Move over, Stars!!

The three best television ads of 2011 refreshingly stay away from the humdrum of using celebrities to endorse ideas and products. It’s an encouraging trend, since the focus remains on the story.

While many may tag television advertisements as those annoying interruptions that break our favourite programmes, there have occasionally been some catchy ads that have made us sit up and take notice.

Here is a rundown of the three best television ads from this year that have left us looking forward to those commercial breaks more than ever.

1) The 'Friend'ly Ad                   
                         

                                 Airtel - Har Ek Friend Zaroori Hota Hai

                                 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GImkXLRk6KU

An ad’s success can be gauged when it crosses over from television to become a popular viral video. Airtel’s ‘Har Ek Friend Zaroori Hota Hai’ was on most lips across campuses and cities this year, and the song caught on like wild fire on social networking sites as well. The advertisement hit the bull’s eye and touched the heart of every youth, and the extremely catchy tune did not spare even the elders from singing along. Definitely the most memorable television ad of the year!!

2) Making a point                                                    

                                   Tata Docomo - No Getting Away

                                   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME0qgQblvBQ

 It is safe to say that Tata Docomo turned into a popular telecom service owing largely to its ingenuous advertisements on television. Its “No Getting Away” campaign this year has been straight out-of-the-box and innovatively hilarious. While Tata Docomo soon went on to sign Ranbir Kapoor, its latest series of ads minus the star have made television viewing a lot more fun.

3) The Great Indian Railways Revisited                        
                        

                                   The Indian Railways - Desh Ka Mel

                                   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzEKCYb6zzU 

The Indian Railways has for long been associated with tragedy and lethargy, and most Indians would rather look away at the mention of the service. But there’s more to the railways than we give it credit for, and at the top of the list is its power to unite and physically connect over one billion of us. Though the advertisement came out at the end of last year, it remained in people’s memories for a good part of 2011, and the Railways did succeed in sending a positive message.

The top three ads clearly survived the must-have-celebrity virus that has plagued much of the advertisement industry today. Apart from selling a point, they did manage to offer some food for thought – that stories will sell products, not celebrities.    

Also Read:

http://blog.pokkisam.com/content/most-creative-and-interesting-advertisements-2011

http://updateox.com/entertainment/12-best-commercial-ads-on-indian-tv/

http://www.in.com/happy-new-year-2011/top10-media-indian-advertisements-16-77-4.html

http://mumbrella.com.au/the-worlds-15-best-tv-ads-of-2011-50518 

http://www.bestadsontv.com/best/tv

It's all the same!!

I came across a human foot lying on the side of the road yesterday.
Mangled and cut off, it told a gruesome story of what probably happened to the rest of the poor soul. It wasn't hard to imagine the fear and trauma that poor being must have been through. He must have most certainly been dismembered even as he was alive.
Cruelty is something we all abhor, and yet, here is a mutilated foot that tells a whole other story. A piece of a being that did not deserve to die. At least, not like this. His cries for mercy obviously went unheard as he was butchered to be bundled off to a dinner party.

Oh, did i say human foot? Sorry, I meant 'chicken' . But that doesn't change anything, does it?

Put a coat on it…

Winter brings on its own set of blues. Also grey, brown, and beige.

Fashion has taken an undertone on the Lavale campus, with coats and sweaters being strutted straight off a fashion runway.

As the mercury struggles to rise, coats are splashing out faster than a flood. In a trend that may seem right out of an animated film, bags and boots are also changing shape and hue.

Minus the snow, the somber styles the winds have blown in are enough to give Hollywood a complex. And if you think you will miss the bright yellows and reds, the scarves tell a whole different story.

Fashion’s also dripping down to the feet, and even stockings, socks and shoes spell C-H-I-C.

Why, even conversations are misting up quite differently.

Overheard in the line at the canteen counter,

“Your jacket’s cooler than Steve McQueen!”

“That’s funny, coz it keeps me really warm!!”

“Speaking of warmth, I would like some on this hilltop.”

“Hey, try UCB¹. They will make sure you stay warm from head to toe.”

“But I like the colours Tommy² has.”

“And you are never quite ready for winter without Allen Solly.”

“Right now, I’m eyeing this gorgeous sweater from Canturberry.”

“Excuse me, Ma’am? It’s your turn.”

My only trip to Paris was cut short.

                                  ∙∙∙∙∙

1 – United Colors of Benetton

2 – Tommy Hilfiger

B for Book, Ban, Blot

There is one thing about the Thackerays. They are rarely underhanded.

Aditya Thackeray blatantly admitted his ignorance of Rohinton Mistry’s “insulting” book even as he burned the content out of the Mumbai University’s syllabus. This was done in the classic Shiv Sena fashion of course (‘goondagiri’ suits better, and the Thackerays were never particular about appealing to the elite), and well in time (also, well-planned, well-charted, and well-executed) to herald the Sena cub’s grand entry into politics.

As the leader of the party’s youth wing, the new entrant to the unscrupulous dynasty tried his best to do as the Romans do. Burning books and arm-twisting none other than the Vice-Chancellor of a University is something only a true-blooded Sainik can pull off. It’s more than a conjecture to estimate which way the Yuva Sena will head in the days to come. The picture’s clear and out in the open, just as the Thackerays like it.

The young scion flung every notion of an educated, civilized, tolerant, and secular generation worthy of leading the nation right out of the window. In fact, right out of the University.

Banning a book can never be justified. And when this is done on the jingoistic whims of a brainwashed student, the matter brings immense shame. No, not to the Thackerays, of course. They are beaming with pride. The book ban actually mocks us, you and me, who, as part of this generation that claims to be living in an emancipated era and a free country, did nothing but watch haplessly and rather dispassionately as literature succumbed to political censorship in its ugliest form. This wasn’t the same Mumbai that the world watched in awe post the terror attacks. Yes, lives were lost and yes, it was a whole different incident, but this is no less an attack on Mumbai’s character as it was then.

Taking one thing at a time, Aditya’s romp as a precursor to his induction was virtually a ‘Mumbai Jaago’ campaign. All those wishful Mumbaikars who thought the Sena’s run was slowing owing to the aging Tiger and a rather toothless regent may now have to be wary of the 20-year-old, who has showcased he can wield the Sena power just like his Grandpa would be proud of.

Aditya’s only claim to fame is that dreaded family name, but the followers are already spewing. Making a slightly digressing yet crucial point, it is really necessary to uncover how much the muscular party shells out to hire its herds of goondas. Mistry pointed out how all that the party is responsible for constructively is its ready employment generation. Apart from that, their beloved Mumbai has succumbed to more havoc from the Sainiks than the frequent deluges that the Rain Gods bring.

Secondly, and more importantly, the day the University (the Vice Chancellor is but the representative) bowed down to a just-out-of-his-teens boy’s tantrums was a sad day for the already battered spirit of Indian democracy.

Mistry has made his point with effect, and can even move on from the incident. But we as national witnesses to this “pathetic” episode (quoting the author from his harangue) have a lot to think about.

The Shiv Sena nuisance has been a long-going one, where they have extorted “outsiders” to leave and have hijacked the city on several occasions, all in the name of protecting the Marathi Manoos. I am from Maharashtra and I couldn’t be more appalled to be a part of this city than I am now.

In fact, the current goings-on in the country don’t do much for my pride either. The Kashmir issue has been the biggest slap in the face of the largest democracy of the world. And then we have the Thackerays kick Mumbai around like it’s their favourite hobby.

Their leader’s unabashed violation of the decibel limit set by the High Court for his grand return orchestrated at Shivaji Park recently is just the last straw. And the police function more as an entourage than real law-keepers anytime the Tiger roars.

In a vulgar contradiction that can never be digested by any Indian, a boy resorts to vandalism to get his way in one part of the country and the administration gives in, while in another state, a boy strives to bring some peace to his people and he is shot down by the authorities. No, a book ban shouldn’t have happened. And in a larger context, no, an innocent teenager shouldn’t have been shot dead in the Valley.

Sixty three years ago, this nation dreamed of a democracy that would grow to be a stellar illustration of how life can be lived at its best. Such a long journey. But where have we come?

Honk if you hate noise pollution ;)

Peaceful co-existence.... How hard is it?

If we sit and talk, maybe we wont' have to kill each other..

http://www.cagle.com/news/EarthDay10/images/heller.jpg

Let's change our priorities.. That will help!

http://www.cagle.com/working/090514/stahler.jpg

Sometimes, optimism can be foolish!!

Sounds familiar?

Hmmm..

Doesn't hurt, does it?

Road Map for Control of Terrorism in India

Road Map for Control of Terrorism in India

Terror tactics – Let the Commonwealth Games not become another blood zone

A penalty shot here, a gunshot there. A boundary here, a bomb blast there. Somehow, these unrelated acts have fallen on common grounds on several unfortunate occasions. Sporting events across the world have become soft targets for terrorists to do what they seek to do – terrorize masses, and gain adequate attention for their causes in the process.

The 1972 Munich massacre of 11 Israeli athletes by the Black September terrorists is an incident that refuses to fade away from public memory. And in more recent times, the frequent bombings in unnervingly close proximity to sport events have successfully created terror in the minds of players and fans alike. So what really is the motive of creating a bloodbath in the midst of a ceremonious, joyous event? The answer lies somewhere in the nature of the very contrast!!

Terrorists are now looking to capitalize on the magnum scale of sport events, particularly those like the Olympics or the Commonwealth Games, to send across a message far and wide, and to push their cause across to people from every part of the world by attacking an assortment of representatives. Several and more terror outfits seek mileage through such acts, and terror cannot be spread more easily than when it is struck at the heart of an enthralled crowd.

Volatile nations like Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and even India, are some of the most unsafe destinations to conduct sport events at, and are extremely vulnerable to terror attacks, which are targeted chiefly toward popular sports like cricket. The separate attacks on the New Zealand and Sri Lankan cricket teams on Pakistani grounds drive home the point. The scale of popularity of a sport assumes great importance for such planned terror strikes, and with cricket virtually being a religion on both sides of the border, such acts can hurt indefinitely.

                                                       

Many times, the main motive lies in undermining the image of the host nation, in terms of revealing its security lapses and glitches. In these cases, it is usually indigenous, anti-establishment terror groups that look to gain from such acts. 

More often than not, it is the fans who become sitting ducks for terrorists, and the recent bomb blast that ripped through a gathering of football fans in Uganda ascertains the trend unequivocally. So, even as the FIFA World Cup ended with a bang, the real bang literally sniffed out many innocent lives.

In the light of such bleak events, it is every nation’s prerogative to provide assiduous security to sport events, and to ensure that innocent lives are not lost at the time of such vigour and enthusiasm. With the Commonwealth Games already falling short on many other accounts, security becomes the biggest concern, and the Capital has always been susceptible to terror attacks. So even while the whole nation is up in arms over the shoddy hygiene conditions and half-baked preparations at the Games, the authorities must not lose focus from cementing effective security measures first.

And just as sportsmen need elaborate security, the safety of fans must also not be left unattended. Stringent and responsible security must necessarily be paramount at an event like this, and India is just not ready to face another terror strike.