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Nawabs, Nudes, Noodles: India through 50 Years of Advertising
This is as much the story of Indian advertising as it is about India. Ad veteran Ambi Parameswaran looks at how advertising has evolved, reflecting the country's culture, politics and economy in the last fifty years. From sartorial taste and food habits to marriage and old age, music and language to celebrities and censorship, Ambi examines over a hundred ads to study how the Indian consumer has changed in the past five decades and how advertising and society have shaped each other. Combining anecdote and analyses to give us a slice of modern history, Ambi evaluates the relationship between affluence, aspiration and desire in India. Exploring trends and impacts, he covers the ads that captured the imagination of the entire country. From 'Only Vimal' and 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan' to 'Jo biwi se kare pyaar' and the controversial Tuffs shoes campaign, the book is a memorable journey through brands, consumers and the world of advertising.
297 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 16, 2016
148 people are currently reading
1019 people want to read
About the author
Ambi Parameswaran
14 books35 followersM G Parameswaran, or Ambi as he is known is a Brand Strategist and Founder Brand-Building.com. In a career spanning three+ decades Ambi has handled assignments in marketing, sales and advertising with companies like Rediffusion DY&R, Boots Company and UDI Yellow Pages before dropping anchor at Ulka Advertising over two decades ago. He has helped build numerous brands including Digene, Brufen, Santoor Soap, Sundrop Cooking Oil, TCS, ICICI Bank, Wipro, Indica Cars, Zee TV among others.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
July 27, 2021
3.5
Had a warm nostalgic feel to it throughout - especially for those who have lived through the Doordarshan ads of 80s and 90s.
Some informative trivia on these ads, and a little walkthrough on how the Indian society is changing bringing changes in narratives to these ads.... and vice versa :)
Enjoyed speculating on the future of ads, considering the uptrend of OTT platforms with ad-free options.
Had a warm nostalgic feel to it throughout - especially for those who have lived through the Doordarshan ads of 80s and 90s.
Some informative trivia on these ads, and a little walkthrough on how the Indian society is changing bringing changes in narratives to these ads.... and vice versa :)
Enjoyed speculating on the future of ads, considering the uptrend of OTT platforms with ad-free options.
July 12, 2022
As it is written in 2016, many of recent developments are not mentioned. Hope the author makes an updated revised edition.
May 17, 2019
If you are someone who has a habit of readily placing the mouse pointer to skip an advertisement or immediately switching the channel during advertisement on TV, this book might not be for you.
You will only love this book if you love the creativity of advertisement and marketing.
I loved the way how the author, Ambi Parameswaran, has depicted the picture of Indian advertisements. He has beautifully described the journey of each and every brand of India with the segment of its advertisements.
The 30-second or a page of advertisement that you get to see go through an enormous process of brainy thinking to attract the masses.
Advertising is not only about displaying a product, but it is also about creating a sense of awareness and remembrance in the minds of the audience.
This book has mentioned how the ads evolved from print media to digital media. Each and every brand represents some or the other thing.
Some ads and brands were unknown to me because they were broadcasted even before I was born. Some of them connected me, some simply bored me.
But overall, this book is great if you are interested in advertising and marketing industry.
You will only love this book if you love the creativity of advertisement and marketing.
I loved the way how the author, Ambi Parameswaran, has depicted the picture of Indian advertisements. He has beautifully described the journey of each and every brand of India with the segment of its advertisements.
The 30-second or a page of advertisement that you get to see go through an enormous process of brainy thinking to attract the masses.
Advertising is not only about displaying a product, but it is also about creating a sense of awareness and remembrance in the minds of the audience.
This book has mentioned how the ads evolved from print media to digital media. Each and every brand represents some or the other thing.
Some ads and brands were unknown to me because they were broadcasted even before I was born. Some of them connected me, some simply bored me.
But overall, this book is great if you are interested in advertising and marketing industry.
September 7, 2020
Hooter: A look into the history of Indian Advertising over the past 50 years with stories of what transpired behind the scenes for some of the most iconic ads we remember.
A cocktail conversation with Ambi Parameswaran is what this book is. He shares insights and anecdotes of how advertising has evolved in India leveraging some of the most iconic ads that I remember and a lot more way before my memory. He bunches them together by product type, services to give you a nutshell on how each category, brand grew in comparison and the extrinsic factors as they try to mould public opinion.
A 30 second clip could have a 30 months back story to it as he dabbles with how ads are a mirror of the past, the present and the utopian future society aims to be at especially using examples of the evolution of depiction of Indian women over the years from the default saree clad home maker to an independent women living by her choices and decisions.
Overall a wonderful nostalgia packed light read of the Indian advertising world for the layman.
A cocktail conversation with Ambi Parameswaran is what this book is. He shares insights and anecdotes of how advertising has evolved in India leveraging some of the most iconic ads that I remember and a lot more way before my memory. He bunches them together by product type, services to give you a nutshell on how each category, brand grew in comparison and the extrinsic factors as they try to mould public opinion.
A 30 second clip could have a 30 months back story to it as he dabbles with how ads are a mirror of the past, the present and the utopian future society aims to be at especially using examples of the evolution of depiction of Indian women over the years from the default saree clad home maker to an independent women living by her choices and decisions.
Overall a wonderful nostalgia packed light read of the Indian advertising world for the layman.
September 3, 2016
A decent book about how advertising in India has evolved over the years and great stories about the ads. Worth a read.
July 25, 2021
The world of advertising has always been fascinating. Back in B-school we had a case study on how this world has managed to communicate the realities of the society. This book was more of that - kindling nostalgia and a viewpoint for advertisers.
Most of sections were relevant and made of good reading or revisiting. Some chapters if extrapolated to 2021 don't hold good especially in the days of apps and OTT, but then you aren't expecting it to.
Loved the chapters around how couples are shown in ads and the one on financial products. Rest - were ok, but maybe nothing new for me. As my marketing communication prof used to say - there was no "AHA!" Moments.
The book worked ok as a warm memory and less as something you feel excited about.
Most of sections were relevant and made of good reading or revisiting. Some chapters if extrapolated to 2021 don't hold good especially in the days of apps and OTT, but then you aren't expecting it to.
Loved the chapters around how couples are shown in ads and the one on financial products. Rest - were ok, but maybe nothing new for me. As my marketing communication prof used to say - there was no "AHA!" Moments.
The book worked ok as a warm memory and less as something you feel excited about.
July 2, 2019
A very light, fun read, full of interesting ad analyses. References a number of popular ads and can get you feeling nostalgic at times.
February 18, 2022
This was a fun read. It took me down memory lane. If you were a kid who saw the rise of TV in India, I am pretty sure you will enjoy this book. And if you are a student of business, marketing and advertising this book is a must-read.
The book takes you through the evolution of Indian advertising. It takes you through the twists and turns of how the changing - social, economic, cultural and political landscapes affected advertising and vice versa. It gives a glimpse of Indian history from a creative perspective. It made me aware of the awesome creativity and insights that go into advertising. Personal stories and anecdotes from the author kept it entertaining. Small tit-bits about international advertising were also interesting. The book includes advertising in print media and on the radio, but TV advertising is my favourite part. Mere mentions of the ad-slogans like 'Doodh Doodh piyo glass full..', 'Hamara bajaj..', 'Thumbs up taste the thunder', etc brought back memories of singing them in full gusto. I wonder why 'Wah Taj' got missed out
I would have loved it if it included a chapter on examples of bad advertising. And the only issue I have with this book is that it has projected Indian Advertising only in a positive light (maybe it's the advertiser in the author influencing the book). I hope the next iteration of the book sees the inclusion of a chapter on digital advertising and some critique on advertising through the years (Fingers crossed)
The book takes you through the evolution of Indian advertising. It takes you through the twists and turns of how the changing - social, economic, cultural and political landscapes affected advertising and vice versa. It gives a glimpse of Indian history from a creative perspective. It made me aware of the awesome creativity and insights that go into advertising. Personal stories and anecdotes from the author kept it entertaining. Small tit-bits about international advertising were also interesting. The book includes advertising in print media and on the radio, but TV advertising is my favourite part. Mere mentions of the ad-slogans like 'Doodh Doodh piyo glass full..', 'Hamara bajaj..', 'Thumbs up taste the thunder', etc brought back memories of singing them in full gusto. I wonder why 'Wah Taj' got missed out
I would have loved it if it included a chapter on examples of bad advertising. And the only issue I have with this book is that it has projected Indian Advertising only in a positive light (maybe it's the advertiser in the author influencing the book). I hope the next iteration of the book sees the inclusion of a chapter on digital advertising and some critique on advertising through the years (Fingers crossed)
May 27, 2021
Excellent, enjoyable romp through India's advertising history. Should be required reading for marketers throughout the country, even if just to understand the rich lineage we are supposed to be building on. Parameswaran's well structured narrative makes you feel like you are sitting next to a wise old man on a park bench, listening to stories of a different world. And the history he showcases is a glimpse also into India's pre and post-liberalisation economy.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
February 14, 2021
As an integrated marketing communications student this book that I got my hands on almost at the tail end of my Master's, is filled with amazing insights for any Marketing and advertising enthusiast, it was like a crash course or an overview of everything I have learnt in my course.
Ambi Parmeswaran has done a great job of keeping this book a delightful and knowledgeable read and it talks in detail about how far the Indian advertising industry has come over the several decades post Independence.
Ambi Parmeswaran has done a great job of keeping this book a delightful and knowledgeable read and it talks in detail about how far the Indian advertising industry has come over the several decades post Independence.
May 16, 2021
Brought back childhood memories of watching ad films in theatres and TV. The power of ads was very much felt in our house. My son who was less than a year old would sit glued to the TV when the ads were on and my wife would feed him and he would gulp down without a word. Once the ads were over it was difficult to catch him. She would wait for the next set of ads to start.
The authour runs a parallel of India's development story with the growth of the ad industry over the last 50 years. The anecdotes and side stories of the ads are interesting.
Although the book is longish and often repetitive, people who are 40 and above will be able to connect with the ads and enjoy it.
The authour runs a parallel of India's development story with the growth of the ad industry over the last 50 years. The anecdotes and side stories of the ads are interesting.
Although the book is longish and often repetitive, people who are 40 and above will be able to connect with the ads and enjoy it.
February 22, 2022
For a 90s kid, this is hell a lot of nostalgia for sure. The ads we have grown up watching, and the stories behind them, who do not want to revisit that classic era ! The book takes you to varied categories of ads of India with well researched figures and facts about the ad world. A great insight for someone foraying in the world of advertising. And for us, the viewers, it's a good dose of GK. However I wished the author talked a little less about the analysis and figures, and more about how the ads came to life (and not just describing them), still this is a book that is well researched and well stuffed with information. Ah, and predictions about the industry, made well 7 years before, it astounds you how true most of them are !
October 16, 2021
Written in simple discursive manner, the author brings forth tons of interesting stories behind the stories of Indian advertisements, and along with it prevalent cultural zeitgeist that influenced the making of those 30-40 seconds reels and catchy jingles. Sometimes the culture itself got influenced back. The book tells the story of how individuals, groups, organizations and institutions are all players in the seemingly simple world of advertisements.
Smartly covering different target customer segments such as children, women, employment seekers, and older/senior citizens, the author reveals how just having a good product isn't sufficient, unless it reaches into the right hands. Sometimes the companies needed to change the dominant narrative set by existing competitors, and ended up creating new demands and new markets for a new product.
The book helps in understanding our nation's culture from the vantage point of observing citizens as consumers. This is specially critical in uncovering those otherwise covert desires and aspirations, both of individuals and groups, which evolved and changed, as the country did in the last half century.
The book was both fun and enlightening to read.
Smartly covering different target customer segments such as children, women, employment seekers, and older/senior citizens, the author reveals how just having a good product isn't sufficient, unless it reaches into the right hands. Sometimes the companies needed to change the dominant narrative set by existing competitors, and ended up creating new demands and new markets for a new product.
The book helps in understanding our nation's culture from the vantage point of observing citizens as consumers. This is specially critical in uncovering those otherwise covert desires and aspirations, both of individuals and groups, which evolved and changed, as the country did in the last half century.
The book was both fun and enlightening to read.
June 26, 2024
4.5/5
Thoroughly engrossing thanks to Ambi's style and hits of nostalgia in the pages courtesy subject matter. Felt like some examples were repeated once too many, hampering the flow in a way. Nonetheless, good read, brought me additional nostalgia by taking me back to some of the marketing management courses I had taken.
P.S.
It is also eerie that this book written only 5-6 years ago already feels dated with how the internet has changed our lives and advertising although the author himself remains cognizant of the possibility throughout.
Lastly, Ambi is (understandably) gung-ho about consumerism being a larger part of our lives and only begins to even think about the negative fallouts due to it at a couple of points, which might be an ideological thorn of sorts for someone who isn't 100% subscribed to the idea.
Thoroughly engrossing thanks to Ambi's style and hits of nostalgia in the pages courtesy subject matter. Felt like some examples were repeated once too many, hampering the flow in a way. Nonetheless, good read, brought me additional nostalgia by taking me back to some of the marketing management courses I had taken.
P.S.
It is also eerie that this book written only 5-6 years ago already feels dated with how the internet has changed our lives and advertising although the author himself remains cognizant of the possibility throughout.
Lastly, Ambi is (understandably) gung-ho about consumerism being a larger part of our lives and only begins to even think about the negative fallouts due to it at a couple of points, which might be an ideological thorn of sorts for someone who isn't 100% subscribed to the idea.
August 3, 2024
This book was written nearly 10 years ago and I would have given it a 4/5 if I had read this a few years ago.
However, in the last few years, I've come to realise that most of the advertising world promotes crappy products ranging from junky foods like maggi/chocolates/cool drinks/chips etc to "fairness creams". Vehicle companies promote ads with their car and bikes vrooming through streets and rugged terrains and have subconsciously made generations of people in India behave the same way on the roads of India. Ads targeting children are especially the worst.
I admire the writer's ode to the cultural impact of these ads and make you nostalgic when it recalls so many legendary and cult ads of yesteryear. It gives details on how the advertising scene developes in India and used various media innovatively.
Having said that, the author's tone is too reverential towards advertising and understandingly so because he was an ad man all his life.
In the modern world, ads and companies need to be called out for getting away with what they do - making society generally worse off.
However, in the last few years, I've come to realise that most of the advertising world promotes crappy products ranging from junky foods like maggi/chocolates/cool drinks/chips etc to "fairness creams". Vehicle companies promote ads with their car and bikes vrooming through streets and rugged terrains and have subconsciously made generations of people in India behave the same way on the roads of India. Ads targeting children are especially the worst.
I admire the writer's ode to the cultural impact of these ads and make you nostalgic when it recalls so many legendary and cult ads of yesteryear. It gives details on how the advertising scene developes in India and used various media innovatively.
Having said that, the author's tone is too reverential towards advertising and understandingly so because he was an ad man all his life.
In the modern world, ads and companies need to be called out for getting away with what they do - making society generally worse off.
July 26, 2020
In this brilliant exposition on Indian advertising, there are 3 types of promotions that catch your eye. The first are those that are rooted in the past and the values of what was, and probably is, considered the Indian culture. The second type of ads that it talks about are those that are rooted in the zeitgeist. The third ones are those that show a society in flux and how it may evolve.
The topics cover the whole menagerie of socialogical evolution and show how men, women, children, teens and the aged have varied in their preferences, over the past half century.
There are super interesting anecdotes about fonts, logos, brand representatives and all of these are interspersed with theoretical concepts of marketing.
The author, an IIM C post graduate with both client and agency side experiences of close to 40 years, paints a vivid picture of the thoughts that have gone into the creation of many memorable campaigns.
Very highly recommended.
The topics cover the whole menagerie of socialogical evolution and show how men, women, children, teens and the aged have varied in their preferences, over the past half century.
There are super interesting anecdotes about fonts, logos, brand representatives and all of these are interspersed with theoretical concepts of marketing.
The author, an IIM C post graduate with both client and agency side experiences of close to 40 years, paints a vivid picture of the thoughts that have gone into the creation of many memorable campaigns.
Very highly recommended.
December 25, 2019
An interesting look at how advertising shapes our world written in the Indian context. It views advertising through different lenses such as people, music, consumer behavior, both impact on society and being shaped by it and as a storytelling medium.
It was also a trip down memory lane for a kid growing the 80s and 90s as it references several iconic ads and how they were conceived and executed such as Hamara Bajaj, The air India Maharaja and the Amul girl amongst as whole lot others. A decent read on how advertising works and shapes our behavior very subtly. Probably should be rated as 3.5 stars.
It was also a trip down memory lane for a kid growing the 80s and 90s as it references several iconic ads and how they were conceived and executed such as Hamara Bajaj, The air India Maharaja and the Amul girl amongst as whole lot others. A decent read on how advertising works and shapes our behavior very subtly. Probably should be rated as 3.5 stars.
February 22, 2021
This alliteratively titled book is a rambunctious romp through the Indian advertising milieu from the fifties onwards.
There is nostalgia with the Nirma, Rasna and Amul girls; Karen Lunel steaming up the screens for Liril; wannabe soft drinks like Gold Spot, Thums Up, Limca etc that came up after George Fernandes’ surgical strike on the multinationals; the bike made famous though Rishi and Dimple’s Bobby etc etc. Gone are the days of the dowdy Ambassador car, Bajaj scooter, now we have access to the latest auto technology from around the world. Times change and the ads too change, reflecting the socio-economic evolution of a nation.
There is nostalgia with the Nirma, Rasna and Amul girls; Karen Lunel steaming up the screens for Liril; wannabe soft drinks like Gold Spot, Thums Up, Limca etc that came up after George Fernandes’ surgical strike on the multinationals; the bike made famous though Rishi and Dimple’s Bobby etc etc. Gone are the days of the dowdy Ambassador car, Bajaj scooter, now we have access to the latest auto technology from around the world. Times change and the ads too change, reflecting the socio-economic evolution of a nation.
February 26, 2022
We, the 80/90's kids who were unaware of Skip Ad buttons, grew up with advertisements.
Our chitrahaars had 4 songs, but of 12 or more ads. Our Sunday movie had 50 or so. Our cricket matches ( it was mostly ODIs), had a double century of those.
We knew our Ads. Every Ad we must have watched 1000 times. We loved those. We hated those. Ads were part of our lives, even if all those products mightn't had been. Even after 30 years, you mention an Ad, the jingle will ring in our mind. We will tell you the exact wording, with the tune.
Reading this book would take you down the memory lane to those days.
But, that's about it. No further insights of how ads are made, what difference those made, the actors, the directors, the process, etc etc.
Slightly disappointing.
Our chitrahaars had 4 songs, but of 12 or more ads. Our Sunday movie had 50 or so. Our cricket matches ( it was mostly ODIs), had a double century of those.
We knew our Ads. Every Ad we must have watched 1000 times. We loved those. We hated those. Ads were part of our lives, even if all those products mightn't had been. Even after 30 years, you mention an Ad, the jingle will ring in our mind. We will tell you the exact wording, with the tune.
Reading this book would take you down the memory lane to those days.
But, that's about it. No further insights of how ads are made, what difference those made, the actors, the directors, the process, etc etc.
Slightly disappointing.
September 10, 2019
If you have a knack for advertising then this book may fulfill your craving. the author takes you to a fascinating journey of advertising through the years in India. It sometimes gets nostalgic with the classic advertisements mentioned with the people behind it.
May 18, 2022
Bore.
September 8, 2018
Insightful about how marketing has changed society and how society has changed marketing.
Parameswaran summarises the book well in the last chapter...
"Our journey has taken us through how advertising has looked at society through numerous lenses; presentation of women, men, kids, senior citizens, marriage, jobs, education, teenagers. We have also looked at how various products and services have shown society, be it cars, mobiles, foods, sports, dresses etc. We saw how depiction of habits, rituals and roles have changed. In some of the cases, advertising merely reflected society as it is. In some cases, advertising predicted a social norm. And in some cases, advertising harked back to a forgotten custom. Advertising’s role will have to evolve with the times."
...and leaves a few questions open:
"How can we reflect societal trends? How can we ride the social media boom? Should advertising be a predictor of societal trends or should we stay one-step behind? Should we stick to the ‘hyper-ritualization’ routine or should we embrace a ‘neo-ritualization’ trend? As India changes, its advertising will also change and become a force multiplier. That is the power of advertising. And that is what advertising can achieve. These questions and more will keep advertising men and women awake at night. And that is not entirely a bad thing."
The writing style is nostalgic and has a matter-of-fact tone, making the book endearing to every audience.
Parameswaran summarises the book well in the last chapter...
"Our journey has taken us through how advertising has looked at society through numerous lenses; presentation of women, men, kids, senior citizens, marriage, jobs, education, teenagers. We have also looked at how various products and services have shown society, be it cars, mobiles, foods, sports, dresses etc. We saw how depiction of habits, rituals and roles have changed. In some of the cases, advertising merely reflected society as it is. In some cases, advertising predicted a social norm. And in some cases, advertising harked back to a forgotten custom. Advertising’s role will have to evolve with the times."
...and leaves a few questions open:
"How can we reflect societal trends? How can we ride the social media boom? Should advertising be a predictor of societal trends or should we stay one-step behind? Should we stick to the ‘hyper-ritualization’ routine or should we embrace a ‘neo-ritualization’ trend? As India changes, its advertising will also change and become a force multiplier. That is the power of advertising. And that is what advertising can achieve. These questions and more will keep advertising men and women awake at night. And that is not entirely a bad thing."
The writing style is nostalgic and has a matter-of-fact tone, making the book endearing to every audience.
January 2, 2021
As with a lot of books these days, adulthood has made me recalibrate how i 'judge' books. This is one of those books which I don't want to rate. It's all about positioning - this book is great for students of marketing in India, people who work in advertising or brand in India and other related fields. For these folks this is a great book to always have handy with you - the author basically goes category by category through Indian advertising over history (post-Independence) and provides a very readable and light history lesson.
For everyone else though, this is a slightly difficult book to 'read' since it has no narrative structure as such. It's fun and interesting to read about old commercials - I don't think anyone does not enjoy getting nostalgic about them. Do keep YouTube open on the side to keep looking through them. But it got a little boring after a point of time.
A bit too much name dropping from the industry for me although I'm sure this makes it all the more interesting for insiders.
5 stars as a reference book and a history lesson if you work in this field or are a student. 3 stars as a nice work to flip through if you're not. Would be ideal if the kindle version could be embedded with with links and images of all the advertisements mentioned in the book.
For everyone else though, this is a slightly difficult book to 'read' since it has no narrative structure as such. It's fun and interesting to read about old commercials - I don't think anyone does not enjoy getting nostalgic about them. Do keep YouTube open on the side to keep looking through them. But it got a little boring after a point of time.
A bit too much name dropping from the industry for me although I'm sure this makes it all the more interesting for insiders.
5 stars as a reference book and a history lesson if you work in this field or are a student. 3 stars as a nice work to flip through if you're not. Would be ideal if the kindle version could be embedded with with links and images of all the advertisements mentioned in the book.
June 25, 2016
A fascinating journey through the annals of Indian advertising, full of interesting nuggets which at times make you go "woah!". For instance, did you know that the mouth-watering ice-creams one sees in TV ads could very well be mashed potatoes covered with shaving foam? I certainly didn't. The post-liberalization '90s kids who have seen a lot of the ads Ambi talks about would be able to relate well to major portions of the book. Besides taking us through the evolution of advertising over the years, Ambi also takes us through some of the thought-processes and the intense brainstorming that goes into generating the insights around which the ad storyboards, the one-liners and the jingles are designed and the choice of the protagonist is made. One little known and discussed aspect of Indian advertising is the choice of music to which the ad is set. There is a whole chapter dedicated to this. The classy Titan ads that you see on TV? Always set to Mozart. The Indian classical music piece most popular among ad-makers? Raag Desha. Remember the "Hamara Bajaj" ad? Set to Desha.
July 30, 2016
I started to read the book (despite little interest in marketing or advertising) because I liked the idea of using the 50 years of advertising to observe and reflect on changing landscape of India - social, cultural, economic... it is a powerful theme and has great potential...
I found the book to be easy to read and guess it built a little emotional connect due to the nostalgia of remembering the slogans and ads from my growing up years... making it easy to relate to...
However I was a bit disappointed by the book (maybe my expectations had been raised higher) and I found too many threads of conversation that overlapped... I got lost at times with lots of jumping around references - which all led to multiple ideas being touched upon but never built upon... guess that leaves us with an opportunity to reflect on it further on our own...
I found the book to be easy to read and guess it built a little emotional connect due to the nostalgia of remembering the slogans and ads from my growing up years... making it easy to relate to...
However I was a bit disappointed by the book (maybe my expectations had been raised higher) and I found too many threads of conversation that overlapped... I got lost at times with lots of jumping around references - which all led to multiple ideas being touched upon but never built upon... guess that leaves us with an opportunity to reflect on it further on our own...
August 11, 2019
The book is not very well written. There is a lot of name dropping by the author. I'm sure the ratio of proper noun to common noun is much higher than the industry standard. The author's male chauvinism is quite evident especially when he says that Indian 'girls' have done quite well in Badminton and so have the Indian 'Men'. That being said, there are some decent insights for a budding advertiser/marketer like me
March 4, 2022
Thoroughly engaging book on what goes behind the scenes in the world of advertising. Beginning with creative process of tapping into linguistic & emotional connect, social messaging vis-a-vis high & low culture to management aspects like market study, pilot testing, brand value creation, the book is an insightful journey in bold experiments in Indian Advertising landscape.
P.S.It's listed under Audible Plus category at the moment, so audible addicts in india: here you're chance!
P.S.It's listed under Audible Plus category at the moment, so audible addicts in india: here you're chance!
December 13, 2020
A reasonably insightful trip down the Indian advertising landscape of the last 3-4 decades marred by careless fact-checking and some uninteresting personal hat-tips to various people from the industry.
Since I've been in Ambi's Marketing class at IIM Calcutta, I know that he's an excellent teacher and so expected more from this book. He delivers on some aspects. The book is neatly structured into two sections - insights about people (i.e. broad customer segments) and insights about products (i.e. broad product and service categories like transportation, entertainment, etc.), which makes for easy reading. He fills each chapter with stories and anecdotes (e.g.: did you know they get mashed potatoes to pose as ice-cream for ad shoots?). Most of these are great fun, but some anecdotes are just not "aha" enough to deserve footage in a book (We all know about green screens by now, it's not a novel concept).
Several facts are blurry or off and don't need a genius to catch them (an ad made in 1982 aired in the late 70s, how?). The author's perspective is often colored by norms that were 'normal' in his time but feel jarring during ours - light shades of classism and sexism show through. And of course, the minute you get really interested, he drops in a generic "this XYZ from that agency, who enjoyed his drink/ was a bachelor / liked riding through the mountains (insert cool adman hobby) designed this campaign, and I used to be good friends with him and I learned ABC from him".
TBH, these problems are entirely expected and normal for a long chat over tea and pakoras with an erudite elderly uncle reminiscing his past - which is basically what this book is. The strength of this book is the warm, conversational and accessible tone. Even though I have nothing to do with ads, I never felt excluded by this book.
Since I've been in Ambi's Marketing class at IIM Calcutta, I know that he's an excellent teacher and so expected more from this book. He delivers on some aspects. The book is neatly structured into two sections - insights about people (i.e. broad customer segments) and insights about products (i.e. broad product and service categories like transportation, entertainment, etc.), which makes for easy reading. He fills each chapter with stories and anecdotes (e.g.: did you know they get mashed potatoes to pose as ice-cream for ad shoots?). Most of these are great fun, but some anecdotes are just not "aha" enough to deserve footage in a book (We all know about green screens by now, it's not a novel concept).
Several facts are blurry or off and don't need a genius to catch them (an ad made in 1982 aired in the late 70s, how?). The author's perspective is often colored by norms that were 'normal' in his time but feel jarring during ours - light shades of classism and sexism show through. And of course, the minute you get really interested, he drops in a generic "this XYZ from that agency, who enjoyed his drink/ was a bachelor / liked riding through the mountains (insert cool adman hobby) designed this campaign, and I used to be good friends with him and I learned ABC from him".
TBH, these problems are entirely expected and normal for a long chat over tea and pakoras with an erudite elderly uncle reminiscing his past - which is basically what this book is. The strength of this book is the warm, conversational and accessible tone. Even though I have nothing to do with ads, I never felt excluded by this book.
December 22, 2017
Nawabs, Noodles and Nudes by Ambi Parameswaran provides interesting insights around how Indian society has evolved over the past 50 years (and more so after Indian economy opened for liberalization in 90s). Advertising has used both social trends as well as attempted to change behavior when selling products and services.
Few examples of such changes include -
- Changing men- In 70s, the depiction was of macho man (refer Lifeboy ad) to a man who is using Fair Lovey to remain ‘fair’.
- Dynamics of husband-wife relationship from a suffering women to empowered women (refer Airtel ad where wife is the boss)
- Changing role of women from being a housewife to aspirational (refer, Santoor ad in 1986 showing woman at wedding while one in 1994 shows woman doing aerobics.)
- Ads depicting older people not showing the pain/suffering but of celebration and second innings (refer SBI Life ads) due to improved longevity
Its interesting also to see how some ads in India have brought in major changes like –
- Commodity mindset to brand mindset in wheat. Refer Captain Cook ads
- Making eggs food habit for Indians. Refer NECC ad
The book is organized into 4 broad sections, namely, people, product, services and ad narratives, each of which looks at changes in society from a different lens. The author also predicts the trends in next few years at end of each section and sub-section. The book is very interesting read for somebody who wants to understand what goes in an advertiser’s mind when creating an ad. For me, born before liberalization and seen a ‘controlled’ version of television and ads, this book provides interesting memorabilia of old ads as well.
Few examples of such changes include -
- Changing men- In 70s, the depiction was of macho man (refer Lifeboy ad) to a man who is using Fair Lovey to remain ‘fair’.
- Dynamics of husband-wife relationship from a suffering women to empowered women (refer Airtel ad where wife is the boss)
- Changing role of women from being a housewife to aspirational (refer, Santoor ad in 1986 showing woman at wedding while one in 1994 shows woman doing aerobics.)
- Ads depicting older people not showing the pain/suffering but of celebration and second innings (refer SBI Life ads) due to improved longevity
Its interesting also to see how some ads in India have brought in major changes like –
- Commodity mindset to brand mindset in wheat. Refer Captain Cook ads
- Making eggs food habit for Indians. Refer NECC ad
The book is organized into 4 broad sections, namely, people, product, services and ad narratives, each of which looks at changes in society from a different lens. The author also predicts the trends in next few years at end of each section and sub-section. The book is very interesting read for somebody who wants to understand what goes in an advertiser’s mind when creating an ad. For me, born before liberalization and seen a ‘controlled’ version of television and ads, this book provides interesting memorabilia of old ads as well.
April 28, 2020
Advertising has always been a huge area of interest for me, it amazes me how those creative minds come up with such amazing ideas that can change the whole future of a product and a company. Having a career that involves advertising and marketing, I feel great but I always feel I can do more. And this book took me down the memory lane to all those advertisements I had seen on the television, in the newspapers, in the magazines, the controversies around them, the impact they had, the careers they made, the fortunes they changed, the tears they brought, the times when they made us dance and laugh, all of it.
This is one gem of a book. And quite aptly titled as well. The past 50 years have been revolutionary for advertising in India, and this book takes you down a journey through all of it and talks about all those people who would be an inspiration for anyone who has had even a vague interest in advertising in India - Prahlad Kakkar, Prasoon Joshi, the late Alyque Padamsee, Piyush Pandey and so many more. It talks about some of the finest advertisements ever made in India - the legendary Liril ad of the Liril girl under the waterfall, the unforgettable Cadbury cricket ad, the Dhara oil jalebi ad, the Lux ad, the Fair and Lovely ads, all of it, nothing left out.
I loved reading this book. I would recommend everyone to read it as well, irrespective of whether advertising as a profession or a discipline interests you or not. It will make you smile, it will make you nostalgic, it will make you happy. This book is a definite shine-out on your book shelf.
This is one gem of a book. And quite aptly titled as well. The past 50 years have been revolutionary for advertising in India, and this book takes you down a journey through all of it and talks about all those people who would be an inspiration for anyone who has had even a vague interest in advertising in India - Prahlad Kakkar, Prasoon Joshi, the late Alyque Padamsee, Piyush Pandey and so many more. It talks about some of the finest advertisements ever made in India - the legendary Liril ad of the Liril girl under the waterfall, the unforgettable Cadbury cricket ad, the Dhara oil jalebi ad, the Lux ad, the Fair and Lovely ads, all of it, nothing left out.
I loved reading this book. I would recommend everyone to read it as well, irrespective of whether advertising as a profession or a discipline interests you or not. It will make you smile, it will make you nostalgic, it will make you happy. This book is a definite shine-out on your book shelf.
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