By Sumit Roy, Founder Director, Univbrands. www.univbrands.com
I learnt to proofread the hard way.
Suresh Mullick
In the late ’70s I once released an ad that had a single proof reading mistake. When Suresh Mullick read the ad in the newspaper, the next morning, and drew the error to my attention, I was shamefaced. I apologised profusely.
The next thing I knew, Anshu Banerjee, then Manager of Ogilvy Benson & Mather, Calcutta, called me to his office. He sat me across his large and impressive desk, and told me the implication of my mistake.
The newspaper ad had cost Rs. 25,000, quite a large amount at that time. He informed me that the client was not going to pay and he would have to deduct Rs. 2,500 from my paycheck for the next 10 months.
From what I remember, it was a significant percentage of my salary at that time.
I accepted the punishment because I had actually released the ad without going through a customary process.
Before the Artwork went to Production, it had to be seen and approved by the Creative Director, Copywriter, Art Director and Account Manager. (Those who grew up in advertising in the ‘70s and ‘80s will remember the rubber stamp behind each Artwork. Standard practice at all advertising agencies.) Because time was short, I over-rode this process, since the ad was to appear the next day.
For the next 10 months, I became the most meticulous proofreader. Not a comma, not a capitalised letter, not a punctuation mark evaded my eye.
On the 11 month Anshu Banerjee called me to his office. Suresh Mullick was seated there, for his customary morning cup of tea with Mr. Banerjee. When they sat me down, I was petrified. I was sure I had made another mistake.
Instead, they handed me a cheque for Rs. 25,000. You see, the client had not even noticed the mistake and no deduction had been made.
I knew then and there that Suresh Mullick had plotted this. I could see it from the twinkle in his eye, as he sat next to me sipping his tea, looking straight ahead at Mr. Banerjee. It was another of his unique ways to make me an advertising professional. And for that lesson I am eternally grateful.
It was Suresh Mullick who also gave me a book to read. But there he was doing what Creative Directors across the Oglivy 
world must have done. Everyone in Ogilvy at that time had read a book written by Ken Roman and Joel Raphaelson. I remember the title as “How To Write Effectively”. But when I looked for that book on Amazon, I found this updated version. Here’s the link.
Read it to prosper.
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SUMIT ROY
Sumit Roy learnt how to grow brands in the 14 years he spent at Ogilvy & Mather. He learnt how to grow people who grow brands in the 4 years he spent at Lintas.
He now runs the world’s smallest online learn-by-earning university, www.univbrands.com . It has only one employee. Him. Yet his clients are spread right across the Earth: Chile, USA, Canada, UK, Spain, Italy, South Africa, Russia, Middle East, Mauritius, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and, of course, India. He lives and works from Kolkata.
More at www.univbrands.com
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