Smart Ads! (???)

Indian Ads are maturing, no doubt. But I still find some ads disturbingly void of content or creativity. The latest that I found silly (please note "I"...others may 'beg' to differ) among the ads that run so frequently on television:

1. The 'Inventive Thinking' ad campaign. Two versions run currently, the football playing kid and the buddhist monk in rain. The latter brought a smile to me. The former was a disappointment.

The kid wearing huge specs is playing football in the rain. And he is a goaley. Now he isnt able to spot the ball clearly since his specs get wet in the rain. He sees a car's wipers and Ting! An idea comes up and he is shown as back with the same specs - now with a small wiper for the specs!!!! Now, how much effort did the kid have to put to make a small wiper, with all its components!!! And I dont think any shop sells readymae wipers for specs and going by the ad he should have made it. And I dont think the small wiper would have given him any clarity on the field coz all he would see for a couple of big rods nodding around, over the small area of the specs.

And how long would it have taken for him to go buy himself contact lenses???????
There was no need for 'Inventive' thinking there!! All that was needed was 'common sense'. An ad that dismisses its tagline as stupid.

2. The bicycle ad where the kid is talking of racing all his friends and winning coz he has a fast and sturdy bike. The only complaint I have on this ad is: It seemingly targets the kids who find so much fun in racing and winning and take bicycle riding more seriously than just for pleasure. The kid is seen tying a mirror on to his handbar mentioning that it was for looking at his friends who have a tough time catching up with him. Now if the company is so confident of its product and it does feel there is a necessity of a mirror for the kids to look at people behind him coz he would be always ahead, it would have done good for itself by providing a rearview mirror with the bike instead of encouraging kids to take mirrors from home and tie them to the cycle using laces and small ropes!!!! I mean, see. The mirror aint necessary anyways. But dont target that in the ad and mention that you need one, to feel good that you are ahead. Its like pointing your mistake yourself! and then hoping it would sell!!!! And gurus, its the adults that are going to buy the bikes for the kids. So please try sounding smart to them too!

There was once I loved certain ads sooooooo much that I really wanted to get into creative direction and ad making and stuff. I still have that yet-unfulfilled dream. Hope to give my small contribution in some manner to admaking.

Remember the ads that used to be aired for Kamasutra?? A tribute to the world's greatest sport? Ah! They were just too good. Subtleness at its best. It conveyed what it wanted to its target audience without seeming vulgar to the ones not targeted - the kids. Such ads are now only a rarity. There are some amazing ads on print these days. Well. I am going to do something about joining the ad industry. However small my part is.

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