Advertising is a funny business! A line that stuck with me since the time I read it the first time. Lines like mango frooti, fresh and juicy or humara bajaj or even kuch meetha ho jaaye; all classic, stayed for generations but somehow, somewhere, could not create an impact like the first line of the paragraph did.
When you mention the word funny, it has many connotations. A term so subjective, it is difficult to reciprocate or to fit into one bracket for you, I assume! The whimsical charlie chaplin with his black coat, hat, stick and tricks is funny for you, maybe. But for me, a client briefing today, asking for a pitch tomorrow and stating that it only takes 4 hours to complete the task perfectly, is funny! So, you get the two types of funniness?
I’ve met many clients and colleagues who make this journey a memorable one but some instances really crack me up and make me wonder, are we really in the business of advertising? Or does our presence to many resemble that of an oven or a microwave? Put your problems inside us, choose the duration and voila! your solutions are ready! Do ad agencies look like vijay sales or croma to you where one can scout for talent at a discounted rate? Such scenarios make advertising funny for me.
We love to live in fantasy, we really do. But ideas are not fantasies, they are a reality. If it was so easy to clock ideas, I would’ve been busy repairing my watch than writing this blog. But then there are good Samaritans like Axel Schwan who understand that it’s a serious business and not a funny one.
The next time you meet an advertiser or an agency, please… please… please… live on the principle of ‘Good things take time’. We think, they (machine) can’t! Please let’s add the seriousness back to advertising?