57th EPISODE. First let me warn you this is part of unknown history of Mudra and may not been archived. I do think such an act has never happened in any other agency. It is known to few, those who been part of it. Yes, you guessed it right, I was involved in a pivotal role as I was based at the epicentre; Mudra corporate headquarters at Ahmedabad.
MMTP-II, Mudra Management Training Programme –II was a pioneer effort in late eighties. It was the testing grounds for MICA to emergelater. The hand picked candidates by Dr Naganand Kumar and Uncle Tom were relentlessly tried and tested at a fully residential facility in Ahmedabad. Once they were ready they were referred as MMTP-II Graduates. The second batch was dedicated to Client servicing. Ten traineeswere strategically picked from diverse geographies and cultural background and put through rigorous and at times ruthlessly non-humorous schedule for three months. These were Management Graduates who had taken a conscious call to join advertising. They had given up their campus recruitment offers and joined MMTP-II at a monthly stipend that today can not buy a dinner for two. They were promised that on completion of 3 months training and 9 months in the office they will get the fruits of their labour, a raise that will put them above par with other management students.
ATULIT- CHESTER-SANJEEV
Ultimately in early 1988 they were released and sent off to different offices of Mudra. Vivek Srivastava, Vikas Verma and Atulit Saxena went to Delhi, Chester and Yatin Bansal to Mumbai, Hyder to Hyderabad and Subu to Madras, Trivedi went to Interact, Prasad went to Bangalore if I am right and I was given Ahmedabad.
Yatin – Vikas – Vivek
October 1989, as promised the ten got their promotion along with a monthly increment in take home that today may not buy you a single stick of cigarette! Wow, that was some magic from the dancing hands and the office of AGK and Naganad. The MMTP-II graduates had moved from stipend to salary. They had just breached the minimum tax barrier. The PF and gratuity deductions came into play.
Net result, MMTP-II graduates got royally screwed and the princely increase was enough to get a pack of condom in today’s prices. Naturally they were super pissed off. Naga and Tom were of no help. The unit heads at location were not interested, as MMTP-II graduates were corporate transplants. So the gang of ten after discussing over official phone lines decided to resign.
This led to two questions. Who will write the resignation letter and who will present that to corporate office? I was in Ahmedabad and hence was the fall guy for submission. If my memory serves me right Delhi members of MMTP-II drafted the letter. ( Note the Delhi team confirms that it was Vivek Srivastava who crafted it with able support from Atulit Saxena and Vikas Verma) The only voice that needed convincing was Chester in Mumbai. Finally he was also won over. Trivedi did not sign as he insisted he was not in Mudra and part of Interact.
The resignation letter content was share with all members and a final letter was drafted. It was not even a computer printed letter but just used pages from a normal writing pad. It was some 4 pages long. The team then used the regular intra-office courier packs for the sending it to members to sign. It was like using the Diplomatic bag, you closed the envelope and kept it at despatch, next day by magic it appeared and was delivered to the addressee, no question asked. The final letter did a Delhi-Bangalore-Chennai-Hyderabad-Mumbai circuit. Finally it hit Ahmedabad for me to submit in the corporate office.
Most probably in Mumbai someone let it out. Naganand Kumar got the whiff of it and almost every member was questioned. Like everyone else I too denied. Now we were under pressure and before something could make us change our mind the letter was sent to AGK. ( Vivek Srivastava corrects me in saying- it was Dr RAM the letter was submitted ) The MASS RESIGNATION- the BREAKOUT at MUDRA.
……….. OTHER ADVERTISING MARKETING EPISODES …
● OVERDOSE – What happened with a good B2B initiative at holi. ● CAN YOU MAKE SOMEONE AN ENGISHMAN OVERNIGHT ● THE WATCH: How do you know what your client is signalling ● IRRATIONAL DEMAND – how clients expect agencies to do things ● DOUBLE SURPRISE– Never walkin a party not knowing the occassion ● DING DONG EXCITEMENT AT MACAU – the addiction to casino ● HOT RIDE AT PUSHKAR – adventure ● THE WALK : How we discovered the culture at Macau ● The Jump – a team of 7 go sjyjumping during annual conclave at Pattaya ● HIGH SEA GAMBLING – the merry making in international waters ● KOTI ANGLES: Gambeling in Goa ● MISSING LIPS : How friendship develops to create different expectations ● The Trap: How the AE searching for adventure got duped ● Equal Opportunity to Indulge: How HR finds itself ina spot in Pattaya ● THE LOST HAUNTING MUSIC– An experience ● UNNAMED SPIRIT- A SPOOKY EXPERIENCE at Mcleodganj ● PUNJABI LINTAS – Amrit Puri takes over Lintas ● DELAYED LAUNCH – Why HT Delhi Colour supplement launch was delayed ● UNDERGROUND – Printing fake currency could have led to jail ● STRATEGIC RAIN BREAK – How ZID KARO DHONI film was shot ● THANK YOU ● RAIN CLAUSE – I – The fight with Whitelight film over Maruti film ● LETHAL COMBINATION ● APPETITE – It does not matter where you get the appetite till you eat at home ● Puncture – how not to get caught ● ADULTERY- THE MOMENT – Its all for you to decide how far you would go ● ASSET – how a famous Indian model was rejected ● I AM SANKAR – soft ragging of new trainee ● THE COUNT ● INTRODUCTION ● TIME BOMB – How to avoid embarrassing situation ● SMALL TILE – eye for detail ● SHOOT REPORT – junior saving the issue by innovative process ● SARDAR KHUSH HOGA – the agency reaction to a demand ● SHOOT AT MUD ISLAND – shooting with Denzil ●KAALI PEELI PICTURE – what do you do you’re your model is featured in Debonair ● UPGRADE – Bangalore ITC ● JUHI EFFECT– there is something called lady luck in gambling ● POWER OF PUNJAB ● OUT – let game be game ● TWO MORE – how not to pay for the drinks ● ELEVEN MINUTES – client tackles late agency ● THE CHERRY WIN –Team plays a prank ● THE PRESENTATION – junior takes revenge for last minute changes ● BLACK GOLD – A lesson on TVC presentation ● BUFFERED –delivery at airport ● CONTINUE WITH CLIENT – The management supports a high pitched battle with client ● NOT FIRED – just in time action by agency ● ONE LESS DECISION – a campaign thought represented umpteen times● HIGH JACKING THE GOAFEST DELEGATES – a ground event that took Goafest by surprise ● THE GHOST OF 35 RANI JHANSI ROAD JHANDEWALAON – The unsiad stories ● THE PROBLEM – Agency tackling a no-brief from client ● IMPORTED ART CARD – a quick retort to finiky client ● BANYAN TREE AGENCY – Agency tackles cost issue on unapproved estimates
