The Hindu Business Line : Winning at Goafest

The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) has pulled it off. The Goafest in its second year had it all. Good speakers, a serious conclave, a fun-filled atmosphere, a proper `ad-village', participation from all the major agencies (except O&M of course), a great junket for the young ad types and all the makings of something really, really big.

President Srinivasan Swamy has good reason to walk around with a huge smile stuck on his face. And Goafest Committee Chairman Arvind Sharma, who proved the point he set out to prove last year (that the AAAI could organise a huge festival), would be excused if he forgets about the AdClub Bombay and sets his sights on the Asia Pacific AdFest now.

Highlights and low lights

Trevor Beattie was frank. He always is. "Scam ads amount to cheating," he bluntly declared. We didn't see too many cheats squirming. No, we are certainly not saying there were no scam ads.

Some senior AAAI people were speaking about the formation of an IAF. No, the Indian Air Force has nothing to fear from Arvind Sharma. He meant an Indian Advertising Forum. Others yawned hugely. "What the industry doesn't need is yet another association," they declared. Yet, the point being made was that if the industry needed to be taken seriously by the segment that actually counted — the advertisers — they need to do something double quick. Not all the festivals in Goa can build the image they are hoping to reclaim.

And talking about that all-important segment, the advertisers, "the ones who tear the cheques," as Sam Balsara put it, where in God's name were they? Certainly not in Goa! Hey guys, an advertising fest without the advertisers is like a honeymoon for one person. You might have a lot of fun, but you can kiss the marriage goodbye.

And why have the entertainment at the end of a three-hour award function?

The only entertainment the crowd seemed to want was the spirited variety that was kept bottled up. The dash for the bar would have ended the country's search for sprinters and the performers from Sydney must have felt very lonely.

We are still confused as to how the agencies were ranked, but the award for the smartest agency should go to Grey. They partied at the Abby awards and at the GoaFest. Way to go, Nirvik!

Abhiash wedding

Abhiash: Least attended, most reported

Everybody sat glued to the television sets, muttering aloud as to why the channels were parked for three days outside the residence of the Big B.

The Abhiash wedding was the least attended (not because nobody wanted to go) and most reported event of the year. The leading English newspaper in Mumbai carried a large advertisement of Reid & Taylor that featured the Bachchans and talked about fine apparel. It also carried news items that Ash had her clothes designed by Neeta Lulla, and the Bachchans had theirs designed by Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla. Wonder who decided to schedule an ad like that!

Somewhat like having a large ad of Shah Rukh Khan in the boxy Santro he endorses, and a picture of him in the large BMW he drives, on the same page.

ASCI action

The venerable Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has slammed several big advertisers and agencies' ads. The visible ones include Rediff's ad for GoAir which was released as a part of its first anniversary. ASCI rules the ad "plays with the trust of a consumer by making an exaggerated claim". The sad part is that the scheme was announced in November 2006, so nothing much can be done about the ad. Yet, consumer trust is something you never play with. And now with additional ad spend and Preity Zinta endorsing the airline, one hopes the agency and advertiser have learned their lesson.

Another ad banned by ASCI as "offensive" is the Godrej commercial created by Quadrant for its Fair & Glow whitening cream which featured a Mr and Mrs "Kale". For crying out aloud, how low can we stoop?

Vic's Pick

Talking about celebrity endorsements, did you see the new one for the "large" Chevrolet UVA? No, two big stars like Saif and Rani weren't big enough to make a statement for this "big" car. So the clever creative team pulled King Kong (the mythical giant ape) into the commercial and showed him trying to get his giant foot into the car. Guys, didn't you know, apes are supposed to be intelligent. And pray, why do you need Saif and Rani anyway?

(Victoria invites comment at brandline@thehindu.co.in

Victoria

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