Archive for May, 2008

Ads ads everywhere…

charukesi May 20th, 2008

On the same say, in agencyfaqs, two articles about advertising on vehicles - Rickshaws: No longer just a transport option and Taxi advertising: It’s an ad-cab world . You can get away from television, but never away from advertising?

On a related note, Chennai looks so much cleaner, greener, thanks to the fact that those giant hoardings, and yes, even gargantuan cut-outs and posters (both cinema and political) have all come down. You can actually see trees now, said a friend who’s always lived in Chennai. As this article says, Hoardings disappear, Chennai reappears.

Of course, now in place of hoardings, there are kiosks lining the road along the side and the middle - step out of the airport and you are told (you cannot miss it) - if it is Chennai, it is the Hindu - oh really, what about Times of India then? you may well ask… In response, Times of India has kiosks (squeezed in wherever the Hindu has left space) saying -Times of India - Changing Times (or tunes?)

As I drove out of the airport and made my way towards Guindy, I was reminded of Delhi say, eight years ago when ToI and HT had fought a similar kiosk war…

Related posts : Advertising to invade textbooks

These lines suck

charukesi May 19th, 2008

Has anyone noticed this latest trend in TV ads - three word end-lines?

The first time I saw it was when Maruti launched SX4 - with this rather forceful campaign around the theme - Men are back. Alright, I said. SO where have they been hiding all this while? And which car were they driving then?

Then in the middle of the IPL matches, this cryptic line from a bank? insurance company? - Change is here. Which brand is this for?

And now, all these posters with Aamir Khan in a balding-middle-aged-rapper avtaar - for Samsung - and the ad says - Next is what? Just what I am thinking, Samsung.

Said the client to the ad agency - will you not whisper those three magic words to me?