Skip to main content

The advertising whirl

So here goes my first crappy contribution to the ‘whirl’ of advertising and marketing.

When you think back at any given day, the no. of products that you have used is no less than maybe 1000. This is my count. Experts put it at 3000.

From getting up to your Rado alarm clock (ok whatever alarm clock) to your Nokia phone on which you double check the time and see whether somebody tried disturbing you while you were asleep.

On your trudge to the bathroom to take your first pee of the day, you push down your Jockey boxers. Later you’d use a Dettol handwash to do away with the accidental pee drops on your hand and also think that your Nivea facewash might pull you up from the slumber.

You open the door and pull in the Hindusthan Times…the heading stares at you…”INDIA OUT OF WORLD CUP”…

You think “poor Pepsi…”..and therefore Coke.

You open the newspaper and there is a deluge of notice ads, appointment ads, classifieds, stupid ads, offer ads, all fighting for attention…

I am sure you’d cover atleast 100 – 200 symbols of products in that 1 hour itself…

After your morning dose of advertising, on your travel to office you are blasted into the ad 'whirl' where every street corner, tree, road divider, park benches and even morning joggers are adorned with brands. How many do you think you would have been exposed to? Another 100-200?

If you are in the habit of checking mails and reading up some news on the net…there you go…another 200 odd.

Man…how do you remember these things when you go into purchasing something?

Movies such as the “Truman Show” and the French “Mr.Average” tried to showcase some interesting aspects of this…In :Minority report”, it showed us how we can’t do away with it even in 2054…

That moronic truth that our choices are dictated by advertising is a bit hard to digest. But I think I am smarter in choosing to be a contributer…he he. For others, just enjoy the stay.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

It just happens

You are reading this article. That is coincidence. No. This one is not crappy… There is this small theory about life that I have assimilated after a lot of introspection over the past, maybe 5-6 years. I do not know whether I can lay claim to this because I have sometimes seen similarities in what others feel about life. So here goes, I call it the THEORY OF CO-INCIDENCE . To start with, let me present some situations for you… Think of the person who you met last. Or better, one who you spoke to last… Just think back and try to gather when you met him / her for the first time. (to be effective don’t think of your parents or siblings…at least not yet) Could you think back a few minutes before that, and then start constructing a ‘what-if’ situation if in case you haven’t met him/her. If you are going around with someone, can you think of a situation wherein you haven’t met him/her? Can you think of a situation where you missed the train that you actually got into? Ima...
1 comment
Read more

The Indian 'notion'

 I have realised that the concept of India thrives best in our minds and not in reality. India survives in each of our conscience as a concept loosely strung together by our virtues or by the lack of it. And it is not uniform. As an identity, it can be best described as an unfinished dream trying to complete its play before reality ends its climax. I might be chastised for blasphemy and sedition, but I don’t think that the real concept of India is going to play out very soon. And my interpretation is as follows: The constitution was framed in the midst of a reality defying orgasm called freedom. The drafters of the "World's longest constitution" were learned-no doubt, but were obviously feeling high and self righteous about framing policies that sought in all good faith-to reshape the mindset of a faction rid nation into believing in the power of 'one' India. In drafting this, they gave absolute freedom to everybody to follow everything they wanted- faith, re...
Post a Comment
Read more

Religious Hypocrisy and Political expression Part - II

Home Truths In the land I come from, in Kerala, half-informed debates on public policies, regulations and laws were common place across any congregation above 2 people. During my younger days, matters of faith used to be a private matter. Personally too, I have always felt uncomfortable discussing attributes of one religion versus the other.  I have also been led to believe that religious tolerance and acceptance in the state of Kerala was much higher than the national average. As much as I can remember, the fiercest rioting and arson in Kerala have happened on political agendas rather than anything overtly religious. Here again, it was the Communist parties with their militant trade union ideologies that always used to find itself at either ends in these clashes. However, unlike in many other parts of India it used to be the youth cadres of the Communist parties and RSS (and not BJP) which used to engage in these political battles especially in the northern belt ...
Post a Comment
Read more