Twenty Questions

So what's happening on the job front?
Nothing much.
Aren't you in the management trainee program?
Yes, I am.
You've been here for a long time now?
A little more than a year now.
What happened to your rotations then?
I don't know. I just stuck around.
Is the program over now?
Yes.
So what happens now?
Either we continue with our current roles, or we apply to other available roles.
You have been here for a long time. So, your boss wants you to continue?
Yes.
So, are you?
No.
So, to what other roles are you applying?
None.
Err... (long flabbergasted pause)... eh?
I am not applying to any other department.
Why? Nothing interesting?
No, there are some good profiles.
So, why are you not applying?
I don't want to.
So, you are sticking around in your present role?
No. (Didn't I just answer that a few questions back?)
So, what are you doing then?
Nothing much.
(lightbulb flickers on top of head) Are you...?
Yes.
You are leaving?
Yes.
...for good?
Yes.
Wow! Why, don't you like it here?
No, I like it, but just don't want to continue right now.
So, where are you going?
Nowhere.
Err... (long flabbergasted pause)... eh?

Zoozoos and Doodoos

What are ads supposed to do? For me, they are just entertainment. I don't think they can actually sell the product; they can just create awareness about the product or the brand or the company.
Lately, the ads have been quite bad. The auto companies have completely lost it, the DTH providers' ads trying to cover the lack of content with star power, skin creams, hair colour... someone please get some sense in these people!
Hero Honda's Desh ki Dhadkan campaign has a Bollywood-ish song (not a short jingle) that tries to link to some patriotic feeling ala Hamara Bajaj, and fails miserably - but do they really think this will sell more bikes?
The DTH providers are even worse. The new TataSky again shows Aamir's talent as an actor, but fails to impress otherwise. Thoda aur wish karo - I wish that I never have to see SRK say that again - will I get this wish if I buy from them? But SunDirect takes the cake! Plagiarism is a serious issue in most forums, but to have such a blatant show on television is not on. Even if it was the same agency (I don't know this), taking the same concept and repeating it for another client within a space of months - what were they thinking? Clearly they were not!

IPL-2 takes advertising to another domain. Monetizing cricket is great, but the in-your-face advertising gets too much at times.
A six is no longer called that - it is a "DLF Maximum". When someone gets out, the commentator does not simply say "he's out", he says "it's a Citi moment of success". The only thing I have to say to this again - what were they thinking? Especially Citi - do they really need to remind the audience every ten minutes about themselves? Are they so down and out that they think nobody remembers them as a success anymore?
Today one commentator chose an "opportune moment" to remind us of all the sponsors. This "opportune moment" was after 11 overs and 1 ball. This after an innocuous single was taken. Why was that moment "opportune"? Can anyone please explain this?

The few ads that I do like - the Nokia ad featuring Priyanka Chopra - yes, I like PriChops, but the ad is quite well-shot.
But the best campaign right now has to be the Vodafone series. O&M had pulled off another stunner with the Zoozoos. But I still can't believe that the Zoozooz are actors with costumes. Still looks animated to me, and I think that's quite amazing!

Just wish there are more Zoozoos and lesser Doodoos in Indian advertising - will DishTV grant me at least this?

Scared shitless or shit scared?

I am scared.
Scared of what?
That's what I've been trying to figure out. Lots of things. Very confusing.
So what are you doing about it?
Trying to drum up some courage.
Courage for what?
Courage to tell someone something; courage to not tell someone something. Courage to take that step towards possible greatness, and more importantly, courage not to take the step back.
Isn't that just about everything? Too generic?
It makes sense to me. I need it for different things in my life right now, and there are so many things going on, so this has to cover a lot.
If you are afraid of something now, how will get over it?
I will not think about the future, not worry about possible outcomes, not assess probabilities.
Isn't that dangerous? Just taking a decision without thinking about what may happen?
I never said that I am not going to have some sort of a decision tree, not know what the outcomes may be. I just won't worry about them, won't analyze everything again and again.
So how will you make any decision?
I will just take them. Go by my gut.
What if things don't go according to plan?
That's the beauty of this - there is no plan.
What if you fail?
I won't.
So will you take that step?
Yes.
Are you scared?
Yes.