Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Ad-Influenza!


Have you also been hit by the ad virus? Blame it on the commercial breaks
By Amrita
Strange are the ways of God. First he created man. Then finding him not sufficiently alone, created woman. Then came a whole lot of children and then came their never ending demands! They always want 'something'. And the list is always endless. Then came the numerous blood-thirsty companies. They understood that these kids are their preys. So, came the enticing world of 'ads'. It is called the ad-mad world. Yes, quite literally!
The youngsters nowadays spend all their parent hard earned money on any and everything the models try to sell. They know that the new Red Loop Lewis that they wore to that party made them the cynosure of all eyes, but they also know that it had burnt a deep hole in their pockets. But they'll never blame their 'better judgement'. They darn it all on those 30-something-seconds teasers that are better known as advertisements. They put the innumerable commercials on the dock.
"Given the short attention span of the viewer. I know they are meant for selling numerous products and are often misleading. But they are meant for us, isn't it?" asks Rakshandha, presently pursuing a degree from NIFD. Agrees Preeti, her friend, but adds, "Ab to ads dekh dekh ke "baalon kka kuch karo" karte karte, baal hi nahi bachte!" (Nowadays, after looking at ads that say "do experiments with you hair", there is no hair left.) Quite an interesting observation one must agree!
Interestingly, ads were there from ever since one could remember. There was Lalitaji who would tell people that "Surf ki khariddari mein hi samajhdari hai", while HLL went on and on about "Rin ki chamkar". But that was in good old DD days. Then came the cable and an onslaught of commercials. And the latest is the sport stars and the Bollywood baadshahs selling anything from soft drinks and recharge vouchers to televisions and dream holidays.
So, while one Sania fan always drinks Sprite instead of the 'bakwaas' water, a Shahrukh fan is busy 'expressing himself' by using Airtel's magic cards! Sumeeta a school teacher says, "Kids nowadays just follow these stars blindly. They eat, drink, wear and live the lifestyle the screen idols sell!"
But there is a different genre of thought also that believes ads gives the customers a choice of plenty. "Advertisements are absolutely necessary due to the prevalence of similar sounding and often spurious products and unregulated industries. An identified brand often means safety and quality," says Rahul a BIT, Mesra, student. Agrees his buddy Sikha. "They aren't burning holes in any one's pockets. Instead, they help us take the right decision," she says.
What is your view about this whole fuss?

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