As published on April 04, 2006
It is a tale of an evolution, ...
Ad makers kept ads in between programmes and made life tiresome for the idiots glued to the their boxes...they got angry and then they thought of sponsoring programmes and make people less tired by" passive learning".. remember Closeup Anthakshari, and Ujala Geetmala...? Remember Rin Makalirmatrum, Pepsi Ungalchoice and Lalithavin Pattukku pattu..?
Big guys could only afford sponsoring and then came the idea of product placements. Poor things -- the hero's and heroines of our funny looking TV programmes, now would be inserting the brand names of the guys whose money has flown into the balaji's coffers, in their long dialogues..
Films set the trend... passpass and yaddein shall be remembered.. what a flop it was... I even wonder whether the film bombed on the producers face , due to his insatiable greed for money.. more money.. even more money..
Top gun and MI 2 are often quoted for its product placement wonders, and the effect on sales of such products.. but it went together well.. it was natural.. Tom cruise, the sexy hunk in an Aviator or an Oakley's, would look even more sexier and would only add charm to the story and the situation where the products appear. Thumbs up in the famous bollywood masala 'Kaante' was a natural fit, as the product espouses a macho image and so did the film....but these are clearly exceptions and not rules.....
Greed is a human attribute, no easy routes.. no escaping formulas..
But this never satisfiable appetite for money would slowly but surely make the dumbos locked on to their idiot boxes and multiplexes , realise the big game.. realise that the cinema that they had bough ticket for, is nothing but a series of ads, with some story thrown in , in between..
The day of reckoning will come when the gluttonous trio- the marketer, the agency( creative and media planning.. and now ,product placing) and the programme producer will have to ponder over the sword of Damocles that looms over their very existence....when our 'warrior with invincible swords, in mirth over the breach of walls between the editorial content and the commercial space ,would regret that they have won over uninhabited lands...
In the mean while let me see the latest edition of Kyonki Beti Bhi Kabhi Maaji Banegi....
The heroine appears on screen..
Maaji---she cries...
Han beetiji--- appears the old maaji
Aap ne meri keo karpin dekhi?-- laments the over made up heroine
Nahi to beti ji-- replies maaji...main to apna Dabur amla kesh tel hi istemal karti hoon...
Buaaaji--- appears the young trendy metro sexual grandson ji ,who bumps like a rubber ball
Mere Pulsar dtsi bike ki chabi kahan hai..? ---asks the lad
Muche to nahin pata---replies the Buaaji--I think it is near to my Pudin hara bottle.. dekho..
Now tell me guys... how long this will go on...
You can fool every one for some time, some for ever.. but not every one forever..
1 comment:
Leave alone Hollywood and Bollywood.. This has now become very common with the Telugu films as well. Most predominant is Airtel and Idea (these are the ones I have noticed the most). Airtel's Relationships last forever(translated :P)is the most common one I'm seeing these days in the Telugu films. Few others like Kalamandir, Nokia etc are also used quite frequently but I seldom see an element of naturality in those except for the Airtel one which is wonderfully placed.
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