Guest Column: Right-Brained Citizen Blog#3: ‘Insert Special Characters’
“Walk in to any adverting agency and there will be this crazy bunch that keeps the mojo of that place going. Call anybody who works or has worked in advertising and they will have dozens of stories about these magical creatures,” says Sainath Saraban, NCD at Leo Burnett

It’s just another day at work. The brief doesn’t make sense. The idea is still eluding you like that guy who owes you money. The deadline is approaching at the speed of, well, a deadline. There is nothing faster than an approaching deadline.
The guy in the next cubicle has his own set of worries when Mr. X-Ray vision approaches him and says, “Give me a cigarette.”
My worried cubicle neighbour looks up and says, “I don’t have any.”
Mr X-Ray vision says, “Oh really! Or is it that you don’t want to give me a cigarette?”
Worried cubicle neighbor, “Seriously. I’ve run out.”
Mr. X-Ray vision saunters up to me, gives me his fake God-man laugh and says, “Ha ha ha ha…an open pack with 17 Classic Milds lies in his second drawer. I can see it right through the wood. But he doesn’t want to share. So be it. Ha ha ha.”
He walks away still laughing at the selfishness of mere mortals.
My worried cubicle neighbor opens the second drawer.
It is empty.
When you join advertising, your appointment letter says many things.
“It is with great pleasure blah…blah…”
“You are entitled to… blah…blah.”
“Your bonus is….blah…blah.”
“You will not….blah…blah.”
But what it doesn’t mention is this fabulous fact, this magnificent perk, this hidden gem that’s actually one of the biggest incentives there is.
“You will be sharing your work-life with some very special characters. And these people will ensure that you have a good ride, and provide memories that will last way longer than your last bonus.”
Mr. X-Ray vision is just one of the many special characters that inhabited my advertising life - someone so memorable that I’m still talking about him after 18 years. And he has some great company.
There was the ‘Moonlighting King’ - a super-charged copywriter who was the ‘Bruce Lee’ of the freelance business. He worked full-time with us and part-time with half a dozen other agencies simultaneously. So every now and then he would get in to his sky-blue Maruti van that had a bunch of wax grapes dangling from the rear-view mirror and distribute headlines and body-copy pretty much like that guy handing out leaflets at a mall. He’d come back looking nonchalant about the whole thing and proceed to play carom.
The ‘Bird-Watcher’ - a very articulate and polite gent who had a diploma in ornithology. ‘That’s the study of birds’, he said in an attempt to enlighten me. He was so in love with wildlife that, at a workshop in Wyanad, Kerala, he saw a leech latched on to his leg merrily sucking his blood and getting fat. Our man, plucked the leech out gently, held it lovingly and said, “Oh! Baby, please don’t do that” before letting it go. Bystanders just stood there somewhat shocked, hoping that it was just a bad dream.
“Rowdy Re-mix.” - this art director who subconsciously mixed two different songs and genuinely believed he was singing the right song. He would sing, “Seven Up - Taste The Thunder’ (blasphemy according to some!), and ‘Yeh laal rang…magar chupke chupke’- (the first line is from a Rajesh Khanna film and the second from a Shah Rukh starrer) with such conviction, you’d have your doubts before correcting him!
Then there was the ad-film director who ate only white food.
The absent-minded music-director who called the sound engineer because he was terribly late for a session and told them he was just around the corner. He was caught out because he’d very ‘smartly’ called them from his landline at home.
The space cadet of a canteen guy who handed me an empty plate and said, “Sir, Maggi.” I looked at him and said, “Where’s the Maggi?” He looked at the empty plate, blinked and walked away.
The art director who while watching an ‘adult’ movie with a bunch of guys had just one thing to say, “What lighting, man!”
The creative director who wore the same attire for a whole week, just to keep us guessing – ‘was he not washing his clothes or did he really have 5 identical sets?’
To a lot of people these fine human beings might come across as oddballs. But to us, these guys are the spirit of the place.
Walk in to any adverting agency and there will be this crazy bunch that keeps the mojo of that place going. Call anybody who works or has worked in advertising and they will have dozens of stories about these magical creatures which will be followed by ‘Sigh! Those were the good days.”
They help us forget the rejections we face each day.
They see us through “Aaj bhi full-night hai boss.”
They make sure we’re laughing our heads off even as we make that 653rd iteration to the ad.
They make us believe that the antidote to a disastrous meeting is converting it into an anecdote.
These people are the Ajinomoto in our lives enhancing the mundane and making it delicious. And unlike MSG, they are actually good for you.
You know what? It doesn’t matter where you work or what you do, if you have a bunch of these special characters with you, you’re sorted.
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Sainath Saraban is NCD at Leo Burnett. He loves Samurai Manga, beer and Indian cinema among a million other things. He is very glad that he is right-brained and left-handed, and not the other way around.
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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
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