In a clear ad, you can see forever

It happens almost every time I return from a trip out of India, except when I go to Nepal, I suppose. What happens is this: I am overwhelm...

It happens almost every time I return from a trip out of India, except when I go to Nepal, I suppose. What happens is this: I am overwhelmed by bad ads that are so full of words, sketches, pictures and other stuff that they end up communicating zilch. Now you may well wonder why I suffer such selective recoil? For the simple reason that the contrast between the ads one sees in the press — newspapers and magazines — in other countries really show up the difference. This malady of over-stuffing ads with excessive elements also manifests itself, rather graphically, in outdoor hoardings and posters. Since designing and approving ads involves two parties — ad agencies and their advertiser clients — one must have both share the blame.

Consequently, the ones who suffer are the people to whom the ads are addressed. They are more often then not both confused and turned off with the clutter and end up being denied the benefits of the advertised product or service. No, I am not joking! Think of campaigns to alert people to the danger of AIDS, creating an understanding of how it is contracted and how it can be prevented. Now, think of the consequences of the failure to communicate this effectively. To help you along let me remind you of how HIV-positive patients are victimised and denied their basic rights by doctors and nurses who even after 10 plus years of NACO-sponsored IEC campaigns still treat such patients as pariahs to be thrown out of their hospitals. They do so not because they are a special breed of cruel people, but because they do not know. The wordy campaigns full of semi-scientific jargon or the catchy one-liner ads on safe sex have not communicated anything to them, other than that AIDS is a deadly killer. This negative effectalso results in families, neighbours and friends turning away from those who suffer.

On quite another plane, I would suggest that clutter ads for consumer durables such as cars, bikes, home entertainment and household electronics, and for the wide variety of clothes and accessories and for fast moving consumer goods, have a somewhat different effect. Of course, in these cases the consequences are not so deadly. But they are negative in two other ways. One, by reducing the effectiveness of the monies spent on advertising (and these monies today add up to very, very large amounts), the cost of delivering goods and services goes up. So, prices also go up and consumers suffer. Two, as the market becomes more competitive, companies that do not grow their businesses, profitably, tend to fade away and eventually close down. This affects the fortunes of the many small investors who have bought shares in the company. In recent years, we have seen this slide down into oblivion by many old time `blue chip’ venture.

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Therefore, for me these clutter ads are continuing evidence of the urgent need for the advertising business to attract talent from among the young, vibrant, self-confident Indians of this new millennium. Fine examples of their style, charm, creative daring and sheer energy are appearing in so many activities across the country. Most recently, I was thrilled to see the work of these new Indians in designing and executing exciting interiors for two contrasting properties. One is a heritage hotel in Rajasthan bravely and confidently dressed up with great sophistication. Certainly made me proud to be an Indian. Thank you Lekha Poddar for Devi Garh Fort Palace, Udaipur. The other is also a hotel but of a very different kind. Situated in Goa, the Pousada Tauma exuded flamboyance and vitality — so much a part of the Goan experience. Till yesterday, these prize-winning projects would have been assigned to `foreign experts’. Not any more, hurrah!

Will the ad people listen and attract such gifted Indians into the art of crafting great ads that look good while delivering the goods?

EAM Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Rubio hold bilateral discussions in New York

India46 min ago

Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar and US Senator Rubio met in New York to discuss the 25% tariff on Indian oil imposed by Trump. This was their first in-person meeting since the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting. India and the US also began talks for a trade agreement, with positive discussions during a recent visit by US trade officials to India.

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