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The
creative presentation: - Typically the end product
of the many hours of self satisfaction that has preceded
it. Till the point when something is actually put
down on a piece of paper, people take to commitment
like a bachelor to the altar. However, when the first
round of layouts gets presented, thoughts magically
seem to clear and the solution appears to be an obvious
one. This state of equilibrium persists until the
next iteration at which point things are automatically
examined afresh
"Every creative expression functions as a stimulus
for a new brief," the hushed Chinese accent,
the express delivery of the tea cup and Chai-La (the
mystical Chinese canteen tea boy) vanished into the
minutes of the last meeting laid on the table. Ram
Shankar waited with pen paused like a sprinter on
the blocks waiting for the client feedback.
"It's nice but it lacks a little something"
said MrBose, as he finished listening to what the
agency had to say (and show) on the new campaign.
"Well!" started PP (the creative director
of the 'moustache' fame), "What is that little
something? Can we qualify it? This is the third time
we are coming back and every time a new 'little something'
seems to be emerging."
"Maybe we are in hobbit land," offered
Vikas (the account head), never missing a moment to
showcase his 'Lord of the Rings' knowledge base.
PP treated the serving man's attempt at humor with
the warmth of the office cashier settling your long
overdue conveyance voucher.
"Is there any method to this madness? Why are
we changing our minds like the Indian team changes
openers?" asked PP, simultaneously establishing
a source from which all humorous remarks must be expected
henceforth.
"Well, you know it's not really exactly what
I had in mind the last time"
"I took down a scribble of what you had said,
and we have reproduced it almost exactly," interjected
the squeaky voice of Ram Shankar, immediately focusing
all the eyes in the room on him. PP was smiling helpfully;
Vikas had contorted his face into the kind of expression
that clearly showed that he was in some kind of rectal
pain. Mr Bose was stunned that something that was
purely a figment of his imagination had actually got
documented.
"Well don't I have the right to change my mind?"
enquired a clearly miffed Mr Bose, furious that a
greenhorn AE had managed to corner him.
"Yes you do Bose, that's the client prerogative,
but hopefully that should always happen when we are
discussing strategy, and not when the creative is
being presented," boomed PP, furiously tugging
at his whiskers till some strands actually began to
fall.
"Yes Mr Bose, it is imperative that we reach
a consensus on strategic issues before getting into
creative execution, only then will we be able to reduce
iterations and come up with more sharply focused work."
That was Vikas, puffing his chest as he went through
those lines.
"But Vikas, don't you think that in today's
dynamic market scenario one needs to constantly re
evaluate their options?"
Vikas was stumped partially by that when Ram helpfully
came to his aid.
"But MrBose, we met just five days ago, there
has been absolutely nothing that has happened in the
category in that period."
Mr Bose's face changed into a riot of colors before
coming back to normal.
"Ram, that's where experience comes in, it's
not just the category that we are talking about, consumers
don't exist in categories, they live their lives and
they are changing every bloody minute."
"Maybe then we should sell clothes rather than
itching creams," exploded PP in his typical corridor
wrenching laughing style.
The humor helped diffuse the situation a bit; even
Mr Bose sported a smile. Ram always thought it made
him look a little more sinister.
"Well, I think we need to capture more of the
new consumers changing values in our communication,
its only when we build bridges of empathy with the
consumer that showcases our understanding of their
lives, do we really get anywhere," said Mr Bose,
quite pleased with himself for having put so many
nice sounding words together.
"What exactly do you mean?" queried PP,
pushing his face in front of Mr Bose in a manner that
was close to the 'Hakka' performed by the All Blacks.
"What I mean is that we need another round of
creative developed, I am not comfortable with this,"
replied Mr Bose in a moment displaying supreme courage.
"PP lets look at it differently," added
Vikas, clearly wanting to keep the client in his good
books.
PP turned the layouts upside down and looked at them
with the passion of an archeologist examining a relic
from the Inca civilization. "Look here is one
way, and things do look different this way."
"Do they?" asked an excited Mr Bose.
Vikas patted his wrist to control him and indicated
with a wave of his hand that PP was being jocular.
"We better do another version, one that showcases
the consumer learning that we have," ventured
Vikas, expertly dodging the vicious kick that PP launched
at him from under the table.
"Oh! It's that simple. Why didn't we think of
it in the first place?" asked a sarcastic PP,
thumping the table along the way.
"Because brilliant solutions when they present
themselves seem obvious," said Mr Bose, smiling
ear to ear, like he had waited his entire life to
deliver that line. He strode out of the room closely
followed by Vikas, who was glad that the client had
done most of the hard work of forcing PP to deliver
yet another creative iteration.
"And yes Ram, just put together something that
will capture the essence of what we said and act as
a brief for PP for the next round of creative."
Vikas vanished from sight before Ram could offer any
defense.
PP was left fuming in the room, like a man who had
been robbed of his entry pass just before the premier
of the movie began.
"These servicing types always end up swinging
the client's way." The balance part of the diatribe
could not be reprinted as this is a column for family
consumption. He stormed out of the room after having
torn all the layouts that were on the table.
"Something tells me this issue will not be closed
even the next time around," he muttered sardonically
as he made his way to his room.
"There is nothing more cumbersome that an uncertain
mind, was it tea or coffee that you wanted?"
the oriental high pitched cackle resounded in Ram's
ears as he felt two cups delivered, as Chai-La disintegrated
into three alternate streams of energy (red, blue
and yellow for the aesthetically inclined) and vanished
into a three pin socket on the mains switchboard.
And then the room was plunged into darkness.
 After
stints at Lowe, Mudra and Everest the author is now
general manager Client Service Network Advertising.
In addition to that he is also patron saint of Juhu
Beach United - a movement that celebrates obesity
and the unfit 'out of breath' media professional of
today. To join up contact vinaykanchan@hotmail.com
(The
views expressed here are those of the author and Indiantelevision.com
need not necessarily subscribe to the same)
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