A tramp, dressed in a coat a tad too tight for him, trousers that are two sizes big, a bowler hat, a bamboo cane, signature toothbrush moustache…
No prizes for guessing, I’m talking about the man who made the world smile at his antics—Charlie Chaplin.
The iconic American pop singer—he of the delectable looks and kiss-curl, fondness for burgers, and tight jump-suits, the baritoned guy whom we all love tenderly—Elvis (the Pelvis) Presley.
The equally iconic khadi-wearing, armed-with-a-cane, political (and spiritual) Indian leader—Mahatma Gandhi.(See him above with Charlie Chaplin)
The English statesman, Winston Churchill, known both for being a brilliant strategist, and orator par excellence.
Despite being dead for many many years now, these idols live on in our hearts and minds.
Indian advertisements, long considered (inferior) imitations of their French / American counterparts, have come of age, and are playing a significant role in facilitating (and perpetuating) their appeal.
Not all Indian advertisements resort to being campaigned for by Bollywood actors, cricketing stars, or nubile models.
Think Cherry Blossom and its intrinsic Charlie Chaplin theme; Elvis Presley spoof Vanilla Coke and Worldspace ads; and the splendidly done Airtel ad that is doing the rounds(and getting well-deserved applause).
It is as if they are invoking a unifying, pan image—frame after frame of emotionally-appealing images, as also defying conventional norms of using cheap, gaudy, mindless images. No wonder, these ads are retained for long(er) spells in our minds, and remembered as a several notches above the rest.
Such adverts serve a dual purpose—associating these figures with coherent brand recall for us (the viewers), besides making the producers / manufacturers go grinning to the banks.
We ain’t complaining though.
They do rock!
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