Advertisements: Spreading the e-Word

The middle name of the years gone by, has been CHANGE. And the medium of updation: advertisements and the media. In an age where the masses cry foul everytime the media misrepresents facts, advertising has become the intelligence and class differentiator. Ads are the forebearers of fame and moolah, while simultaneously breeding conspicuous consumerism among the countrymen.

From an age where advertisers used a sound pneumonic, like in the Nirma ad to make sure the product was imprinted in the subconscious of the consumer to increase sales and to enhance ad recall, we have come a long way. Today’s ads appeal to the subtle consciousness of consumers and the makeover is evident even in the lingo used to make an ad catchy or memorable.

From bizarre to absolutely mundane, the ad world has embraced all forms of emotions and plays havoc with your taste buds.

IT, starting out as a niche segment is now the spearhead of innovative creative roots and with the technologies becoming more fine-tuned and increasingly targeted at the up-market buyer, it has become a pet topic among the creative guys. Gone are the days when a run-of-the-mill printer ad could do wonders to your sales figures given the lack of big competition. Today, we are subject to creative roots that picture kids in school or gurukuls completing impositions using the latest high-res Canon printers.

We live in a world where black & white and very audible hints to tickle the intellect are seen as old-fashioned and obscene. Gadgetry and being wired are the buzzwords of today and being hooked to the Net is a way of life. But the point being made is about the shift in focus in the very manner of getting yourself imprinted in the minds of all those who matter and more so among those who don’t. That might sound confusing but the smaller pieces of the puzzle go
a long way in building a brand. The ad might be the modicum of memory but who cares as long as it means overflowing coffers. We are now talking of making an iMac appeal to the masses with bright colored boxes from age-old gigantic
computers. With an ad that totes the tag line "Mac OS X. Suddenly, other operating systems seem so 20th century," making one rethink while stocking his shop having entered the 21st century and been to the millenium bash. The method of selling IT has changed since the golden years. Now IT forms the crux of ad revenues despite being the reason that the industry took a beating during the slowdown. We are looking at a turnaround and hence an increase an income
with the help of these nuggets that glare at you after every over in a cricket match giving the advertisers an "unfair advantage" like the Flexcube ad screamed... As do the following pages.

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