56th EPISODE. ‘Holi Hai’. This week we will be celebrating Holi, the festival of colours. Sharing a Holi centric episode would definitely make sense. I am not sure of the year but it was between 2006 and 2008. As DNA was already launched and DRY HOLI concept from Dainik Bhaskar was yet to be launched. I was at that time with Dainik Bhaskar. We used to be at Mahim office, it was jokingly referred as the office behind Janta Meat shop. It was the best way to provide directions to the office.
Dainik Bhaskar was the pioneer that established the tradition of festival led 3-D mailers. It was their monopoly for many years. These are well known in media agencies and marketers. These are so much in demand that invariably at Dainik Bhaskar they always fall short. I personally know of many clients who called requesting more units to share with their extended families.
True to tradition Dainik Bhaskar took ride in the quality of these mailers and the detailed execution in ensuring they reached 
everyone before time. Holi mailers had high quality organic colours (Gulal), a thin cloth Holi cap, few sweets and even a pitchkari to play with wet colours. In current edition of these mailers, pitkari and wet colours are not provided as Dainik Bhaskar group supported and promoted DRY HOLI. It further got enhanced to TILAK HOLI- where dry colours are used only to place a tilak on the forehead.
HOLI MESSAGE FROM DAINIK BHASKAR
In addition to all HOLY HOLI material there used to be a pack of Thandai. As per the supplier admission in its zeal to be realistic, Thandai had small dose of Bhang. Enough that if consumed by two adults it would give them slight surur (feeling of being high) but not create any problem. Unfortunately there were no written instructions on how to make and consume it.
Many organisations used Bhaskar Holi mailers for playing Holi in their office. Which normally happened in the evening a day before the festival. One such organisation that year was a leading and pioneering TV Channel. The employees in marketing and sales played Holi using these mailers. In process someone discovered the packets of Thandai and then you know how it is, everyone wanted Thandai. They added water to it and consumed it without mixing, filtering or using milk as a medium. Also they ended up adding 2-3 packs to a single glass in their way to have a larger share of it. Result, they went overboard with the quantity of Thandai consumed and this was something not anticipated by us.
On Holi (next day) I was out with friends totally drenched in colour when I got the call. It was a known colleague from Bhaskar who informed me that three of employees at the channel have taken after consuming Thandai. Two of them were ok and one was under observation. One of the affected person (not under observation) I knew personally. I called him and got updated on behind the scene happenings.
There was nothing we could do but if there will be other cases. As a single point of inflection showed wrong consumption and multiple point of infection would show quality issues. It was a tense Holi for me. When by the end of the next day no new cases were reported and that was the time we finally could relax.
In Dainik Bhaskar, all such learning’s help in further refining of the process. Result, Thandai and sweets were removed from future mailers and the focus became pure dry organic colours.
……….. OTHER ADVERTISING MARKETING EPISODES …
● 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
