The Rin TVC by Hindustan Unilever Limited has been in the limelight for the past week. The TVC did arise a lot of questions in the consumers mind; a) Can a competitor dig at a rivals brand so bluntly, b) Is it legal for a corporate company to avoid all the advertising rules to gain publicity and c) What will be the after effect of this TVC?…Though, we may have to wait and watch for the answers of the above questions, right now what’s evident is that the ad has done what it intended.

The TVC was aired on February 25, 2010 and had the heads turning over the mention of the rival brand Tide Naturals in it. The commercial involved comparison between the two brands. Industry sources also reveal that the ad was released on weekend on purpose, considering the holidays due to Eid-e-Milad and Holi.

The ad featured two mothers waiting at a bus stop for their children to arrive from school. Meanwhile, they happen to glance in each other’s shopping basket. One lady had Rin whereas the other had opted for Tide Naturals. The lady with Tide starts bragging about the product by mentioning about ‘khushboo aur safedi bhi’. The Rin lady just smiles.

When the school bus arrives, both the children come out. The Rin boy’s shirt happens to be more white and shining than the Tide boy’s. The Tide lady is shocked looking at the spotless shirt. The Rin boy then takes a dig at Tide and asks his mother, ‘Aunty chaunk kyun gayi?’ (Chaunk Gaye? is the tagline for the brand Tide).

Though the TVC claims lab results as a proof, the industry believes it’s just a false claim. Meanwhile, P&G has moved to the Calcutta High Court against Rin’s TVC. P&G mentioned that the TVC was “disparaging” against its detergent brand, Tide Naturals.

Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has also received several complaints against the tvc and will reveal shortly its verdict.

The lives of BMM students all over Mumbai, though diverse, follow more or less the same pattern. And at some point in the pattern comes the realization that it is time to start studying for their exams (For most this happens 2-3 days, or even less, before the exams). A very small number actually realizes this more than a month in advance. For those students who have awakened or are soon to awaken and seek guidance on how to tackle this accursed ritual of testing one’s skill on the basis of an archaic syllabus… here are a few tips

1. Get Your Act…err…Notes Together.

You can’t study if you don’t have anything to study/refer

Not those little chits you’ve passed around during lecture… I’m referring to the substantial (hopefully) tome of knowledge you’ve built while you paid attention to the professor during some of the lectures you attended or while you toiled away in the college library not so long ago. (Oh wait a minute… you’ve probably just woken up … so if you haven’t done either of the two above mentioned activities… do not fear… there are plenty of notes compiled by students and lecturers that are doing their rounds via email. Just pray that someone forwards you a copy )

Note: Please understand that notes are not money. There’s no harm in sharing them. The marks you’ll be getting don’t depend on how well someone else is prepared. (Of course if you have an enemy… feel free to abstain from sending them anything… but don’t expect them to send you anything either.) Also, go to your college library and request the question papers of the previous five years. 75-90% of those questions (including the case study structure) are REPEATED!

More easy, upload good projects, get moderated and avail all the previous questions papers (for boards only for now) from BMMBox free of cost via these links – http://bmmbox.com/cafe/forumdisplay.php?f=4 and http://bmmbox.com/cafe/forumdisplay.php?f=3

2. Don’t wait for the Prof.

He/She’s not going to declare war on you just because you’ve started studying a part of the portion he/she’s not finished.

There’s no harm on perusing a chapter before the professor’s touched it in class. On the other hand, there’s a lot of risk involved in waiting for them. Here’s why: -

• They may have completed that part in a lecture you’ve bunked
• They may have completed that part while you were daydreaming about Katrina Kaif/ Whatever girls dream of during lectures
• They may tell you to DIY (Do It Yourself) one week before the exams.
• They may simply rush through it at FTL speed (Faster Than Light) one week before your exam.
• They may be abducted by aliens before they complete it.
Start your studies (at least just read through the chapter) regardless of where your professor’s reached in the syllabus. Once you’ve collected notes… USE them… the spider in your attic or the roaches under your bed can’t read.

Note: - If you HAVE read a unit before your professor discusses it in class… keep it to yourself. There’s no need to show off your so-called superiority in class by interrupting the professor while he/she’s explaining it. You’re not going to get any medals for it and you’re more likely annoying the Prof. and your classmates.

3. Get Your Net Set.

The Internet, like BMMBox , is a NECESSITY while preparing for BMM exams.

BMM requires one to stay up to date with current affairs and most subjects require students to provide a lot of current examples to justify the theory they vomit out into their papers. The Internet is the most convenient resource for this. So make sure you speak to your ISP. Do anything required (short of death threats and stone pelting) to ensure that you have a WORKING Internet connection while you study.

4. Collect your Projects and Assignments.

If you don’t have a copy of them, request your friends to share theirs.

Your projects are more often than not based on your syllabus and are a reflection of the practical application of the theory you learn. Go through your projects and the projects made by others to further understand the subject. Believe me… projects help you learn a lot of things that would seem incomprehensible otherwise. Share your projects and take some time out to go through them.

5. Form a Study Group; Follow a strict schedule.

There are many advantages to studying in groups

Get a few of your friends together to study with you. Don’t let the number of people in the group exceed four. Your groupies give you company when studying, help you understand topics that they might know but which you find incomprehensible and stop you from drifting off while studying. Just don’t get carried away making jokes or letting breaks eat into your study time.

A schedule is very important when you’re preparing for exams. Make a time table for yourself, PRINT IT OUT, make multiple copies of it and stick it up wherever you’re likely to notice it in your house (Spare the bathroom and the Television screen if you can). Make sure your leisure activities come AFTER your study time. Your study period should not be divided into different parts of the day as it breaks continuity. However, you can take 3 five minute breaks in every hour spent studying. And most importantly – STICK TO YOUR SCHEDULE.

6. The Study Method.

Here’s the method I employ while studying for my exams

i. Read through the notes. Don’t try to memorize the notes. The first reading is just to get a basic idea of the subject. Read it and try to understand what’s being said. You don’t need to remember the number of factors leading to a war or the different types of headlines. Just go through the entire syllabus once. (This forms the basis for your preparation and, despite the fact that you may not even pass if you gave the exam immediately after completing this step, it is still very important).

ii. After the first step, open the previous years’ question papers, and find an answer to each question in them from your notes. Prepare these answers as well as possible while looking up the latest examples to validate the theory from the net. (After this step, you’re definitely going to pass the externals… but that shouldn’t be the upper limit for your goals)

iii. Subsequently, re-read the topics you’ve missed out while preparing with the question papers. This completes your second read of the entire syllabus.

iv. Once done with your second read… go through the entire syllabus again… but just skim through all the topics. Try to close your eyes and remember each sub point as you read it in the previous two revisions. Re-read whatever you can’t remember. (This step will go super- fast if you did the previous three sincerely)

v. For safety’s sake, skim through the syllabus again for topics you may have missed out.

Miscellaneous Tips:

• Don’t forget to ask your professor about the format to attempt your case study.

• Load up the refrigerator with some snacks. Sure you’ll put on weight… but you don’t get distracted as often when you’re munching on something.

• Get your stationery ready well before the exams. Don’t go hunting for it one day before the exam (I mean it… I get through BMM lectures using borrowed pens and notebooks )

• You do not need to take photos/videos of your ‘group study night’ to upload on Facebook.

• This one’s for the guys… give all your computer games/PSP/PS3/XBOX to friends who DON’T have exams and delete them from your computer. Once you get started on ‘em during breaks… there’s no stopping.

• Try not to pull all nighters – not only does it mess up your biological clock; you also forget most of the things you studied while your brain desperately pleaded for rest. Coffee makes no difference to this and neither does ‘Sona-Chandi Chyavanprash’ .

• If the books are too expensive to buy on your own, form a book pool where each person buys one of the required books and the others make a copy of it (Xerox/Photocopier shops in remote places offer students huge discounts for large orders.)

• VERY IMPORTANT – Once done with an exam, leave the centre immediately. Don’t hang around to discuss answers and don’t check your answers after you get home. Concentrate only on the next exam.

Now that you’ve read all this, you shouldn’t be in need to read something on how to prepare for exams again!

- Raghav Rao

FIRST APPEARANCE

My Name is Umma Saini

Age: 24
(Exact for men and approx for women )

Educational Qualifications (Please abide by facts…no one cares about it anyway)
BMM Grad.

CAREER GRAPH

Professional Experience: 3 Years

Companies / Agencies you have worked for:

1. Fairdeal Entertainment
2. Saints and Warriors Communications Pvt. Ltd.

Projects you have been part of:

Amul Innerwear (Amul Macho, Amul Body warmer)
Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess Training
Ring Guard
Elf Lubricants
Lokmat
Navneet
Pantaloons
Staples
Ticketvala.com
WWIL
Siti Broadband
Faber
Apna Loan
Cremica Biscuits and
Red Chief shoes.

Current Company / Designation: Copywriter, Saints and Warriors.

Most challenging project you have been part of, why?

Working on Amul as the standards are set so high after the first (controversial) Macho film.

How did you start your career? What was your first step after completing BMM?

Immediately after BMM I started working with Fairdeal Entertainment – A production house dealing with in-flight entertainment and film distribution. But that was for a start. I wanted to explore till I find what I want to do.

Were you clear about which field you wanted to get into right from the beginning? What helped you take your leaps?

I knew I wanted to try advertising. In that, I wasn’t sure whether to go for the business or creative side as I felt I had some skills for both. So I started with servicing and used it as a focal point to observe both sides of the advertising world. That’s when I realized its copywriting for me.

Any particular incident that helped you discover your career option?

Not any particular incident. Just a realization that this is something I want to do.

BACK TO COLLEGE

Does being a BMMite give you an edge over others?

The edge you get is you are not alien to advertising. Marketing terms don’t bounce off your head. It is a good warm up.

Do the subjects in BMM; help you know the reality of the job? Is there any place for theory in the creative world?

The less theory and rules you apply, the better. Besides, BMM subjects cover all aspects of the media. Copywriting is just one odd subject in some year. That too is majorly theory. Read it and pass your exams. You are never going to use that AIDA shit in reality.

BMM or BMM from a particular college? Does it make a difference?

The college does make a difference. Teachers, exposure, activities etc. do count in the learning. I wouldn’t say only SIES as there other good colleges as well. But get into a good one and not some unheard of college or something.

Internships during colleges- are they relevant in the long run?

I never did any internship during college. It was a conscious decision as I dint want to do any sort of work as long as I’m in college. You have to work your whole life man. Spare these three years of bliss for yourself – You won’t regret it. I thoroughly enjoyed college life and then joined work the day after i wrote the last exam paper. So that answers your question.

Would like to make any kind of change in the current BMM syllabus?

What I like about the BMM syllabus is that it covers various options for those interested in a profession in the media. So you can find out what subject interests you the most – photography, cinema, media planning, etc. and then pursue it. Faculty should arrange more guest lectures of people from the field to get a reality check. The syllabus must contain practical executions of the theories.

BMMBOXER’S TAKE

What are the different aspects of copy writing you explored while working?

There aren’t any aspects as such. It’s more of an acquired craft. There is ideation. There’s a lot of what you pick from life, observation and a feel for things around you.

‘Copywriting is underrated’ – Comment

Myth. Once you are in the real world, you will see how copywriters are kept on a pedestal. It is their thinking that drives crores of the clients money, gives them an image etc. The pedestal bit is quite illusionary though. It’s best to stay grounded.

According to you, what are the various higher study options, a copywriter can explore?

I was looking for it myself but sadly there’s no further study that can make you a better copywriter. No one can teach you to be creative. But you must have a sound grip on written and spoken English. That’s very important.

Five Essentials for a copywriter? (Could be books, keeping track of current trends, knowing the basics, etc…)

Being in touch with street reality (Your ads are not meant for your cousin in America but Ramnaresh from Vasai)
Patience (you start with peanut salaries and it takes some time to learn the craft)
A feel for things (the best writing comes from the heart)
An open mind
Reading and Travelling.

Any interesting incident about a client/project that you would want to share with us?

In the Amul Macho success party, it was funny to see all the guys secretly keeping score on who gets to dance the most with the model.

Apart from your own work, whose work do you look upon in the industry? (Could be agencies or particular projects)

Ogilvy maintains a good standard of creative.

From a copy writer to a Senior Copywriter at Saints and Warriors? How has the journey been?

There are no designations in SAW. So I’m no senior copywriter. Even the business card of the owner reads – Copywriter, Chairman. The journey has been great. I met great people and got opportunities to explore myself and do some good work. Everything I know, I’ve learnt it here.

Suggestions for future copywriters?
Drink responsibly.

Your achievements as a copywriter?

Well, I’ve been lucky to have quite a few films in my kitty.

How can our readers contact you? Facebook or Twitter Id

I’m ‘cementsmell’ on twitter.

LG Electronics is all set to launch 14 new models and reposition the brand as a fun-loving, free-spirited brand, which promises quality, innovation, style and excellence in performance. LG has therefore signed Bollywood hotties John Abraham, Genelia D’souza and Abhay Deol to endorse its latest range of mobile phones.

LG officials added that John, Abhay and Genelia are youth icons and fit the role well. Sudhin Mathur, business group marketing head, Mobile Communications, LG Electronics India Limited, further added, “They are youth icons. Having established ourselves in the field of innovation and design, LG Mobiles is now poised to scale new heights. As part of our overall strategy to reposition LG Mobiles as a youthful brand, the brand ambassadors will help us in relating with our consumers.”

Prior to this LG did not have any celeb endorsers except for Abhishek Bachchan, who was the brand ambassador for LG’s consumer durables range. Co-incidentally this will also be Abhay Deol’s first association with a FMCG brand. He has been associated with Video Volunteers, an organization that aims at creating alternative media at the grassroots level.

Abhay Deol confirmed the news and spoke about his association, “I always stand for what I believe, be it professional or personal life. Brand LG has always been a personal favourite, and when I was approached for these elegant and stylish mobile phones, I was very excited. These phones come with the perfect bundle of offerings that any youngster would want and is a perfect fit with me.”

John Abraham also added, “I love the networking concept in LG phones. I believe in togetherness, sharing, networking and am completely hooked on to social networking sites, which help me keep in touch with family and friends.”

“LG mobile phones are trendy, stylish, funky and chic; just the way I am. The mobile phones are conveniently designed, which makes them user friendly and simple to operate,” concluded Genelia.

One of the largest and most frequent stumbling blocks in a BMM student’s life is the perfidious, treacherous project presentation, which quite often ends up making one’s meticulously planned and executed (yeah right!! ) project look lackluster. Therefore, as an answer to the prayers of every BMM student who asked for a meteor shower on his/her college on the night before a presentation, a less destructive alternative solution has been made available.

The following article is a collation of SOME ways to boost your presentation skills and add pizzazz. (Last minute workers please note: If you’re reading this on the night before your presentation hoping it has some magic formula to help you ace tomorrow’s presentation, you’re better off praying for a meteor shower)

1. SEX! FREE!

Include an opening that grabs all eyeballs.

While it’s not always necessary to pander to the baser passions of people in choosing an opening statement for your presentation, it is necessary to make sure that the efficiently disbursed attention and dissipated energies of the entire audience are diverted to you at the start of the presentation.

Do remember, if you don’t get them to listen to you at the start of the presentation, they’re not very likely to listen to you at any other point either. Choose a relevant ice breaker like a simple levity, a quote from a famous personality (Confucius; he says, “When attribute words to wise man, nobody bothers much about meaning”), some pictures etc. to help the audience get acquainted with you.

2. BMM audience is…literate.

Don’t read out what’s on the slides to the audience. They don’t need you to do that. They need you to give them information that’s NOT on the slide.

Reading out the contents of the slideshow happens to be one of the major faux pas in presentations. Each slide should not contain more than five sentences divided among five bullet points. Each sentence should sum up a topic/sub topic in the sentence. The audience knows what you’re talking about when they see the topic on the slide. The rest of the information is supposed to come from the grey matter encased in your skull (so DON’T memorize the content…UNDERSTAND it!).

3. Whatever you do… DON’T look into the gorgon’s eyes!

Making eye contact with an acquaintance or a heckling member of the audience can often disconcert the presenter.

Non-verbal communication with people in the audience (even if only for an instant) is more than enough to break the presenter’s train of thought and make them fumble (giving a heckler from another group an excellent opportunity to score over you).

For those who aren’t very confident of coping with such distractive elements, there’s a simple way to go around it. While presenting, simply identify four members from each quadrant of the room and keep looking at the head of each one in turn (either clockwise or anti-clockwise). This way, it appears that you’re confidently making eye contact with the audience without actually having to do so. (The person whose head you’re staring at thinks you’re looking at the person behind them and this person in turn thinks you’re looking at the person in front )

4. Like…uhhh… don’t…like… mess up the words dude!

Fillers are a no-no in any form of speech, leave alone presentations. Surrender the task of corrupting the language to the pros (Americans).

Most people are sure to have observed others using fillers (words/phrases like ‘like,’ ‘you know,’ ‘umm,’ ‘uhhh,’ ‘er,’ etc.) with astounding ease to wreck their presentations. The most common reason for this is because he/she’s talking faster than they can form the words in their brain. While this is not a problem that can be dealt with overnight, it’s not insuperable either.

One way to do this is to practice speaking with the fingers and thumb of one hand thrust into one’s mouth (make sure you wash the hand first… urghhh!). The impediment will help train your mouth to move slower while also improving your enunciation. (Please note that while presenting, one need not or rather, SHOULD NOT stuff anything into one’s mouth. That’s just for the training! Also… make sure you have some privacy while performing the exercise lest your parents summon the guys in white coats). Make a conscious effort to improve your vocabulary so that you can better express yourself.

5. Presentations are like a lady’s attire!

They’re appreciated if they’re short and tasteful instead of designer full length.

It would serve one well to remember that theirs isn’t the ONLY presentation that the lecturer/examiner has to evaluate. Therefore, the longer it is, the more likely you are to bore him/her into giving you a lower score than deserved. Don’t make your presentation exceed 10 slides (including the ‘goodbye’ and introduction slides) and adhere to the time limit at ALL costs. Don’t clutter the presentation with extra information or pictures/flashy effects. It is always advisable to include a few special effects and illustrations… but they’re only meant to enhance the quality of the presentation. Your knowledge about the topic being presented and your ability to present it outweigh them by far.

6. Speech is spelt S-P-E-E-C-H; Presentation is spelt P-R-E-S-E-N-T-A-T-I-O-N!
Another difference between the two is that a presentation is interactive.

It is extremely important to involve your audience while delivering a presentation. It helps them feel more significant than the brick wall you COULD have been addressing. Also, it revives your audience’s attention momentarily. Prepare some short and simple closed ended/trick questions for the audience to answer (that are relevant to the topic of the presentation). Illustrate your point with examples and anecdotes if possible.

7. Move your body on the dance floor; stay put at the podium

Body language is one of the most important aspects of a presentation.

A word to the wise – if given a choice between using a podium and NOT using one… choose the latter. It displays confidence. And while one might do an awesome tap dance at parties, it’s not too appealing during a presentation. Shuffling/shifting from one foot to another, wringing one’s hands, scrunching up one’s eyes, and so on are dead giveaways of nervousness. It is recommended that one ask their friends to point out body language flaws or find out for themselves by practicing in front of a mirror.

You can’t fool anyone into believing you’re confident if you don’t LOOK the part. (Take for example UN’s pathetic attempt to convince people that the Himalayan glaciers would melt by 2010). The movements you make should be limited to the odd gesture to emphasize certain points.

8. School is over, but do your homework!

All the above points are of no use to anyone who doesn’t really know much about the topic.

There’s not much use in adding pizzazz to your presentation if you aren’t well versed with the matter of the project. The professor/evaluator isn’t going to be impressed by pedestrian theatrics if the content is mediocre. Make sure you understand the topic well and are also aware of the latest relevant developments (they’re sure to crop up in the Q&A session).

Miscellaneous Tips

• Make sure that your attire is appropriate for the presentation (Tube tops, 3/4ths, Pajamas and the like are NOT usually considered appropriate).
• Don’t be afraid to innovate. Break the bonds of convention. Lend a theme to your presentation or bring a pre-existing theme to life through props/role playing, and so on (but make sure you have the professor’s permission first).
• Practice as many times as possible. Have the slides ready at least 48 hours in advance. We’re serious!
• BE ON TIME! Set a hundred alarms if you have to… but make sure that you’re at the venue well in time to make a good impression or to avoid making a bad one (whatever works for you).

- Raghav Rao