Was it indeed a giant leap for all of Mankind ??

July 21st 1969.... God!! Its been 40 long years since Neil Armstrong had set his feet on the Moon.. 40 years. Its definitely a huge deal for the entire world...

40 years of confusion and arguments and conspiracy theories.. 'Did man actually land on the Moon'?? I myself have been facing this internal conflict.. A major part of me wants to believe that Neil Armstrong was the first man, who made a Giant Leap for the entire mankind. But there is a tiny portion in my mind which compels me to think the opposite, No man ever landed on Moon..

This thought is strongly supported by the number of evidences provided by various conspiracy theorists and secondly knowing the fact that the country in question is none other the United States !!!

Whatever it is, I do not want to bring up the issue all over again and take away the charm from this big event. For now this is just a stoic response to a huge achievement of Mankind 40 years ago ! !! To support this even the world is about the witness the longest ever Solar eclipse in the past so many years.. Call it destiny or wat??

The Exciting World of Ads !!

Ads… No matter how far you run, no matter where you hide, they will hunt you down and sell things that you want / don’t want / never even dreamt of having etc etc… That is the power of advertising!!

I know for majority of people advertisements are something that find there way either into the most interesting part of a match, or exactly at a time when the movie is about to hit a climax!!! This being exactly the reason why they are hated by many…

But for some strange reason, I have always admired the creativity that goes behind the Ads. I have deliberately made an effort to understand and appreciate the way in which the message is being communicated. The more indirect mode of communication, the more interested I am in the Ad..

I believe that the Indian Ad world has come a long way in terms of the punch of the message, creativity and a much bolder theme. In terms of creativity, the first things that pops into my head is the Zoozoo ads of Vodafone. The ads were so powerful, that It has shook the entire media industry, to an extent that the Zoozoos have become the new face of Vodafone along with the “always loved” Pug. Subtle and simple messages were communicated so powerfully that it leaves a lasting impact on a person’s mind ! Kudos to the team behind it...

The other ad which had grabbed my mindshare for a long time was the Happy Dent White chewing gum ad. The message – Eating this particular chewing gum helps in maintaining white teeth, was conveyed so dramatically with an added sense of humor that this particular ad went on to win the best ad in the 2007 awards.

There are a loads of other ads worthy enough to be mentioned here, like the Pulsar 220, 2009 edition ad.. Fastest Indian on road, The latest Yamaha Mobike ads focusing on performance and the Brand, The HSBC Bank ad conveying the message that different people have different needs and loads of others.. Not jotting them down for want of space..

I was earlier mentioning that the Indian Ad world has also evolved into a much mature industry, where bold and strong messages are being communicated. And the best part is that such messages are well accepted by the audience as well, which is indeed a positive development..

For instance, the “Jo Bola, wohi Sikandar” ad on condom was a lot bolder than the older ads, or the Ipill emergency pills ads or the latest matrimonial website ads etc have helped the consumer shed the inhibitions associated with such products from their minds.

Well, all of the above said, I still feel that Print ads are the best, as they convey the message in the best and shortest way possible, which tests the creativity to its limit !! I am just posting a collection of a few of the Ads which I found were really exceptional… So here goes..

A dramatic representation of the power of the Vitamin tablets.. The Plane crashes as it is hit by the ball... Awesome creativity !!!

One of the best Hot Wheel ads i have ever witnessed..

Never ever seen such a lovely Pepsi Ad.. :)

An awesome effort by the IWC Watches. This was done in all the public mode of transporation in Zurich !! Amazing...

The best way to communicate that the particular skin cream is the best !!

This is creativity at its best, i would say. The Crown of the Beer bottle has a picture of the car. The minute you open the bottle the picture of the car is bent, with a message on the inside of the bottle... Dont Drink and Drive !! Awesome !!! Who would have ever thought of this.

Alright.. i am leaving this one for you guys to admire the thought... Go on.. ;)

Well since the Idea behind this particular ad is a bit serious had reserved it for the last. This was published immediately after the Bihar Floods (River Kosi).. The message was .. SAVE TREES, TREES SAVE! Hard hitting, but excellent...

Well, I admit that i got carried away, and suddenly realised the post has becme really long.. So in the interest of the readers I am resisting my temptations to post any more...

But a sincere request to everyone out there... please take a few minutes of your entertaiment time to admire the creativity behind these ads as well..... Thanks...

Cheers Ash....

Not all is up in Smokes... !

Cigarette smoking is injurious to health..... The first thing that I always read and highlight to people about who I really care....

I have always wondered, what is there in smoking that can make people addicted to it, to an extent that inspite of knowing all the harmful side effects, people just don't quit it... That's when I thought, why not attempt to understand the good things about smoking, not the vices, which takes flak all the time...

So here I go...

Nothing promotes Bonhomie as much as a smoke... Wondering what the hell I am speaking about?? Well... I have always observed this thing, One guy is smoking and there is somebody else who needs a light.. and thats it.. Off they go into a casual conversation.. A cigarette butt usually turns out to be the best conversation starter ever.. You Meet somebody for the first time at a smoking joint, share a light, share some light moments discussing economy, weather, etc etc.. Meet the person again at the joint the next day and there you go.... Good buddies from then on...

A smooth Ice breaker... Yes !! I have often seen this... Juniors going out for a smoke with the seniors.. Its one place where both the parties discuss work casually, off hand without the messy Boss - Subordinate relation.. The uncomfortable silence which usually creeps in can easily be blown away with the smoke.. I have seen guys developing a good rapport with their bosses, even talk about appraisals, better job offers etc over a smoke.. Which is definitely a positive score.. :)

Burn out your worries... "Don't drink and Drive, Just smoke and fly".. This is the motto that keeps the spirit alive, vouches one of my best buddies.. If you are in some tension, something is bothering you, just burn em out with a smoke.. I fail to understand how it works, but it definitely helps loads of people in easing out the worries..

Oodles of attitude....This is one thing that cannot be denied at any cost ! No matter what people say, A smart formal attire flaunted along with a cigarette surely scores on the "COOL QUOTIENT" front !! This is a personal opinion and may not be accepted by all.. I strongly do feel so ..

Well.. that's the best of the lot that I could gather on the positives on smoking.. But I still maintain, none of these have ever motivated me to take up smoking.. and hope nothing ever will.....

Thatz all 4 now !!!