61st Episode. I am taking you all back to late eighties. This one is a story I have heard and don’t know if this one is factually true. But the people who told me that, I would want to believe it is true. Or it is one of the stories you create just to share and impress.
Story of a guy called ANIL MAITRE who gave India the first Advertising and marketing magazine – the ‘A&M’, which was hugely successful till it landed into a spiral subscription scheme that impacted its business viability. This was the guy who created ‘A&M ‘ awards- one of the most happening awards of its time. Now if you search Internet all you get are forums full of complaints calling him all the names, mostly true. If you want to know of a person who failed because he thought he was smarter than he really was, it would be Anil.
So Anil wanted to start his advertising agency. There was a problem he had no name, no people and no account. At that time the vehicle manufacturer SWARAJ MAZDA was launching in India. The company planned to manufacture light commercial vehicles like trucks, buses, police personnel carriers, water tankers.
He pitched late for the account at Chandigarh. The client has contacted some of the agencies making news at that time and the pitch was a few days away. In fact when Anil went to meet the client he was not entertained. No one met him. He would plonk himself at the reception and keep sending his visiting card. This I am told went for some 3 days, when the senior person fed up receiving these cards became curious to meet the persistent dude. He came out and Anil was given a short time to explain his cause.
The guy was surprised. Here was Anil who wants to pitch for the business when he has no agency. Just being a bit pen to ideas and to see what will this guy do- the senior from Swaraj Mazda gave Anil a week and asked him to pitch. Not a day more and not a day less.
Anil was happy with it and directly left for Mumbai. Here in the city of dreams he collaborated with few freelancers and creative directors to create the pitch presentation. They slogged to cover up the lost time. A thought emerged. Lacking time on hand, the tired team immediately locked it and started converting it into a print led campaign. Next day in the evening tired Anil drawing on his last reserve of energy left for the client office in Punjab. He had not slept for nights. The time was short and he had to move from Mumbai to Delhi and then drive down to Chandigarh. He reached late in the night. Next day was the presentation scheduled at 10 AM. Anil had not accounted for the tricks a heavily tired sleep deprived body can play. Result the poor guy overslept, He slept off in the night and woke up on the net day evening. The time for presentation was well over.
Not to give up like that he landed at the office of Swaraj Mazda and was promptly told to FO, as he has missed his deadline. The owners Sumitomo Corporation of Japan did not appreciate such liberties. But Anil was not willing to give up, he persuaded the Mazda people to atleast give him a chance and anyway if he was not better than the ones who had already presented – he will lose but Mazda would only gain. He was given a time next day morning.
Anil took no chance and was there at the office much before the time . I am told it was Anil’s maiden pitch presentation. The work excited the company and he was given the account. The condition imposed as to get an agency working in a weeks time. And that was the birth of SPECTRUM COMMUNICATIONS.
……….. OTHER ADVERTISING MARKETING EPISODES …
● The other semi-final – How beer has answe to everything ● RUMBLING – amplifying the peace ● COWARD – A sad smiling face had lot of unanswered questions ● 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 skyjumping 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
