a reminder to quit the habit immediately.

Courtesy: Times of India.

Posted by Murali.

Upper cut-off phenomenon

2010-02-26T10:01:00.002+05:30

The selection criteria for job application changing. Some people have finally realized that academic excellence doesn’t automatically translate into a high performing employee.

‘With more and more companies turning to people with multi-tasking capabilities, students preferring specialisation are driven to disillusionment.

“We are indeed waiting for the market to improve. But what is more disturbing now is the ‘upper cut-off’ insisted by certain companies, saying that those who score 80 per cent and above marks need not apply,” said Aman Jain, a student of B.Tech. electronics and communications at Sri Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain College of Engineering, Bangalore.

That means, the companies have started rejecting the cream of students who excel in studies, on the ground that they will not suit a multi-tasking milieu.’

-the hindu .

ha ha ha the revenge of the average scoring student.

Posted by Monica.

While most agencies create ads, some are going beyond to create something unique

2010-02-24T10:27:00.002+05:30

Are you in an agency, that still swears by the 30-sec spot? Then you should take a look at what these guys are up to. For your information, they are just mainline agencies like yours. But have moved beyond conventional advertising. They create Apps, Games, Web Browsers and much more. Isn't that fab?

Read what Rupal Parekh has to say about this in Adage.

Posted by Murali.

The 10 best ideas showcased at one go

2010-02-17T12:27:00.004+05:30

Adage has listed the 10 best ideas that changed the marketing world. They were ideas that had balls. Sadly, in today's times we miss such big ideas, and if there are any, the temerity to hold on to it is sadly missing. So, see the big ones here. And get inspired.

Posted by Murali.

Tribute to Mr. Mani Ayer

2010-02-11T11:04:00.002+05:30

An era has passed. Another great advertising giant is no more with us. For those of you, who have heard of Mr. Mani Ayer, here's your chance to learn more of him. A Facebook page has been dedicated to him. Go there. Learn a bit about him. For one thing is certain, seldom would you get to see such advertising giants in today's time. Like someone said, they don't make 'em anymore.

Posted by Murali.

Now, agencies can protect their ideas in a pitch

2010-02-04T16:49:00.003+05:30

Since we're in a venerable profession that gives ideas for free during pitches, one wonders what happens to them, if you don't win the pitch. The client has all the freedom in the world to use it. No, says the latest missive from the Agency Association in the US. They have brought out a proposal to protect the intellectual rights of agencies during pitches. Great start, I'd say. Will it come to India soon? I don't have an answer.

Read in detail here.

Posted by Murali.

Will the iPad save the publishing industry?

2010-02-01T14:50:00.005+05:30

The publishing industry is in a state of despair. Among many other solutions that are being tried out to resuscitate the industry, there is one product that could perhaps be a god-send. The iPad. If you remember, the old Macintosh was the birthing ground for desktop publishing, decades back. So, it is more than just a coincidence that Apple is here once again, with a product that can rekindle (pun unintended) the publishing business.

Read the article here.

Posted by Murali.

Isn't Diesel stupid?

2010-01-28T11:00:00.004+05:30

Diesel's latest campaign in the US says: Be stupid. Is it their way of saying 'be crazy' or 'be wild' or perhaps 'be screwed up in your heads'? Dunno for sure. But to finger a Siberian tiger or get squashed by an elephant is not something that appeals to the generation they are talking to. Here are some pics from the campaign, anyway.

Posted by Murali.

The ineffectiveness of digital advertising

2010-01-27T22:32:00.004+05:30

It's sad but true. For all the prowess that it promises, internet advertising hasn't really taken off. That's the truth. The reason for this has been attributed to many things. Digital Analytics expert Philip W Sawyer blames creative. And the sheer failure from the digital professionals' part to understand the medium.

Read his argument here.

Posted by Murali.

Remembering Suresh Mullick

2010-01-25T12:10:00.002+05:30

Kudos to Ogilvy for putting up a nice e-book on Suresh Mullick, the man behind the anthem 'Mile Sur Mera Tumhara' and many other stellar campaigns of the '70s and '80s. For those who don't know about him, this e-book is a great place to start. He was Piyush's only boss and as Mani Aiyer says, the creative soul of Ogilvy in those days.

Go here to read the e-book. It's surely worth your time.

Posted by Murali.

Alfa Romeo in a shopping trolley

2010-01-19T22:31:00.005+05:30

Nice piece of ambient work from Duval Guillaume, Brussels for the automobile brand, Alfa Romeo. It was a campaign that showcased the price reduction of the car - which meant it fitted your pocket, in this case, your shopping trolley quite easily.

Posted by Murali.

The top public service ads of the decade

2010-01-18T11:47:00.003+05:30

Campaign Brief magazine has put down a list of top ads (films) which straddled the public service / charity space. These ads, according to the mag not only appealed to the jury but also were great success stories for the causes they represented.

Go have a dekko here.

Posted by Murali.

Top Buzzwords for Social Media

2010-01-15T11:00:00.003+05:30

Since most of us are into some form of social media, this article on Adage is worth a read. The author has put down top 20 buzzwords that best encapsulate our daily travels (or should it be travails?) into the social media landscape.

Here we go.

Posted by Murali.

Dave Trott, speaking to Vinny Warren

2010-01-11T16:09:00.002+05:30

Even if you haven’t a clue who they are, read the interview. Here.

Posted by Niru.

The people have tweeted!

2010-01-11T16:05:00.001+05:30

A testimonial ad with actual peoplespeak. See here.

Posted by Niru.

Save your logo

2010-01-11T15:58:00.002+05:30

Not from meddling clients, but from extinction. Many companies that have modeled their logos after powerful, evocative animal symbols, are realizing that those species are probably not going to be around! Some of the more altruistic ones are trying to save these signature creatures. Read the full story here.

Posted by Niru.

A tad too desperate attempt at selling themselves

2010-01-10T20:08:00.005+05:30

Barcelona creative shop Iskiam Jara sent this Direct Mailer to prospective clients. It was their way of doing a new-biz pitch. As you would have guessed it's the creatives' blood in those test tubes (not real, yet bizzare). The lengths agencies go to to sell themselves, has hit an all-time high. Or, more appropriately, all-time low?

Courtesy: Copyranter.

Posted by Murali.

The dumbest passwords on Twitter

2010-01-08T10:22:00.003+05:30

Now, since everyone is on Twitter, here's something to chew on. Twitter has compiled 370 passwords which according to them is absolutely dumb. So, before you get your account with them (if you haven't already, that is), then you need to go through this list.

Courtesy: Gawker.com.

Posted by Murali.

Vincent - A short film by Tim Burton

2010-01-06T23:09:00.003+05:30

Youtube link courtesy: Vinoo Krishnan.

Posted by Murali.

Unemployed brothers from Batesville, Indiana get $1million for their Frito Lay spot which will be aired at Super Bowl

2010-01-06T11:49:00.001+05:30

Anyone can now make a spot. Get it aired at Super Bowl. And make tons of money. Ask the now famous brothers from Batesville, Indiana.

Go read how even you can do it.

Posted by Murali.

10 advertising wishes for Twenty 10

2010-01-05T12:00:00.002+05:30

May slowdown become an obsolete word.

May clients see better value in their agencies and reward them better.

May agencies see clients as their brand partners and vice versa.

May advertising awards be shorn of tomfoolery.

May the award jury members practice what they preach.

May some honourable men stop making advertising into a song and dance tamasha.

May we progress beyond the 30-second spot and the 60-cc ad.

May we walk the talk when it comes to digital.

May we as an industry get back the sheen to attract brighter talent.

May advertising once again become the profession where you can have most fun with your clothes on.

Posted by Murali.

Youtube - The 100 best videos

2009-12-22T11:10:00.003+05:30

Posted by Murali.

The best of Tony Davidson and Kim Papworth

2009-12-21T16:06:00.004+05:30

Ladies and Gentlemen, here's something truly inspiring. A dekko into the work of the awesome creative duo - Tony Davidson and Kim Papworth of Wieden & Kennedy London. For the record, they have recently been promoted as partners, Wieden & Kennedy global network.

So, go here and take a bow.

Courtesy: Campaign.

Posted by Murali.

The top 10 TV ads from the UK in 2009

2009-12-21T15:36:00.002+05:30

Campaign magazine has put out its list of the top ads produced from the UK in 2009. My take is that nothing's earth-shattering as an idea (except for perhaps, Cadbury Golf and Audi), but most of them have scored really high on craft and artistry.

Go check them out here.

Posted by Murali.

Punjabi Jingle Bells

2009-12-19T22:44:00.001+05:30

Posted by Murali.

Big ideas!

2009-12-18T11:57:00.001+05:30

For all of us in the ideas business, a must see.

A company that specializes in idea based makeover.

Go here to check out.

Remembering MJ

2009-12-17T19:38:00.004+05:30

Nice piece of work for MTV by BBDO Dusseldorf.

Courtesy: BrandDNA blog.

Posted by Murali.

Move over Ms.Marple

2009-12-16T12:45:00.002+05:30

To those of us who’ve spent countless afternoons discovering bodies hidden in picture perfect English parsonages, Europe’s latest detective sensation might come as a huge culture shock. The Lisbeth Salander trilogy, about a bisexual, genius hacker and mentally disturbed woman, is not only a top ranking book, but a fairly successful movie franchise as well. Hollywood too is on the trail, with rumours that Quentin Tarantino, George Clooney and Brad Pitt, are all eager to grab the rights! Warning: don’t’ start off until you get all three books, it’s fairly unputdownable. And the denouement is only in the last book.

Posted by Niru.

Google Chrome - A film by BBH

2009-12-16T11:40:00.006+05:30

Posted by Murali.

I twitter…

2009-12-16T11:40:00.002+05:30

...you twitter, she twitters, he twitters, they twitter, we twitter, thou twitterest...don't be surprised, twitter has become the No.1 word in English in 2009, according to the Global Language Monitor. So get twittering or get left out. See the full article here.

Posted by Niru.

Sexy Pilgrim - Viral Watch

2009-12-16T11:38:00.001+05:30

3 million hits in one week, number one on the viral charts. Check it out here.

Posted by Niru.

Blast from the past # 20

2009-12-16T11:34:00.002+05:30

Apart from triggering off feelings of nostalgia, old ads have a purpose to prove. Ask O&M. They're running David Ogilvy's ads from the 1950s, both as a tribute and as an eye catching way to promote the product. A lesson for our trend obsessed and now culture freaks?

Go here to see.

Posted by Niru.

Haagen Dazs opens its first outlet in Delhi. And Indians weren't allowed inside

2009-12-16T10:34:00.007+05:30

If you are an Indian without an international passport, you would have been denied entry into Haagen Dazs's first outlet in India. Read this ridiculous report here.

Courtesy: Agency Spy.

Posted by Murali.

Is this a joke?

2009-12-15T15:47:00.003+05:30

Considering the situation Tiger Woods is in, this ad seems like a funny coincidence to run in the media. I spotted this in one of the blogs.

Posted by Murali.

Album Art # 9

2009-12-13T11:42:00.005+05:30

Pat Metheny Group - Imaginary Day. That's what the graphic code says, when you decipher it. This lovely piece of art designed by Sagmeister, took the album art world by storm. Except for the track credits, every piece of information in the album was replaced by this image code. The CD inside was used as the image decoder. All you need to do was to rotate the CD and the code gets revealed.

Courtesy: Sleevage.com

Posted by Murali.

Trevor Beattie partly funds the new British movie 'Moon'

2009-12-11T10:19:00.003+05:30

This has the trappings of stars written all over it. Right from the ratings it has got to the director and the people behind it. It's directed by David Bowie's son Duncan Jones. Incidentally, this is his first feature. Partly produced by the enfant terrible of British advertising, Trevor Beattie, Moon also has actors like Kevin Spacey and Sam Rockwell in it.

View the trailer here.

Posted by Murali.

Blast from the past # 19

2009-12-10T18:28:00.004+05:30

An old Kissan jam ad done by Maa. Back in the '80s.

Courtesy: Soumyadip's killer vintage ad blog.

Posted by Murali.

What are you going to tell your clients this new year?

2009-12-10T11:40:00.003+05:30

Something fresh. Something thought-provoking. Something they need to know. Yeah, before you make your list, here's a nice article I read in Adage. Maybe this can get your grey cells cracking.

Here we go.

Posted by Murali.

Fabulous piece by 1pointsize

2009-12-08T13:53:00.004+05:30

Art Director / Illustrator: Gopi Prasanna
Writer: E Prakash

Kudos to the team.

Posted by Murali.

Personal Branding - How serious are you?

2009-12-08T11:33:00.003+05:30

Stuart Parkin on Adage, gives you a compelling reason to brand yourself in the market. Practice what you preach is what he says. You tell marketers to care and nurture their brands, while you shy away from doing so about a brand that's as unique - you.

Read the story here. And on the same note, a friend of mine, an ex-advertising bloke is into personal branding in a big way. Do check out his site here.

Posted by Murali.

User generated content or Loser generated content?

2009-12-06T20:28:00.003+05:30

Ask Charlie Brooker of The Guardian. He invects venom on content created by consumers and wonders why creatives get paid. If users are anyway coming up with the shit (sorry, that's the way he uses language).

Savour this: "TV advertising used to work like this: you sat on your sofa while creatives were paid to throw a bucket of shit in your face. Today you're expected to sit on the bucket, fill it with your own shit, and tip it over your head while filming yourself on your mobile. Then you upload the video to the creatives. You do the work; they still get paid. Hail the rise of "loser-generated content"; commercials assembled from footage shot by members of the public coaxed into participating with the promise of TV glory. The advantages to the advertiser are obvious: it saves cash and makes your advert feel like part of some warm, communal celebration rather than the 30-second helping of underlit YouTube dog piss it is."

Go here to read the whole story.

Posted by Murali.

Social Network - A movie on Facebook founders

2009-12-03T10:49:00.002+05:30

Renowned director David Fincher is making a movie based on the genesis of Facebook. Eisenberg will play the character of Mark Zuckerberg and Justin Timberlake plays the character of Sean Parker, the Napster co-founder and Facebook's president. Watchout for its release next year. More about the movie here.

Posted by Murali.

Lemonade - The layoff movie

2009-12-02T17:16:00.002+05:30

Lemonade is a 40-minute documentary about people who were laid off in the US. And how they changed their lives after being pink slipped. Produced by Erik Proulx, this film has a variety of stories. There's a woman who lost her job and started a yoga business, a man who lost his job and changed his gender, a man who went for an interview and found himself starring in a TV commercial etc.

Watch the trailer here.

Posted by Murali.

The Last of A Link A Day: Stella Artois Recylage De Luxe

2009-12-01T14:43:00.003+05:30

Mother has created a fictional sixties show to plug the eco-friendly aspects of Stella Artois. It's a totally fresh approach. I have my doubts about the basic proposition. But execution is super...

PS: And that happens to be my last post. Adios Amigos.

Posted by Anantha.

Swedes and their disregard for advertising

2009-12-01T11:47:00.003+05:30

If there is one country which doesn't care for advertising, it's Sweden. They believe they have a much more potent marketing medium in their armoury - digital. Swedes are known to be the digital gurus of the world. Some of the best digital shops are based there and you can see their might and prowess over new media in the number of metals they snag at international fests.

Read why they are nonchalant towards advertising and the effects of digital that has Sweden and the rest of the marketing world in raptures.

Posted by Murali.

The impact of Crowdsourcing

2009-11-26T16:03:00.004+05:30

While there have been a lot of blog posts about crowdsourcing here, the latest one is testimony to how it works. Unilever has awarded 2 seasoned creatives with a cash prize of $15,000 for their idea, which was picked in a contest for their meat snack brand Peperami. In due course, Unilever has also ended a 15-year old relationship with their agency, Lowe Worldwide.

Read the full story here.

Posted by Murali.

A Link A Day # 317: Anti-Obama Billboard

2009-11-26T09:57:00.004+05:30

Phil Wolf, a dyed-in-the-wool conservative and car dealer, just can't digest the fact that White America has elected Obama. So he's erected this billboard that tries to raise a stink over Obama's birth certificate. For more, read this piece of news.

Pix via Fox31.

Posted by Anantha.

Good News - Mass Media Advertising Still Works!

2009-11-25T17:49:00.004+05:30

I know there are a lot of people who go around sounding the death knell for mass media advertising. Digital is in, they say. Few among them are likely to have done a digital campaign on their own. Their opinion is often skimmed off reports compiled by others who just quote some others. It works for them because they get invited for seminars where they can continue the masquerade. If you see another digital media expert munching a microphone, I have a simple tip for you. Visit the website of his firm. Most often there isn’t one. Or if there is a URL, it is likely to be under construction. And in the rare event there is a website, it’s likely to be a web version of a brochure. What’s my point? There is a Digital revolution happening out there. A few pioneers are creating the trends. But the larger crowd of trend-watchers is killing it by prematurely exaggerating its prowess. The fact is, in a country like India, it’s just too early to expect too much from digital.

Meanwhile mass media advertising is still the most effective way ramp up the recall and reputation of a brand.

Else, why would one of the world’s largest brands, a digital one, spend tens of crores in mass media, on re-launching itself in India? Yes, I am referring to Yahoo! While the jury is still out on whether the campaign is working for Yahoo! I would have liked it if there was a more tangible product difference stitched into the effort.

Which is what Tata Docomo has done.

A few months ago nobody knew them. Today they are literally on the nation’s lips. With a real innovation called One Second Billing, and a creative idea that builds on this, they have achieved national fame in no time. This is mass media advertising at its best.

Of course, a great creative idea can also make an old product difference look new.

Quick replacement of lost credit cards is not necessarily a breakthrough claim for a bank. But ING Vysya’s new commercial makes it look like they just invented it. A man runs after a pickpocket who has just stolen his wallet. Not able to keep up the chase, he gives up, only to see a postman beside him with a replacement card. That’s ING Vysya’s speed of response! There are two other executions — one... for quick delivery of cheque books and another for quick transfer of funds. All of them make ING Vysya look like they are the most happening bank today even though every other bank probably offers the same service. Bravo! The screenplay, the casting, the editing, and the sound design are top notch. Ram, a young director at Nirvana Films in Bangalore, has directed the films. Now, Nirvana is one production house (run by Prakash Verma and Sneha Iype) that never ceases to amaze me.

From this wellspring of passion we have seen campaigns that have consistently caught the nation’s fancy. The Hutch “Pug” film is legendary. The Zoozoos are more popular than most celebrities in ads. Their newest film for Saint Juice took my breath away. Never have I seen this level of attention to detail in an Indian commercial. Scripted by Creativeland Asia, the film marks a refreshing change from the usual mom-kid routine. World-class time lapse cinematography and animation by The Mill in London makes this film a joy to watch each time. Music by Rupert (who did the Hutch song) is a masterpiece in minimalism. Then again, do you know what the best part of the commercial is? It makes you thirst for the stuff.

This is how great advertising works. It makes you want the product. And, done well, mass media advertising is still the best way to achieve that.

Extracted from an article by Thomas in Financial Express.

Halls Holiday Print Campaign

2009-11-25T10:27:00.002+05:30

Pretty neat stuff from JWT, New York.

Posted by Murali.

A Link A Day # 316: Inpes Chance

2009-11-24T20:40:00.001+05:30

Posted by Anantha.

A Link A Day # 315: Boag's Pure Ad

2009-11-24T18:49:00.001+05:30

Posted by Anantha

A Link A Day # 314: Where books come to life

2009-11-24T16:25:00.002+05:30

Posted by Anantha.

A Link A Day # 313: Axe Destiny

2009-11-24T16:19:00.001+05:30

Posted by Anantha.

A Link A Day # 312: Planestupid.com

2009-11-23T20:10:00.000+05:30

Posted by Anantha.

An evening that tested the tenets of Jazz

2009-11-22T20:48:00.006+05:30

Bangalore was lucky on the 20th of November, last Friday, to be precise. Lucky because some quiet giants of Jazz descended upon the city. This privilege was hitherto reserved only for Mumbai and Delhi, where Jazz Yatra and later Jazz Utsav have been a date to earmark every year in the music aficionado’s calendar for the last 25 years.

Wayne Krantz, Anthony Jackson, Cliff Almond and David Binney headlined the Jazz Utsav ’09 at the Ambedkar Auditorium. And what a show it was. The opening act was a thoroughly experimentative jazz rendition of the work of the Beatles. By drummer Brian Melvin’s band. He along with David Kikoski form the BeatleJazz band. As Kikoski wasn’t able to join the band for the Jazz Utsav '09, Jon Davis supported him on the piano and Peter Barshay on the bass. For the record, Melvin has an impressive pedigree. He has played with Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead, Greg Allman of The Allman Brothers Band and the bass legend Jaco Pastorius.

They started out on a soulful rendition of John Lennon’s Beautiful Boy and went on to play other tracks like A Hard Day’s Night (where local guitarist Amit Heri joined in), Strawberry Fields Forever, Let It Be and few other Beatles favourites. Before finishing up with a rousing rendition of Eleanor Rigby.

Then the stage was set for the masters to light up the stage. Wayne Krantz has performed with Steely Dan and Michael Brecker. Anthony Jackson invented the six string contrabass guitar. Cliff Almond has played with many a jazz great in the US and the unassuming David Binney is considered a great compositional talent and a virtuoso on the saxophone. Now, what do you get when you put them together? Highly experimentative, free flowing jazz that doesn’t fit into any norm.

To get a dekko into the mind of Wayne Krantz, here’s a snippet from an interview. “There are a lot of disagreements about the word, ‘jazz’. For some people, it’s a specified set of sounds. We push our boundaries a little bit. We improvise. And our sounds will not resemble with what people generally associate with jazz,” he noted. He added, “The word jazz is broad in a way it doesn’t mean anything now.

They enthralled the audience for an hour and a half. And probably disappointed some, who had come in thinking they’re going to spend an evening listening to smooth jazz. For a country like ours which is starved of such pure Jazz music, it was an evening that was unforgettable. While I doff my hat to the legends for their music, I’d also like to thank Amit Saigal of Rock Street Journal for making this show happen.

“Raise your horns to the heavens and blow them in tribute to the great God of music, who presides in splendour over the Jazz Yatra.”

Sonny Rollins, 25 years ago at the first Jazz Yatra in Delhi.

Posted by Murali.

A Link a Day # 311: Where to sell your good logos for 300 dollars

2009-11-22T08:08:00.003+05:30

Brandstack is the newest kid on the block in the logo market space. I like the site. It's simple in concept and it strikes the right balance between the designer's and the client's interests. If you're into logos, all you have to do is upload your logo, price it ($300 is the norm) and put it up for sale. If the client asks for a modification, you gracefully accept it. That's all. The affected party will be Logopond. But the place will cope as it's primarily an inspiration site. If you ask me, Logopond is for the artist in you and Brandstack for the moneymaker in you.

Posted by Anantha

Now, Google for your bum!

2009-11-21T14:48:00.003+05:30

Not sure whether the search giant is aware of this bummer of a brand. I found it amusing. Wonder what Microsoft or Apple would think of this.

Courtesy: mediabistro blog.

Posted by Murali.

A Link A Day # 310: Shiny Suds

2009-11-20T21:37:00.000+05:30

Posted by Anantha.

A Link A Day # 309: Nat Geo Live Curious

2009-11-19T20:04:00.000+05:30

Posted by Anantha.

Spot of the Week: Toshiba Space Chair

2009-11-18T22:13:00.001+05:30

Created by Grey London. Posted by Anantha.

A Link A Day # 308: The Helium Orchestra

2009-11-17T20:20:00.002+05:30

Nice viral for Alfa Romeo by Fabbrica Virali...

Posted by Anantha.

A Link A Day # 307: Volswagen Polo Rumour

2009-11-16T21:41:00.003+05:30

Posted by Anantha.

Environmental Art

2009-11-16T18:54:00.003+05:30

Helsinki artist Jonna Pohjalainen produces some great environmental art. What you see above is one of her pieces. Wikipedia says, environmental art began as a movement sometime in the late '60s. Though starting off as an experimental approach with sculpture as the main form, today it has moved across different genres.

Picture courtesy: James Feess's blog.

Posted by Murali.

A Link A Day # 306: Fevicol Moochwali

2009-11-14T21:05:00.004+05:30

Good break from the past. To promote this as 'world's shortest feature film' was ingenious. At least got me to watch the film. The commercial as such is wacky. Casting flags towards the end. Music doesn't enhance rewatchability, significantly. Overall, I think it's one of the better Fevicol commercials in recent times. But as some one pointed out in Campaign India, it seems a similar concept to the Reynolds mole campaign. Check out tvc1 and tvc 2. And draw your own conclusions. As far as I can see, on the face of it, they seem like cousins. Although the Fevicol execution is far superior. Knowing the integrity of the team involved, I would just call it pure coincidence. Anyway, I asked Avasthi of Ogilvy about it and this is what he had to say: There's a difference between a mole becoming a family birthmark and a mooch sticking to a soul..The mooch would've appeared on any living thing that soul would've travelled to.....a baby's or a butterfly or a donkey's...

Posted by Anantha.

Bill Bernbach on Advertising - 1 (Must Watch!)

2009-11-13T15:12:00.003+05:30

Posted by Murali.

Bill Bernbach on Advertising - 2 (A must watch!)

2009-11-13T12:17:00.004+05:30

Posted by Murali.

Spot of the Week: Toyota Better Together

2009-11-13T06:55:00.004+05:30

The '2-in-1' idea has been floating around for like gazillion years. But here's the best possible rendition. Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi, Australia. Production by Stink, London. Given a choice, I'd have cut out the lengthy brand window in the end. The music somehow seemed very DoCoMo to me...

Some precious trivia about the commercial: Shot in a single take the spot uses no special effects or post. This required a choreographer working for 10 days straight with the two dancers. They rehearsed until the movements were correct and timed perfectly to 55 seconds.

Posted by Anantha

Youtube Gems: Bogie on Jack Benny Show

2009-11-12T22:38:00.004+05:30

Bogart does a commercial for Lucky Strike on the Jack Benny show.

Then watch part 2 and part 3. Incidentally Bogie died of throat cancer.

Posted by Anantha.

A Link A Day # 305: Topline Kiss

2009-11-12T21:43:00.000+05:30

Posted by Anantha.

A Link A Day # 304: Droid Stealth

2009-11-11T20:11:00.001+05:30

Posted by Anantha.

A Link A Day # 303: Notoginseng

2009-11-10T20:04:00.003+05:30

"Keep your blood vessels young" for Notoginseng. Created by Draft FCB Hong Kong.

Posted by Anantha.

Blast from the past # 18

2009-11-09T20:55:00.002+05:30

An old classic. Sunny Gavaskar endorsed Cherry Blossom in the '80s. Quite an interesting take on shoe whiteners, I should say. And nice to see fairly good amount of copy. Read and enjoy.

Posted by Murali.

A Link A Day # 302: Music Music Music - Where Maggi lifted its jingle from.

2009-11-08T22:30:00.002+05:30

Posted by Anantha.

A Link A Day # 301: R&D = Rip off & Duplicate?

2009-11-08T21:37:00.002+05:30

Read this neat piece by Bill Taylor titled The New Logic of R&D: Rip Off & Duplicate. Here's an extract to get you interested...

"In 1912, a curious Henry Ford watched men cut meat during a tour of a Chicago slaughterhouse," Bogan and English write. "The carcasses were hanging on hooks mounted on a monorail. After each man performed his job, he would push the carcass to the next station. When the tour was over, the guide said, 'Well, sir, what do you think?' Mr. Ford turned to the man and said, 'Thanks, son, I think you may have given me a real good idea.' Less than six months later, the world's first assembly line started producing magnetos in the Ford Highland Park Plant"

Posted by Anantha.

A Link A Day # 300: Viagra is 10

2009-11-08T16:07:00.001+05:30

Posted by Anantha.

Short Film Watch: Oscar winning Schwarzfahrer

2009-11-08T15:44:00.001+05:30

Posted by Anantha.

A Link A Day # 299: Not Wet Dreams

2009-11-08T15:10:00.003+05:30

Carlton Dry has launched a new series on Dry Dreams. The rocket one is sorta funny. The rest were probably shot to make up the magical number 3...

Also in this series: Show Jumping & Skeet Shooting.

Posted by Anantha.

A Link A Day # 298: Cadbury's Dogs

2009-11-06T18:45:00.001+05:30

Posted by Anantha.

A Link A Day # 297: Guinness Bring it to Life

2009-11-05T16:41:00.001+05:30

Guinness sees this as a spectacular ad. It doesn't seem to me like one. See it for yourself. "Good things come to those who wait" was any day better.

Posted by Anantha.

Spot of the Week: Acciona RE_

2009-11-04T20:30:00.003+05:30

Garlic TV's stunning new film for Acciona, will make you go wow! It's my nominee for Cannes Grand Prix. Any bets?

Watch the making of Acciona RE_ here.

Posted by Anantha.

A Link A Day # 296: Weetabix Steeplechase

2009-11-04T20:22:00.000+05:30

Posted by Anantha.

Album Art # 8

2009-11-04T19:40:00.003+05:30

Designer Robbert Fisher created this cover for Nirvana. It's a true testimony to what good photography can do to a layout. Apparently, Kurt Cobain wanted his photograph on the cover, but luckily better sense prevailed.

Posted by Murali.

A Link A Day # 295: Trash Can

2009-11-03T20:18:00.003+05:30

A smart product innovation has provided the grist for a smart twist for this commercial for California State Lottery. Created by Casanova Pendrill. Made by MJZ.

Posted by Anantha.

How to be happy in business

2009-11-03T15:34:00.002+05:30

Bud Caddell has come up with this lovely venn diagram to explain the title of this post. For a more detailed take on the whole thing go here, for a quick read.

Posted by Murali.

And one by one they are leaving...

2009-11-02T20:11:00.008+05:30

Manish Bhatt has entered politics.
Raghu Bhat is trying his hand at launching designer laptop bags.
Prasoon Joshi is now more of a lyricist than an ad person.
Balki is busy with his Amitabh movies.
Rensil D'Silva has turned scriptwriter.
Aggie & Paddy have started Taproot.
Manoj Jacob has floated 21.
Prahlad Nanjappa has fathered a new outfit named Fryed.
What is happening?
Why is everyone leaving?
Are our peers getting disillusioned with big agencies?
Isn't that a cause for worry?
Does anyone care?

Posted by Anantha.

A Link A Day # 294: Einstein Does God Exist?

2009-11-02T17:43:00.002+05:30

Watch this commercial for the Government of Republic of Macedonia. It is based on an email forward that has been proved wrong ages ago. Wonder how, they used Einstein's name without doing any research.

Posted by Anantha.

Viral Watch: TheFunTheory.com

2009-11-02T12:14:00.004+05:30

Can fun be 42? Are solutions for the most trickiest of problems the most funniest? Yes, says Fun Theory, an initiative of Volskwagen.

This site, is dedicated to the thought that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better. Be it for yourself, for the environment, or for something entirely different, the only thing that matters is that it’s change for the better.

Sounds interesting? Got a great fun idea? Then participate in The Fun Theory Awards.

Posted by Deepan.

Rock 'n Roll Photography Exhibition

2009-11-01T21:25:00.003+05:30

An exhibition is presently on at the Brooklyn Museum, of Rock 'n Roll photographers who captured the history of this genre of music. Featured above is a photograph taken by Barry Feinstein in 1966. One of my favourites, it's titled Bob Dylan with kids, Liverpool, England, 1966. For more such gems visit here.

Posted by Murali.

Blast from the past # 17

2009-11-01T21:11:00.007+05:30

A Cherry Blossom ad from the early '80s.

Courtesy: Kamat's Potpourri.

Posted by Murali.

Youtube Gems: Quentin's Interview with Elvis

2009-11-01T13:37:00.004+05:30

Where Quentin Tarrantino talks about the B-Grade movies and everything else that influenced him as a film geek...

I recommend you also watch Part 2 and Part 3 of the interview.

Posted by Anantha.

Black Pencil's Pallavi Snags 2nd Prize at the Ability International Film Festival

2009-10-31T14:21:00.006+05:30

Young Pallavi Sharma of Black Pencil has done us all proud by bagging the second prize at the 60 Seconds to Fame short film festival hosted by the Ability Foundation. Considering that the Jury comprised such eminent craftsmen like the Oscar winner Resul Pookutty, ace director Balu Mahendra and actress Shobana, it's indeed some achievement. To check out the film, go here.

Posted by Anantha

Short Film Watch: The Horribly Slow Murderer with the Extremely Inefficient Weapon

2009-10-30T19:53:00.005+05:30

If you've got 10 minutes of free time, there's no better way to spend it...

Posted by Anantha

A Link A Day # 293: Canal Plus Wardrobe

2009-10-30T19:46:00.003+05:30

Dunno how I missed this beautiful spot. It's been making waves for 4 weeks now. Fabulously told. Sure Gold at the Cannes. Watch it. If you've already seen it, rewatch it, will ya?

Posted by Anantha.

A Link A Day # 292: HTC You

2009-10-30T19:14:00.002+05:30

How do you keep a commercial with a 60-second near-banal v/o interesting? HTC manages that with a simple turn of phrase in the end. Literal visual commercial salvaged in the end by a nice thought...

Posted by Anantha

A Link A Day # 291: Tiger Beer Halloween

2009-10-30T15:41:00.002+05:30

Same setting as the previous Zip commercial. This one's less contrived and more fun. Conceived by JamesYap, Ian Lee, Ramanjit Singh, Alex Wong of Saatchi & Saatchi Malaysia. Made by Velocity Films.

Posted by Anantha.