AD SOUNDS: THE IMPACT

'SOUND’ SEDUCERS IN ADLAND

UNIQUE SOUNDS THAT ACCOMPANY TVCs, OFTEN WITH WORDS FLASHED THAT MEAN NOTHING TO THE INDIAN CONSUMING CLASS DO MAKE AN IMPACT. OR DON’T THEY?

“Words are all I have to steal your heart away…” Thus went the lyrics of a romantic ditty that, even today, gets zillions of women go weak in the knees. Gifted writers are fully cognizant about the world in which words dwell. They recognize the fact these precious creatures have a life of their own and need to be passionately wooed to help their breed attain the magic and mystique that only their [wordsmiths and words] ‘combine’ can bring, to stir up emotions and feel buried deep in the human heart.

My kill-joy friend smirked and dismissed summarily this sublime line of thinking while brazenly holding forth on his own views. He believed that in these fast-moving, impatient, digitally-driven times, words are swiftly being replaced by memorable sounds. “So, why should a profession which aims to connect brands with end-consumers play footsie and shy away from something offering readymade customer bonding and not pull the trigger? What is so sacred about words anyway? Will it wake the dead? Sounds are the new short-hand of communication, and those who cosy up, recognize and master this form of bonding are the guys – and brands – that’ll rock! They don’t need to pay a trip to the hot seat and exchange pleasantries with a certain celeb baritone to pick up their crores. They’ll make it if their choice is ‘sound’. Literally! Much as I was sorely tempted to strangle my young irreverent friend and check out [in sadistic detail] the ‘sounds’ that would emanate from his throat, I had to agree – as a professional, communication practitioner – that he was not totally off his onion. Jhingalala, Toing, Ooolalalalaeo, Waku Doki and Wakow were indeed some sound-driven brand identities that had over the years made waves with their TG, offering large doses of entertainment value, novelty and effectiveness. Bus does the ad industry agree so? How did this issue resonate with the folks involved – the ad frat?

Josy Paul, Chairman & NCD of BBDO – of the gurkha topi fame – fires the first salvo. He believes that in these fast the furious clutter-driven times, “memorability powered with authenticity are key factors. Hence new, interesting, innovative, clutter-busting ways to accomplish this in an exciting, people-friendly manner is the challenge. All these ‘sound’ ads referred to, delivered brilliantly on that score. Why just the ad world? Go to Bollywood. Remember Yahoooo, Sukoo Sukoo or Oye Oye? Didn’t they grab popular imagination and even today retain high recall value?” However, Paul warns that there must be a legitimate brand-fit to add value and connect with the TG in a way that is spontaneous, fun and memorable. Otherwise, it can never work. N. Sridhar, NCD of Leo Burnett, begs to differ. “I think sounds like Wakow, even Waku Doki, are unlikely to go beyond the gimmick stage, because they appear to be created for novelty and nothing else. What on earth is Wakow and what does it mean? Waku Doki – Toyota – emanates from a totally Japanese narrative that means, heart pumping and adrenaline racing, but does the general public know this… or care about it?” He cities the brilliand cased of ‘Kataak’ – Hot Shot Cameras of the eighties – or ‘Wassup?’ – the Budweiser Beer signature, a smart-talk shot at the stylish GenY coloured section in USA, brilliantly, customer-focussed and driven. “At the end of the day, it’s a tricky route to traverse and one has to be totally sure and confident about the sund unleashed. It shouldn’t be all sound and fury, signifying nothing, to quote our friendly Bare of Avon!”

Pravin Singh Mann, Head of Creative, R. K. Swamy-BBDO Delhi, comes to the party with his own spin. He is of the opinion that it works only if the brands are “truly iconic and powered with real deep pockets”, otherwise it just can’t click. A little-known brand taking the ‘sound’ route with limited budget is bound to fall by the wayside because of lack of sustainability. In cases where sounds have mad an impact, all the ads – Tata Sky, Pepsi, CocaCola, Toyota –were and are monster brands with big budgets to go the distance and guarantee high visibility and frequency.

Words of gently dissent comes from Titus Upputuru, NCD, dentsu Marcom, too: “I am not sure if making words out of sounds and using them as slogans or signatures really yield benefits to brands. I think there is a risk in remembering the sound and forgetting the brand!” Bhavna Sood, Senior VP – Communications & PR, DS Group, adds an interesting rider. “In this era of FM Radio, sound can be an extremely effective hero in the ad space offering instant identity. Clutter-busting and novel, it can provide both surprise and delight as a superbly fresh, memorable brand differentiator.”

Veteran Communication Consultant Asha Sarin however concludes this debate firing on all cylinders. She believes that most of this category – especially in the Indian context – is highly over-rated and deserves to be safely relegated to the dustbin. Adds Sarin, “Except the Kingfisher Ooolalalalao and Toing of Amul Macho, most others are eminently forgettable and irrelevant, adding zero value! The corny Googly Woogly Woosh (of Pounds), Wakow (Vanilla Coke), Jhingalala (Tata Sky) and many such fun-filled remarks by brands may provide entertainment to a brain dead viewership, but what do they do for the brand?” Not much, we reckon. Do these ad gurus believe that their Jhingalalas and Googly Wooglys will tickle the black boxes of their TG and influence purchase intents? Clients may buy the idea, but on a clear day you can see forever, and that’s when bad news knocks!

Strong words. But to decide for or against these attention seeking and many-a-time attention winning sounds is a tough call. It’s indeed an exciting, path breaking route to take, but at the same time a genuinely risky one. The ‘sound’ aspect – unlike in Bollywood movies – must be both meaningful and memorable. In an information-overkill space, with ads blitzing our senses every with way we turn, clutter-busting, unique and special are the real hot buttons to press. And if sound can provide that lucky break, why not give it a shot? So, get ready for some jhingalala times ahead. [Or maybe plain toing situations!]

AD SOUNDS: THE IMPACT

DOUBLE LIFE IN ADLAND

DOUBLE ROLE IN ADVILLE … ENRICHING OR DISTRACTION?

DOES A DOUBLE LIFE IN ADLAND WORK AS HELP OR HINDRANCE? 4Ps B&M MONOJIT LAHIRI PROBES THIS SELDOM EXPLORED SPACE

My life in Ad-ville has largely been inspired by three mentors – Kersey Katrak, Subhash Ghoshal and Frank Simoes. To the irrepressible and unputdownable Katrak, advertising was seduction; a backdrop where boring facts were made to pirouette as dazzling fiction to beguile both heart & head. To Ghoshal, it was a setting where serious academics and MBAs comfortably rubbed shoulders with grungry, edgy, eccentric creatives to produce advertising that worked in the mind and market place. To Simoes, it was style that startles even as it empowers with a gift of laughter and a definite sense that the world is mad! All three, however, were in total agreement over one fact: the need to have or develop a hobby or passion outside their work that was likely to provide fresh, insightful and interesting takes on what they brought to the table.

In year 2012, does this enlightened thought, wash? In an insanely competitive environment, where stress and tension rules, where accounts and people-grabbing is no big deal and means justify the end, can this indulgence really be entertained? For the few of this “engendered species” (on the other side), is it increasingly becoming a problem to ride on two boats, lead a double life with equal passion and purpose?

Double lives in Adland, however, are not entirely a new phenomenon. The great Satyajit Ray started his master-piece Pather Panchali while employed as an Art Director in the Kolkata-based D.J. Keymer, in the fifties. The doyen of film crities, the late Chidananda Das Gupta (also my dad-in-law, guys!) was involved in serious film writing all his life, despite his professional engagements as Servicing Head at D.J. Keymer and later Ad & PR Head of ITC, in the fifties and sixties. In Mumbai, Alyque Padamsee – Adland's Dorian Gray – continues doing his number as celeb director/actor on stage. Earlier, Gerson and Sylvie Dacunha, Kersey Katrak, Roger Pereira, Ronnie Screwvala, Bharat Dabholkar and Sumit Roy did the same, with Avijit Dutt following suit in Dealhi. Today the great Prasoon Joshi and Balki are red-hot in both Adbiz and B-town! So what's the score?

Appropriately the Big Daddy of this movement, Alyque Padamsee, is first off the block. “My life – as my first book indicated – has always pursued twin-passions – Theatre and Advertising. The first a hobby; the second, a profession that allowed me to earn a living and support my family. Over time one helped, collaborated and enriched the other. Theatre taught me teamwork and handling edgy, creative artistes, which was critical in advertising. Advertising enabled me to enter new product/brand experiences every day, as also taught me discipline and conciseness of thought. The mesmeric wilful suspension of disbelief that defines great theatre also influences great advertising, because ultimately, the world in indeed a stage, and we charismatic players,” he tells 4Ps B&M.

35-year-old Minnie Vyas dismisses this 'dramabazi' and brings in her own spin. Articulates the Creative Director of Quantum Communication, “Yeh sub tab chalta tha when the angrezi plays were a fashion statement – not now. Clients are looking for focused content, substance and creatives that are result-specific and make a definite dent on the bottomline. In this dog-eats-dog world, those arty and self-indulgent types have no place unless they leverage it to guarantee the required results. Dramashaama ghar mein karo...!” Strong words? The son and heir of the Dacunha (and Amul) legacy, Rahul, begs to differ. “For me, theatre has always helped my ad life – and vice versa. The passion overlaps. I try and miantain my desire to understand audiences while working in both these media. Would not be able to do one without the other,” says Decunha. Padamsee agres and states that if ever he were to emigrate from his beloved motherland “it would be if and when something like Zia-ul-Haq's infamous diktat of baning all artistic endeavours in Pakistan happens here!” Presently he is busy reviving the Arthur Miller classic, Death of a Salesman.

Young lyricist, composer and singer Abhijit (who, with his partner Ashutosh, has a band, Under the Influence) and also holds down a responsible job (Associate Creative Director, Ogilvy, Mumbai) is up next. He believes that it is clearly about time management. One need not disturb or hijack the other if the love and passion for both is equal. “For me, they are two different zones and music provides me huge enrichment because it is not client-driven, nor does it touch any areas dealing with conventional market-forces. It is totally individualistic and a subjective form of self-expression that is hugely inspirational and satisfying as it leaps from the heart seeking resonance in another,” says Abhijit. Ashish Narendra disagrees. The 45-year-old Creative Consulting believes “it's become a fashion and a fad for kids to sling along a guitar (with their laptops) to increase their hot quotient amongst peers. Sure, it gets attention, but excuse me, you are paid for your damn work, not gaana or nautanki, okay? How does it help?”

So were Katrak, Ghosh and Simoes wrong? If Alyque, Rahul, Abhijit – and especially Prasoon and Balki, as heavy-duty, respected, and successful Bollywood-driven creative professionals and achievers – are anything to go by, one can definitely double-life it successfully, cool n' easy. Only, a word of caution – like in a solid happy relationship or marriage – keep them apart!

DOUBLE LIFE IN ADLAND