What I liked: After what seem like eternity, it looks like one brand has finally hit upon an interesting long-running advertising theme -- the Coca Cola-Aamir Khan brand.
The two are tied-in brilliantly to each other. And the endearing quirkiness of every state in our country reflected in the campaign, makes us wait for every new Coke ad.
The latest argumentative Bengali TVC, the newest addition to this chain is as sparkling as its predecessors.
Insightfully sketched and well-produced right down to the pouts and the extravagant gestures, the 30-seconder fits in so beautifully with the characteristic trait that some Bengalis share -- the tendency to create a mountain out a molehill.
By doing so, it skilfully lets the viewer infer that the controversies around the brand are equally over-exaggerated.
I must say that content, issue, actor, casting, quirky traits, production values have all come together the best so far in this version of the Coke-across-India campaign.
I did talk quite extensively about the previous Aamir Khan/Coke commercial (October 17) little realising that another nugget would be just around the corner! Lets hope the brand and its ambassador are able to keep the magic going for a long time.
Now that they are so 'impactful' together, it's hard to imagine the brand without Aamir Khan and his brilliant performances. And that is a dangerous place for the brand to be in.
So here's hoping that they have an equally strong plan all chalked out for the future. Meanwhile here's wishing the pair a long and successful run together.
What I've learned.
Walking the talk: The hardest part of being a CEO (of a company, institution or country) is getting accustomed to the fact that you are watched. And imitated. All the time.
Initially it is all very flattering, till you realise that even your not so commendable habits and traits have suddenly become a matter of universal concern.
And that you can't get around it by preaching one thing and practising another. The Americans have tagged this exercise in self-discipline as "walking the talk".
Ten centuries ago, one of our historical "CEOs" Raja Bhoj was taught to "walk the talk" by his ingenuous and quick-witted friend and royal poet, Kalidas.
Raja Bhoj as you all might probably know was one of our few kings who were, as we say, blessed by both Goddesses Saraswati and Lakshmi.
He had it all -- knowledge, culture, wisdom and wealth. But he had one vice -- gambling and he refused to believe that his vice was setting a very harmful trend in the kingdom.
So Kalidas disguised himself as a Brahmin and made sure that he was seen haggling for the price of meat in front of a meat shop which was on the route the king regularly took from his favourite gambling den.
The king naturally stopped; stunned that he was actually seeing a Brahmin in a meat shop (remember caste was God in those days).
Curious, he questioned this very odd Brahmin, who replied that he needed meat to go along with his liquor.
This amazed the king even more -- meat and liquor?!! The Brahmin calmly went on to explain that he needed liquor in the company of prostitutes. The King's jaw dropped even more.
"Meat, liquor and prostitutes?" he asked. "Where on earth do you get the money to sustain such a lavish lifestyle?" he enquired practically. To which the Brahmin stated, as if it was quite the accepted norm, "Oh from gambling, of course!"
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