December 31, 2008
December 18, 2008
AD Fight
Few weeks back Horlicks came up with an ad which compares Complan and Horlicks on various parameters including price. Last week Complan retaliated with another ad saying Horlicks was cheaper since it used cheaper ingredients. This ad fight reminds me about the cola wars. They got so explicit that they went over the top to prove their superiority to the rival drink. The viewers had fun following the fight all the way.
Gone are the days when the competitor's product label was made hazy when used in an advertisement. Now it is all khule aam. Desperate measures of desperate companies or new age advertising?
My observation: most of the popular ads are the ones which appeal to the viewer emotionally. The ads per say are getting more and more creative (sometimes too creative! You cannot guess the product till they actually show it) and bolder (recent Condom ad).
Thanks to DTH, now there are lot more channels to switch to when ads are shown. Unless it is a gripping cricket match where people cannot afford to miss even one ball or kids who watch ads as they do cartoons, there are very few people who stick to one channel for a long time.
One of the latest trends is serial ad – where there are multiple ads with a story woven around the product (ponds ad). Another trend is to use latest movie either as a spoof or as a promo (samsung-gajini). Good creative stuff, I say!
With the changing technologies, the marketing channels are also changing. One can access unreleased ads on YouTube. One can use print ads on internet. One can use blogs or spam mail or website or online games to promote products. Who needs expensive TV ads? These days companies do a pre-launch and take quick surveys (Lays chips). Advertising has become more interactive and has come a long way. Yet there are miles to go in these days of changing technology before they can create everlasting ad concepts like Amul or Cadbury whose message spans generations.
December 16, 2008
Three Passions
I find this poem by Bertrand Russell so apt and significant in my life:
“Three passions have governed my life:
The longings for love, the search for knowledge,
And the unbearable pity for the suffering of humankind.
Love brings ecstasy and relieves loneliness.
In the union of I have seen
In a mystic miniature the prefiguring vision
Of the heavens that saints and poets have imagined.
With equal passion I have sought knowledge.
I have wished to understand the hearts of people.
I have wished to know why the stars shine.
Love and knowledge led upwards to the heavens,
But always pity brought me back to earth;
Cries of pain reverberated in my heart
Of children in famine, of victims tortured
And of old people left helpless.
I long to alleviate the evil, but I cannot,
And I too suffer.
This has been my life; I found it worth living.”
Such a coincidence that I sought love first in my life and after having found it, I sought knowledge (refer to my earlier post on dreams). My loved ones supported me in this quest for knowledge. Love and knowledge gave me strength to reach towards stars. But suffering always brings me down, before I gather my strength and continue on my journey upwards.
“Three passions have governed my life:
The longings for love, the search for knowledge,
And the unbearable pity for the suffering of humankind.
Love brings ecstasy and relieves loneliness.
In the union of I have seen
In a mystic miniature the prefiguring vision
Of the heavens that saints and poets have imagined.
With equal passion I have sought knowledge.
I have wished to understand the hearts of people.
I have wished to know why the stars shine.
Love and knowledge led upwards to the heavens,
But always pity brought me back to earth;
Cries of pain reverberated in my heart
Of children in famine, of victims tortured
And of old people left helpless.
I long to alleviate the evil, but I cannot,
And I too suffer.
This has been my life; I found it worth living.”
Such a coincidence that I sought love first in my life and after having found it, I sought knowledge (refer to my earlier post on dreams). My loved ones supported me in this quest for knowledge. Love and knowledge gave me strength to reach towards stars. But suffering always brings me down, before I gather my strength and continue on my journey upwards.
School Functions
We attended my daughter’s school day function last weekend. We have been preparing for it for the last one month, she has been practicing for the last 2 months and the teachers were busy planning and organizing for the last 3 months. Now that you got an idea about the enormity of the situation, you can also guess the possible troubles that all of us face.
When we admitted her in school, there was no standard disclaimer that the fees paid includes or does not include so-and-so also. I am sure most of us keep sending amounts every month either for a new book in library under the child’s name, field trip, material for activity class, additional books, donation to some charity institution, etc. Include dress for dance on cultural day, raffle tickets (??), entry fees to that list.
The teachers have the maximum trouble. They need to prepare the kindergarten kids for the function. Making them stand in a straight line for 5 minutes is difficult enough. Imagine trying to make them dance to your tunes and in step. Highly impossible, I say. Even at the end of it all, kids tend to do what they please when they are on stage, including running down the stage when they see their parents in audience, fighting over each other during the show, crying or simply staring at their feet. And then there is the work of designing costumes for all of them and preparing props to be used. The teachers definitely have the hardest job.
The kids go through some trouble themselves. Dance is highly taxing for them mostly because it is forced on them. They definitely don’t enjoy anything that is forced. There are endless practice sessions and hours of waiting in itchy costumes before they go onto stage. There are a few with stage fright and dread looking at the audience. All this is a definite depart from their daily routine which makes them cranky.
Parents just need to ensure that the child attends all practice sessions and buy all the accessories as specified. They need to keep checking their bank balances and make sure that their monthly household budget has a column for ‘additional school remittances’.
For well-known schools, the function won’t be just ‘dance-and-go’. There will be a carnival or some other competitions to create enough buzz to ensure that their school gets mentioned in the next edition of newspapers.
But in spite of all this, I am sure that you will find that all these troubles are worthwhile once you see your kid smiling on stage. I am already looking forward to the next year function.
When we admitted her in school, there was no standard disclaimer that the fees paid includes or does not include so-and-so also. I am sure most of us keep sending amounts every month either for a new book in library under the child’s name, field trip, material for activity class, additional books, donation to some charity institution, etc. Include dress for dance on cultural day, raffle tickets (??), entry fees to that list.
The teachers have the maximum trouble. They need to prepare the kindergarten kids for the function. Making them stand in a straight line for 5 minutes is difficult enough. Imagine trying to make them dance to your tunes and in step. Highly impossible, I say. Even at the end of it all, kids tend to do what they please when they are on stage, including running down the stage when they see their parents in audience, fighting over each other during the show, crying or simply staring at their feet. And then there is the work of designing costumes for all of them and preparing props to be used. The teachers definitely have the hardest job.
The kids go through some trouble themselves. Dance is highly taxing for them mostly because it is forced on them. They definitely don’t enjoy anything that is forced. There are endless practice sessions and hours of waiting in itchy costumes before they go onto stage. There are a few with stage fright and dread looking at the audience. All this is a definite depart from their daily routine which makes them cranky.
Parents just need to ensure that the child attends all practice sessions and buy all the accessories as specified. They need to keep checking their bank balances and make sure that their monthly household budget has a column for ‘additional school remittances’.
For well-known schools, the function won’t be just ‘dance-and-go’. There will be a carnival or some other competitions to create enough buzz to ensure that their school gets mentioned in the next edition of newspapers.
But in spite of all this, I am sure that you will find that all these troubles are worthwhile once you see your kid smiling on stage. I am already looking forward to the next year function.
December 12, 2008
Friend in need
I got in touch with one of my friends who got laid off recently. He was sad to note that most of his ‘friends’ have disappeared from the face of the earth once they came to know about his situation (situational friends!!). I told him that this is the best time to separate the wheat from chaff among friends. It set me thinking on the subject of ‘friendship’.
Every one of us have ‘fair-weather-friends’ among our circle. Some of us are unfortunate enough to have more of such people around us. People are attracted towards your success and hover around you. It is very difficult to identify them when all things are rosy with you. At that time everyone is available to meet you and have some good time. When you are in trouble, some of them would be curious to know what happened. But beyond that they offer no solace.
Some of them might have looked at you for bailing them out of troubles. It is but natural that you assume that they will reciprocate the gesture when your time comes. But in realty those you help you in troubled times are your true well wishers (even though they don’t owe you anything).
There will be times when you look for someone who can just be your sound board. You feel the need to just talk out some issues, share your thoughts with and let the tension seep out of your system. Friends do come forward to lend their shoulder to cry on. But when it comes to giving you a hankie to blow your nose, there would be very few willing to do so. Hence it becomes prudent to watch out before spilling your troubles to someone, no matter how close he/she might be.
Quite a few people look for outsiders rather than turn to their partner. It could be that they do not want to unnecessarily burden their loved ones with their troubles. It could also be that they need someone to advise them impartially and their partner might be biased due to their love. It could also be that they might feel that their status in the eyes of the partner might reduce. There are umpteen issues with sharing with your partner. If you have an understanding partner then you are very lucky in life because you have someone available by your side to listen to you 24/7.
There are no guidelines to choose friends, are there? The subject itself is very subjective. One needs to go by gut feeling or by experience.
Probably just like marriage, friendship is also luck of the draw.
Every one of us have ‘fair-weather-friends’ among our circle. Some of us are unfortunate enough to have more of such people around us. People are attracted towards your success and hover around you. It is very difficult to identify them when all things are rosy with you. At that time everyone is available to meet you and have some good time. When you are in trouble, some of them would be curious to know what happened. But beyond that they offer no solace.
Some of them might have looked at you for bailing them out of troubles. It is but natural that you assume that they will reciprocate the gesture when your time comes. But in realty those you help you in troubled times are your true well wishers (even though they don’t owe you anything).
There will be times when you look for someone who can just be your sound board. You feel the need to just talk out some issues, share your thoughts with and let the tension seep out of your system. Friends do come forward to lend their shoulder to cry on. But when it comes to giving you a hankie to blow your nose, there would be very few willing to do so. Hence it becomes prudent to watch out before spilling your troubles to someone, no matter how close he/she might be.
Quite a few people look for outsiders rather than turn to their partner. It could be that they do not want to unnecessarily burden their loved ones with their troubles. It could also be that they need someone to advise them impartially and their partner might be biased due to their love. It could also be that they might feel that their status in the eyes of the partner might reduce. There are umpteen issues with sharing with your partner. If you have an understanding partner then you are very lucky in life because you have someone available by your side to listen to you 24/7.
There are no guidelines to choose friends, are there? The subject itself is very subjective. One needs to go by gut feeling or by experience.
Probably just like marriage, friendship is also luck of the draw.
December 3, 2008
Muddenahalli
My next long drive – Bangalore to Muddenahalli via Nandi Hills. The photos show that the drive was awesome considering that the chilly weather of November was with us.
It was drive of 75 kms from Bannerghatta road to Muddenahalli. Nothing new to say about the drive on the six lane NH7 towards Hyderabad. As you can see the traffic was less thanks to the rains during the previous three days.
The picturesque landscape started once we took the turn towards Nandi Hills. The clouds were competing with the trekkers to touch the peak of the hills. The place takes you away from the hustle of the city and you can spend some time with your inner self on top of the hill.
The road was fine for most parts but once you enter the village area it became difficult. There were villagers selling freshly picked grapes from the vines nearby at dirt cheap prices.Bikers will find the drive rejuvenating. I regret not having the chance to feel the cold air on my face as I was traveling in a car.
Muddenahalli is the birth place of Sir Visweswarayya. There is a school and a museum dedicated to him. It also has Satya Sai Grama – a closed community containing educational institution for boys, post office, bank etc. The gated community is as large the village surrounding it.
Care was taken to not alter the natural surroundings while building the residential school.
This time I’ll let the photos do the talking …
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