Awards et all

This is about a conversation I recently had with a Sales executive from Radio Mirchi. He was attempting to grill us (Two students, present there to promote our college FLAME and approach the big P (placements) issue.

Among the various questions, he asked us to mention any of our favourite ads. Without hesitation I said, "The Jaago Re" ads and campaign. Either that din't ring a bell or just was not to his liking that he brushed it aside and asked me for others. He wanted us to get at the award winning Airtel ads which he eventually, exasperatedly mentioned since it din't come from the horse's mouth.

It was a surprise and almost a disappointment to him that we, students din't find it important enough to mention or simply that - it was not top of the mind recall for us. The point here is - whats more important - an ad/marketing strategy that wins awards or one that actually inspires people to do something.

Both, I agree, attract attention. But when we talk about top of the mind recall, isn't it something that stays back in the individual's mind, may be the mind of the masses and once that's converted into either increase in sales of that particular product or in the case of the Voting campaign, young people actually registering themselves to vote in big numbers?

(All this however came to my mind a little too late, then I just din't know how to counter him, nerves I guess)

Like in the case of the film Slumdog Millionaire, yes, it has achieved international acclaim, won awards, but if we go by its performance at the Box Office, the facts are quite clear.

Any other ads that I could think of? The new Cadbury Bournville ads, very different even though they do not generate mass appeal or much appeal at all. British, an international apeal considering the packaging is much like Lindt. Everything with regards Bournville has been cleaverly executed keeping the international appeal in mind I think. How? Compare all the previous cadbury ads till date? Domestic. Completely Indianised. But the treatment given to Bournville is indeed very different. Why? Doesn't my argument make sense?