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Stark Raving Ad: A Giddy Guide to Indian Ads You Love
Presenting, for the first time ever, the whole truth about Indian advertising and nothing but the truth (with just a pinch of salt).
For centuries,Indians have been asking all kinds of questions - about the meaning of life, our place in the cosmos , why we have so many gods, and other such vital things. In the last hundred-odd years, marketing anda dvertising has given us none of those answesr. What it has given us, nonetheless, is life-altering stuff. It has attempted to make men Fair and Handsome. It has battled to make women 18 Again. And to both men and women it has given Tinder loving care.
It has made us realize that we like pizza as much as the next Italian - as long as Dominos puts keema dopyaaza on it and tempts us with, 'Hungry kya?'
It has made us re-evaluate our life choices and ask thought-provoking questions like 'Kitna deti hai?' of our cars and 'Kya aap Close-Up karte hain?' of our toothpaste. In short, it has enriched our lives with quirky quips and clever (at times outrageous) turns of phrase, unforgettable mascots, all-out Battles of the Brands, eye-popping insights and lump-in-the-throat moments, while feeding our addiction to controversies and virtual worlds.
In this must-read book, you’ll find unbusiness-like stories from Indian advertising through the ages – and everything you didn’t want to know about the hits, the misses, the also-rans and the banned.
For centuries,Indians have been asking all kinds of questions - about the meaning of life, our place in the cosmos , why we have so many gods, and other such vital things. In the last hundred-odd years, marketing anda dvertising has given us none of those answesr. What it has given us, nonetheless, is life-altering stuff. It has attempted to make men Fair and Handsome. It has battled to make women 18 Again. And to both men and women it has given Tinder loving care.
It has made us realize that we like pizza as much as the next Italian - as long as Dominos puts keema dopyaaza on it and tempts us with, 'Hungry kya?'
It has made us re-evaluate our life choices and ask thought-provoking questions like 'Kitna deti hai?' of our cars and 'Kya aap Close-Up karte hain?' of our toothpaste. In short, it has enriched our lives with quirky quips and clever (at times outrageous) turns of phrase, unforgettable mascots, all-out Battles of the Brands, eye-popping insights and lump-in-the-throat moments, while feeding our addiction to controversies and virtual worlds.
In this must-read book, you’ll find unbusiness-like stories from Indian advertising through the ages – and everything you didn’t want to know about the hits, the misses, the also-rans and the banned.
- GenresNonfiction
272 pages, Paperback
Published January 15, 2018
14 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 7, 2022
"Indian's love for Chinese food is so transformative that we now make 'chinese' dishes that do not exist in China."
The tongue-in-cheek writing with intended puns was delightful to read. Brought back so many memories of childhood- lip syncing to ad jingles, waiting for ad break so that we could watch our fav. ads. Mine was Dhara ad- Jalebi....
Informative and nostalgic.
The tongue-in-cheek writing with intended puns was delightful to read. Brought back so many memories of childhood- lip syncing to ad jingles, waiting for ad break so that we could watch our fav. ads. Mine was Dhara ad- Jalebi....
Informative and nostalgic.
September 17, 2025
Ritu has done a great job of actually taking the initiative to jot down some of India's most notable advertisements while giving you a peek into the history of, well, "Indian Advertising". What I liked the most about this book was how she portrayed the insights behind the ads we grew up watching across various media, like print and TVC. Be it top players like Pepsico India, Amul, or HUL, here you can find the greatest advertising campaigns, their mascots, disputes, and more. However, only if there were visuals of the TVCs mentioned in the book or at least QR codes to access them on YouTube would have been nice.
November 17, 2020
A wonderful book! I read it a while ago, but I honestly didn't quite understand Goodreads until today, so I thought I'd give it a go!
I grew up hearing my parents quote ads that I was far too young to know about. Frankly, I thought they were a little cuckoo! I've always had a strong tie to my culture, but I wanted to see the look on my parents' faces when I quoted the very same obscure advertising slogans back at them.
Enough of my backstory, let's get on with the book review. I loved Stark Raving Ad for two reasons, the latter of which I will be expanding on:
1. The information, told in such a way that it didn't tire you out to absorb so much
2. The tone
I could go on forever about the tone; I think the most succinct way of describing it would be that it's Indian. Yes, the book is in English, but the sheer Indianness of the writing, the character it assumed, only enhanced the book. If I were the author, I'd write textbooks from now on and get a fortune! Seriously, they would be considered holy. Imagine how many children would suddenly excel in school? I know that I would have gotten that coveted 99% in my board exams that my parents so dearly hoped for.
I have so much more to say, but I'd prefer not to bore you. All I have to say is: Read this book!
I grew up hearing my parents quote ads that I was far too young to know about. Frankly, I thought they were a little cuckoo! I've always had a strong tie to my culture, but I wanted to see the look on my parents' faces when I quoted the very same obscure advertising slogans back at them.
Enough of my backstory, let's get on with the book review. I loved Stark Raving Ad for two reasons, the latter of which I will be expanding on:
1. The information, told in such a way that it didn't tire you out to absorb so much
2. The tone
I could go on forever about the tone; I think the most succinct way of describing it would be that it's Indian. Yes, the book is in English, but the sheer Indianness of the writing, the character it assumed, only enhanced the book. If I were the author, I'd write textbooks from now on and get a fortune! Seriously, they would be considered holy. Imagine how many children would suddenly excel in school? I know that I would have gotten that coveted 99% in my board exams that my parents so dearly hoped for.
I have so much more to say, but I'd prefer not to bore you. All I have to say is: Read this book!
July 23, 2019
I was looking for great books on Indian advertising. And I found this gem of a book.
It offers a great peek into the transition of Indian Advertising from its origin, revolution in the 90s' & early 2000s' and today.
For a millennial like me, it's a helping hand to capture the Indian audience and how to influence them.
It offers a great peek into the transition of Indian Advertising from its origin, revolution in the 90s' & early 2000s' and today.
For a millennial like me, it's a helping hand to capture the Indian audience and how to influence them.
July 12, 2019
There are some funny anecdotes and interesting tidbits about certain companies and marketing campaigns in the past, but on the whole this book is disappointing.
Its structure and how it is sub-categorized into chapters is opaque at best. Sentences are often verbose and there are some blatant repetitions for the sake of filling out text. This book could have done with more brevity and less prolix.
The analysis is really quite thin. You'd think that's fine if the book is funny, but unfortunately it was even thinner on humor. The attempted jokes and puns fell flat for me.
Worst of all is the constant use of Hindi in the book without translations. Is this book meant only to be read by residents or descendants of the Hindi belt? Works fine for me as Hindi is my third language, but I can see this book being a huge irritant for Indians who don't have a firm grip on Hindi, let alone any non-Indian who bothers to read this.
The one plus in this book is that I learnt plenty about old Indian brands (pre-partition and pre-liberalization) that I would otherwise never have heard of.
Its structure and how it is sub-categorized into chapters is opaque at best. Sentences are often verbose and there are some blatant repetitions for the sake of filling out text. This book could have done with more brevity and less prolix.
The analysis is really quite thin. You'd think that's fine if the book is funny, but unfortunately it was even thinner on humor. The attempted jokes and puns fell flat for me.
Worst of all is the constant use of Hindi in the book without translations. Is this book meant only to be read by residents or descendants of the Hindi belt? Works fine for me as Hindi is my third language, but I can see this book being a huge irritant for Indians who don't have a firm grip on Hindi, let alone any non-Indian who bothers to read this.
The one plus in this book is that I learnt plenty about old Indian brands (pre-partition and pre-liberalization) that I would otherwise never have heard of.
February 25, 2018
It was so much fun to read this book! Fun and informative. It definitely took me down the memory lane, reading about some of the advertisements we grew up with! This book represents all the facts about the Indian ad industry, but with some hilarious punchlines. From marketing strategies employed by the international brands coming in India to the fights between the competing brands, this book has everything! This is the first time that it actually made me think how these ads have had an impact on our society and our mindset and how they have played with our emotions like envy, status symbol in the society, hunger for spicy goods, desperate need to look beautiful (and fair), etc.
It is so hard for me to pick a favorite chapter, but I just loved this book!
It is so hard for me to pick a favorite chapter, but I just loved this book!
February 15, 2024
The book is a sweet ride through the memory lane of Indian advertisement. Since ads have been an integral part of our lives, it was fun to remember them and put a context behind it. As a marketer, I found the book tickle my creative bones. And Ritu does a stellar job of witty, funny writing weaving the stories together. The wordplay will kill you with laughter. You can not be bored. Every 90's kid and everyone before that should definitely read the book.
February 4, 2018
What sells in India? What grabs the attention of a common man/woman? An excellent book to understand the Indian mindset when it comes to advertising (controversial ones included). Funny and bone tickling and a very easy read. Very well researched and brings back the nostalgia of all old ads that we have grown up with and loved them or hated them.
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December 26, 2022Kharram khurram, khurram kharram! I bet you read that in a sing-song jingle way? But did you know about the Lijjat brand’s humble beginnings?
Originally titled Stark Raving Ad, this is an easy read about the journey of Indian advertising over the decades. Some as far back as the pre-partition era. All with a generous dose of nostalgia.
Originally titled Stark Raving Ad, this is an easy read about the journey of Indian advertising over the decades. Some as far back as the pre-partition era. All with a generous dose of nostalgia.
February 10, 2018
Good fun - for anyone who wants an easy read on Indian advertising over the years. You’ll catch yourself singing the Lijjat papad jingle again! Quirky and told with humour.
November 24, 2018
Fun and enjoyable read!
May 3, 2020
Amazing Read!!
May 12, 2022
fun and informative with supporting data...nostalgic..brought back so many childhood memories linked with ads...overall entertaining..kharrum.... khurram....
December 1, 2022
One of the most funniest reads in recent times
August 1, 2023
Did not finish, got bored😑
Rating 2.5/5
Rating 2.5/5
September 7, 2019
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book - a superb collection of insights into old and new advertisements. Hats off for the research work done and a very refreshing style of writing which makes difficult for the reader to take a pause.
The book is also definitely a super informative piece for those wanting to dabble into advertising.
The book is also definitely a super informative piece for those wanting to dabble into advertising.
February 6, 2018
'Stark Raving Ad by Ritu Singh is a welcome addition to the illustrious list of books written on Indian advertising. The rather cryptic title doesn't reveal much about the content, but it's a concise summary of different ways in which advertising has been claimed to work. My favourite is Ritu's "Thoo Thoo- Main-Main" where she shares about "Dettol" and "Lifebuoy" handwash product rivalry. I thought Ritu managed this feat without showing a single actual advertisement.
Better still, she convinces us that there is no 'right' way to explain how advertising works, because, as she puts it on page 115: 'Isko laga daala to life Jingalala" the mysterious and perhaps infinite ways in which one published utterance in any medium may influence one person's choice behaviour can involve everything we know, everything we don't know and perhaps will never know, about how we make choices, how we perceive things, what motivates us, how memory works, how we construct reality, Ok, life, the universe and everything.'
The Author does a great job of analysing the arch rivalry between Clients' search for accurate models of how the brand-building communication goes through the psychological processes as suggestion, association, repetition, identification, fantasy, etc.'
Evoking the unfamiliar, in constantly familiar ways, is what made this book a success already.
Cheers
Vinay Dwivedi
Better still, she convinces us that there is no 'right' way to explain how advertising works, because, as she puts it on page 115: 'Isko laga daala to life Jingalala" the mysterious and perhaps infinite ways in which one published utterance in any medium may influence one person's choice behaviour can involve everything we know, everything we don't know and perhaps will never know, about how we make choices, how we perceive things, what motivates us, how memory works, how we construct reality, Ok, life, the universe and everything.'
The Author does a great job of analysing the arch rivalry between Clients' search for accurate models of how the brand-building communication goes through the psychological processes as suggestion, association, repetition, identification, fantasy, etc.'
Evoking the unfamiliar, in constantly familiar ways, is what made this book a success already.
Cheers
Vinay Dwivedi
March 10, 2018
Ritu Singh, firstly let me CONGRATULATE you for being an author finally. The book is not just a collection of ads across decades but is actually a brilliant insight into the world of advertising, factors dominating strategies, some really interesting data, eye-opening interpretations and typical Ritu Singh style of satire and joke. This book is a very good read, not just for advertisers and marketers, but also for all who have been watching ads and appreciating or hating them. Very happy to read your first publication. Many congratulations once again. Shine on and keep writing! I am sure you've done a copy check of my review, let me know if it's good enough.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews