FRESHBREW

When vamps turned heroines & heroines turned vamps

I was chatting up with an advertising colleague-turned-film producer about the recent success of The Dirty Picture. We were cruising through time and the women stereotypes we so well articulated 10 years ago. They helped clearly distinguish the Lakme skincare woman from the Ponds skincare woman & so on. We used women from Indian mythology freely as we did the characters depicted in Indian cinema. And well the changes as we chatted up today were palpable.

The trend really started more than 15 years ago. And one of my earlier posts did observe how the concept associated with classical beauties/heroines of yester years was often dismissed as conservative in todays age. Has The Dirty Picture changed anything? DKCS (‘Don’t know Can’t say’, as research feedback would exclaim). But it’s amusing how the ‘thinking actress’…
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Is this what they call love?

Sometimes a story begins somewhere…it travels its journey…and starts meaning different things to many people. Little things in it fuel your imagination. The unspoken words…the ones spoken aloud…a glance…stolen moments…the furiously emotional outburst & then a forgiving smile… Just so much a story can tell. Isn’t this the way most memorable stories leave their indelible mark?

It isn’t about creating a fantasy world. It’s just about the fluidity of emotions. And no matter how outstanding your insight is, only the brushstrokes by a master craftsman can take it from good to sublime. At the times when he passionately crafts the story. How amazing then it is, to be a storyteller!

Movies in India especially in the recent times have deliberately played out through intelligent cinema. A refreshing change undoubtedly. But for the simple folks…
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Death of the brand!!!

This article is a direct outcome of the countless meetings where clients and agency have swiftly killed many ideas for the sake of building a great ‘brand’:

‘This is not my brand!’

‘Where is the brand consistency?’

‘But what is the tone of the brand?’

‘We have to define the personality of the brand.’

‘Who is the brand’s TG?’

Tell you what, the brand is dead.

There used to be a time when a brand was a cultural entity, created by a handful of people across client and advertising offices. The physique was defined, values were defined, personality traits were defined along with all other things that are put on brand identity charts in powerpoint presentations (this is the precise moment when ‘death by powerpoint’ was coined). They were defined and then they were broadcasted.…
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Why Rockstar still rocks

Here’s why I think Rockstar is gaining so much momentum, raking in the moolah and most importantly generating conversations. Both the title of the film and the director is trending on Twitter since the date of its release.
But here’s why:
1. Junglee Jawani: there is a subtle narrative around the entire plot of a young, chauffer driven Kashmiri girl wanting to see a Hindi porn film in the porn-fested gullies of Delhi. It speaks of freedom. It speaks of challenging the status quo. And that really in more ways than one ignites and triggers her relationship with the hero.

So what’s new you may ask? Well, showing that today’s Indian woman has the freedom to opt for a sexual fantasy is bold and fearless. She might be the coy…
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ROCKSTAR: Recommended for all who love black sugar

“Out there, beyond the realm of right & wrong, is a field. I’ll meet you there” – Rumi (translated)

To love this movie, you must travel there too. It’s a love story that takes you in the raw. I have often come prepared for the madness to hit me. DEV.D, Kaminey…they all gave me a glimpse of the chaos I’d experience. It was cinema’s best. This one was made by Imtiaz Ali right? It would soak itself lusciously so in caramel. At least in the end?!!

How wrong I was. And how much I enjoyed staying in that wrongness. I didn’t quite relate to Jab We Met…but liked the surprise of Love Aaj Kal. This one got my gut. It hurt too. I felt it. Felt Heer’s desire to be set free.…
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An outstanding Creator meets his Creator. Steve Jobs, iBidgoodbye but not quite yet.

iCried today. Rarely has a perfect stranger caught me off guard like this. Then I realized I wasn’t alone. Many more through scores of bytes zipping across the smallest & fattest pipes were expressing their deepest void like never before. It seemed like a favorite toy had been pulled away from us. We were adults for God’s sake. Then why was there such an outpouring of emotions? The last time I felt sadness (like real sadness for a stranger) of a different kind was when MJ moonwalked away.

This post is a short & sweet one. Much like what Steve did to the many contraptions in our lives. Made them short, sweet & simple. The many words of gratitude continue to flow & I paused for a few moments wondering why across the world,…
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Indian Cinema…riding a change of sensibilities? (A slice from the cinema pie by Sherly Mathew, Strategic Planner, L&K Mumbai)

As young pseudo intellectuals waiting to join an advertising institute, we arrived with a certain aura around us. Living up to the stereotype – a weird dressing sense, self-created jargons, anthems of a different kind (read GMD and Sutta), gyan - lots of gyan and of course love for music and movies. And this is where we also took a good hard look at cinema.

Ah! but here comes the disclaimer (I know it should logically come in the beginning but then, logic main woh magic kahan)

I am no cinema expert with intelligent sounding views. I was just fortunate to be taught by a brilliant professor who asked us to explore World cinema while appreciating Indian cinema. So what follows is my understanding/observation of what’s new and refreshing to see and be…
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What brands can learn from Gandhi!!

Every year around this time we end up remembering the architects of our Independence – among them stands a ‘half-naked fakir’ who always outshines the rest – Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Ever wondered how much brands can learn from the greatest marketing campaign ever launched by an Indian? Think about it – it was touted as a ‘campaign’ against the Raj and it drove them out of this country (oh and also brought about the timely demise of the British Empire).

Here are few lessons which we can learn from what Gandhi did and brands can adopt these principles to successfully make an impact in today’s world:

1. Involve people – it’s the participation economy honey!

Perhaps one of the things that Gandhi did remarkably well was he mobilized the masses. At a time when…
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In India, every individual is the HERO. The nation builder.

Rings true with most I am sure. And that’s the simplicity of the approach in the new television commercial created for Hero MotoCorp. The launch timing of August 15th is also a reminder of the historic day when we (India) became 100% Indian. In mind, body & spirit. No different from the split of Hero from Honda, to build an independent identity that smells of a bold Indian flavour.

The new logo stands for the new face of India – that youthful energy and ‘can do’ spirit. It is in true sense the “Indian Catapult” which signals that while it is deeply rooted in Indian values, it is also poised to go for global expansion – a Leap of Faith.

“It is not just a change of name, it marks the ushering in of…
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When woods whistle…pancakes sizzle

There is a discomfort in crowning W-O-M as a marketing tool (if it’s word of mouth, it needs no formulaic initiative right!!). But it is a necessary truth for any marketer. It is genuine. It can be contagious. And it can create good vibes for the brand more often than not. But W-O-M is meant to be subtle. Not choreographed. Then how does one ensure the right message gets whispered from ear to ear.

Look at the times when it has been attributed a bad name. The nefarious MMS clips & dirty pictures. The scandalous truths about celebrities & brands, takes new dimensions when it gets passed around. Then there are the good W-O-M examples: Like joke mails and the very irritating ‘blessings on the condition that you forward, else you will lose your…
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