The magical spell of amusing Ad campaigns lasts longer

In the early 1960s, I was studying for an Honours degree in mathematics at Hindu College Delhi. A friend once taught me a clever variation of the magic square, which most of us are familiar with. By following a simple rule, one can fill with numbers any square with an odd number of compartments in such a way that horizontally, vertically and diagonally, they all add up to the same number. I was keen to share that trick with my contemporaries in college. I labouriously constructed a square with 33 compartments on each side totaling 1089 and pasted it on the bulletin board of the college so that everyone could read it. That was my first introduction to the power of the posters.

Studying the subject deeper, I found that a ‘poster war’ is a historical political conflict fought through competing ‘public’ posters or the widespread use of ‘propaganda’ posters, during military conflicts. A ‘wall poster’ on the other hand, is a printed sheet, picture or notice attached to a wall for decoration, education, or advertising. Such posters usually combine graphic elements, artwork, or photographs with text to catch attention quickly. They are mostly used in homes, dormitories or offices to display art, movie scenes or motivational quotes; apart from being used in classrooms and institutions as charts, infographics, explaining concepts, philosophy, or historical facts. Posters also have an important role to play in advertising events, products, movies, or political campaigns.

The practice of paste–posting handbills or paper posters onto walls, first began with British municipal authorities and private property owners displaying warning signs in the form of short imperative notices such as ‘stick no bills’ or ‘no bills to be posted’ to discourage fly–posting.

It is common to find many such warnings in places such as private properties owned by people obsessed with privacy, military installations of a secret nature, government buildings, electricity transformer substations and zoos, among others. One interesting example relates to private properties discouraging intruders with the warning sign “trespassers will be prosecuted.”

One also comes across other signs threatening severe action if the message is not heeded. Belonging to that category is the often-seen warning ‘Keep of the grass’ a caution, regrettably, often observed more in the breach than in its observance, as William Shakespeare would have put it. Another sign of the same genre is the one which says ‘Danger! 440 Volts!’, informing people that there is an immediate, life-threatening electrical hazard capable of causing severe electric shock, burns or death it they were to come into contact with it, a warning that uses a ‘skull and bones’ image to represent possible death or mortal danger if it is ignored. Another similar sign used particularly by defence and government establishments is the one which says ‘unauthorised persons not allowed’.

Owners with a sense of humour and a weakness for dark humour are also known to modify that warning into ‘trespassers will be shot, survivors will be shot again’!

Another statement, usually seen in houses, is “I am the boss of this house, and I have my wife’s permission to say so”, which is as truthful as it is humorous! Funny statements of a similar nature, sarcastic and bold in nature and designed to make people laugh, are usually also found in coffee mugs, T-shirts and decorative walls. Examples of that category are, “I am not arguing; I’m just explaining why I am right!”, “I didn’t mean to push your buttons, was only looking for the mute!” and “no sex, please, we are British”, a humorous catchphrase used to jokingly describe the traditional prudishness, embarrassment, or awkwardness for discussing sex or intimate topics. Similarly, ‘Hollywood are bust’ stands for committing oneself completely to reach Hollywood to achieve fame or success, with the underlying resolve to risk total failure, or ruin, or ‘bust’, if it does not work!

Some of the most innovative, imaginative, contemporary and devastatingly funny ad campaigns are run by the legendary dairy brand Amul, or the Anand Milk Union Limited. The Amul campaign was launched by its creators, Sylvester Da Cunha and Eustace Fernandez through the introduction of the polka-dotted Amul girl mascot along with the legendary tagline, utterly butterfly, delicious. It incidentally holds the Guinness world record for the longest running continuous billboard advertising campaign.

Another similar campaign was that of Air India, the airline earlier owned by the government of India. ‘Maharaja’ the potbellied, beloved mascot of the airline was instantly recognizable with his curling, oversized moustache, aquiline nose, striped turban, and serene, placid expression that can only be dubbed ‘resting Maharaja face.’ The Maharaja or Emperor was also known as ‘the Rogue’ and was first conceived in 1946 by Bobby Kooka, Air-India’s Commercial Director, and illustrated by Umesh Rao, an artist. The Maharaja went on to become the star of a series of promotions launched by Air-India.

Another brand that made waves in the advertisement industry was the adhesive Fevicol. The best Fevicol advertisement is widely considered to be ‘The Bus’, where an impossibly crowded rural bus carries dozens of passengers clinging tightly to its exterior without anyone falling off! From the same brand came another masterpiece of equal class in the nature of a humorous take, where a man tries to crack an egg, but it refuses to break because the chicken had pecked at a Fevicol container!

Another legendary marketing campaign was that of Pepsi. Its “Nothing 0fficial about it” 1996 cricket World Cup campaign redefined ambush marketing. Coca-Cola, the other giant competitor, had won the official exclusive drink sponsorship for the 1996 Wills World Cup hosted in India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Instead of giving up, Pepsi launched the ‘’Nothing official about it” campaign. The ads mocked traditional cricket norms, contrasting slow, white-kit games with aggressive, colourful modern play. The commercials featured icons such as Sachin Tendulkar, Mohammad Azharuddin, and Vinod Kambli rejecting conventional behaviour, and the official drink, to choose Pepsi instead!

Belonging to the same genre was another campaign pertaining to Sprite, a clear, lemon-lime flavoured soft drink created by the Coca-Cola Company in 1990.Its iconic early Indian marketing campaign used the catchphrase “Sprite bujhaye pyaas, baaki sab bakwaas” (Sprite quenches thirst, everything else is rubbish), which later evolved into the famous “Seedhi Baat, No Bakwaas” or ‘Straight talk, no nonsense” platform.

Focused on a no-nonsense, honest, and unpretentious attitude that cut through the exaggerated claims of typical soft drink commercials. Aimed heavily at youth culture by promoting straightforwardness and weeding out social pretence. The bold positioning helped Sprite rapidly gain market share and eventually surpass major competitors to become a dominant clear-lime soft drink brand in India.

Australia is a country famous for quirky, outback, and unintentionally hilarious road signs that leave tourists baffled and locals amused. From bizarre wildlife warnings to clever local humor, the roadside scenery offers plenty of laughs.

There is, for instance, the sign which shows a cow tipping a car, a classic silhouette sign showing a cow aggressively flipping over a sedan, which just warns drivers of loose livestock on the road!

Similarly, in Salem town in Massachusetts, one can find the sign saying, “Witches Only Parking”, a town-specific novelty and directional sign to say that designated reserved parking spot has been reserved for local practitioners of witchcraft in the historic witch-trial city!

The “No Vehicles Carrying Explosives” sign, is not something most motorists will ever encounter in their daily travels. These signs are typically installed in areas where the transport of explosives is more likely, such as near munitions factories, military sites, or other high-security facilities. Their purpose is to prohibit vehicles carrying explosives from entering sensitive areas, helping to protect infrastructure like bridges and tunnels and ensuring public safety.

But, as far as unique signs go, the one that must be a favourite is the ‘Sign Not in Use’ board which, at first glance, might look a little odd. As a matter of fact, it is only a sign telling you to ignore another sign. Its job is to make sure motorists don’t get confused by traffic signs that aren’t currently active, relevant, or are being tested. For example, you might see it covering a temporary speed limit, a construction warning, or a road diversion that’s no longer in place. While it might feel slightly redundant, it’s quite useful in preventing drivers from reacting to outdated or misleading instructions.

Talking of signs and their significance, there is this story about a tourist who stopped at a gas station at the entrance to the Arizona desert. There was a sign that read ‘last chance to buy gas at 10 cents a gallon’. Rather pleased, he drove into the gas station and ordered the car to be filled up. It was only when he reached another town, on the way to his destination, that he discovered that gas was even cheaper there! The sign certainly spoke the truth, but apparently not all of it!

(The writer was formerly

Chief Secretary, Government of Andhra Pradesh)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr MOHAN KANDA

Dr MOHAN KANDA[email protected]