It was my second year in Lintas. It was like any other usual day. I was in my small little cabin on the 8th floor of e Mohandev building. The phone rang and that was the beginning of a small interesting episode.
RECEPTIOIST AT DELHI OFFICE : Sanjeev call from PREM MEHTA’s office, shall I patch you up
What the hell, this was my first call from Prem Mehta’s office and well first thing the mind did was to shuffle through all possible reason. Within few nano seconds I came to a valid conclusion- there must be a mistake
I: for me, you sure
RECEPTIONIST AT DELHI OFFICE: Yes, his secretary has been holding I am patching you
WOMEN 1: Hi Sanjeev Kotnala
I: Yes,
WOMEN 1: Hi, sorry Prem has again stepped into a meeting, I tried calling you before too… but anyway he has asked me to pass the message
Wow- a relief- it was not PREM on line
I: Yes
WOMEN 1: You know, last week in the MANCOM ( did they had one at that time !) all work was evaluated and the CHERRY BLOSSOM Changing date Hoarding won an Internal Award of 1 Lakh. Congratulations
I: Oh thanks
For people who may not be aware of the creative I am speaking about. That may be most of you as it was installed at only one location. Maybe that was the only free hoarding available during that time. It was just after Oberoi Flyover as you move towards Lajpat Nagar, right next to the gate of cremation ground.
The creative for this Cherry Blossom hoarding was simple. It looked like a calendar page. The thought line run right across the hoarding at the top ‘DID YOU CHERRY BLOSSOM YOUR SHOES TODAY’. Nothing much, but every night the rectangular bracket highlighting the date was shifted. So, when someone looked at it- he saw the current date and the question.
Women 1: And he has suggested asking you how the money should be divided
I: Oh, this is a creative work and DEV and team should get it ( I Think Dev had done the work)- or let SAMIR VERMA decides- he heads the unit
WOMEN 1: Oh Prem had called Samir and he insisted that you must decide how to divide this money.
I: Ok OK- I feel 70% to the creative team and 30% to servicing team
I am thankful that this was what I said- but I am not sure what caused me to say so
WOMEN 1: No he was sure that you as team leader must keep 20 K and rest should be divided
I: I would not have wanted that- but if that’s what he wants- I will keep 20K and rest will be divided in 70:30
Anyway, it was news and 1 lakh was a lot more than what it is today. I stepped up to the 10th floor where we had our conference room to share the news with Samir and team members
I: Samir, Prem Mehta office called and said our team has won a lakh cash prize on Cherry Blossom and that I should decide how to divide that
SAMIR: yes, yes his office had called me too and I had told them to ask you
I: I just said 70% creative and 30 % servicing junior team- and 20 K for me, secretary said that was Prem’s instruction
SAMIR: Right decision, have you shared this with the team, you must give a party today
And it was this moment that I realised the date was 1st April. It still did not look like a prank. I was sure that the receptionist would not try playing tricks with me. Anyway I decided not to take any chance. I decided to check by calling Mumbai office. I went to my room and dialed reception.
I: Hi, connect me to Prem Mehta’s office- I need to talk to his secretary
RECEPTIONIST at DELHI OFFICE: Oh lines are busy let me call you in some tine
And as promised she called me back.
RECEPTIONIST: connecting you to Prem’s office.
I: Hi
WOMEN 1: Hi, Prem Mehata’s office, how can I help you.
The voice was same, it was no doubt the same person with whom I had spoken some time back.
I was sure, the Prize was real. The money was there. Party time.
source AFAQS
So, I told Samir Verma. Ajay Trigunayat and Shailesh Paul- that we will have a party tonight. Venue- MOETS at Defence colony. They all were happy and smiling.
There was temptation to call home and share the news with Neha; my wife. But, I decided that I will share it in person.
While we were in the lift on way to Defence colony. Samir Verma- enquired if I have shared the news with my wife and have I decided how to spend the princely sum of 20 K.
I told him,- NO and said I would do that after the party.
It was then that she spilled the beans. He very politely told me ‘you better not tell her, April fool’ he then completed his sentence ‘If you want we can ditch the party’
This was a shock for me. I knew I had to act cool. I admired and praised their planning. In between the team behind the prank told me that they expected me to call back Prem’s office for a recheck, the team had one of the girls in creative team waiting for the call. The receptionist was in the loop and she played her role the best.
By the way, we had a party that night.
I paid for the food and the booze and started planning my revenge.
Someday I will share the revenge plan that got implemented the next year.
LIFE IS A LOT FUN IN ADVERTISING AND MARKETING AND THIS WAS ONE EPISODE- WHAT IF I WAS THE VICTIM
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Other episodes in Advertising and marketing
● Thank You ● Rain Clause – I ● Lethal Combination ● APPETITE ● Puncture ● Adultery- the moment ● ASSET ● I am Sankar ● The Count ● Introduction ● Time Bomb ● Small Tile ● Shoot Report ● Sardar Khush Hoga ● Shoot At Mud Island ● Kaali Peeli Picture ● Upgrade ● Juhi Effect ● Power Of Punjab ● Out ● Two More ● Eleven Minutes ● The Presentation ● Black Gold ● Buffered ● Continue With Client ● Not Fired ● One Less Decision ● The Ghost Of 35 Rani Jhansi Road Jhandewalaon ● The Problem ● Imported Art Card ● Banyan Tree Agency
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In case you have any such episode ( experiential Learning / Humour ) and would want to share- please connect with me through comment or connect at facebook : Sanjeev kotnala or twit – s_kotnala
