Trends in Advertising

by Surya Narayana

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Pre-50s
The Decade: Organised Indian advertising started
when B Duttaram set up his advertising agency in Mumbai in 1905. Most advertising was targeted at the sahibs and the memsahibs who ruled pre-independence India. Professionalism came in when J Walter Thomson set up shop in 1929.

The AD: Bengalis and the good people of Orissa continue to face-off on the internet about the origins of the rasgulla. Either ways, this 1930 ad for KC Das pushes its canned rasgulla - a marketing innovation then The AD: In its initial years, Horlicks was sold as a refreshing drink that could be gulped down, 'chilled on ice'. The idea found few takers but the brand grew roots in India, eventually

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The 50s
The Decade: It was the decade when Indian advertising took baby steps in creativity. Indian advertising began to do creative work in India. Earlier, most creative work would be done out of Fleet Street

The AD: Lifebuoy initially called as Royal Disinfectant Soap entered India in 1895. Despite the occasional ad that focused on Lifebuoy's ability to fight body odour, most of its advertising over the last century has been pitched on one quality of that bar: kill germs
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The 50s
The AD: The Mahatma was a fan of Singer sewing machines, calling it "one of the few useful things ever invented". The machines came to India in 1870 and Gandhi lugged it from jail to jail. This straightforward ad extols Singer's "100 years of experience"

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The 60s
The Decade: It was decade of professionalism in the advertising industry as advertising agencies and clients established long-term relationships. The 60s saw the birth of the 'utterly butterly delicious' campaign of Amul

The AD: Inspired by the 'man in the Hathaway Shirt' ad by David Ogilvy which chose an aristocratic but unconventially good looking man with an eye patch as a model Zodiac chose a bearded, well built man as its model

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The 60s
The AD: A smiling, blissfully in love couple was the centrepiece of this iconic advertising campaign for Wills cigarettes. The 'Made For Each Other' contest for the perfect couple was launched in 1969

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The 70s
The Decade Advertising became more scientific as National readership Survey (NRS) happened and MBAs from Bschools were hired for client servicing roles The AD: From Karen Lunel in the 70s to Preity Zinta in the 90s the damsel in the waterfall. Do we need to say more? The AD: Before Rekha morphed into a vision in chic saris, she endorsed Parle's soft drink Gold Spot

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The 80s
The Decade: After the colour telecast of Asiad games, television took off in India. The golden age of Indian advertising had just begun
The AD: Battery ads are not known for their edgy nature. Rediffusion's 'Give me Red' camp blew away that notion The AD: Ramayan, Mahabharata and Lalitaji's pearls of wisdom on which washing powder made your whites look whiter was hard to miss on Sunday morning television.

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The iconic ad from 1980s

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The 90s
The Decade: India liberalised. Global brands like Pepsi rushed. Yeh Dil Maange more happened. And Cannes was conquered. The AD: Ericsson used a misunderstanding and the following discomfiture to push their slick mobile phone The AD: We don't strip. We are Indians. Tuffs, a shoe brand, laid waste to that perception in this ad which got the moral brigade all exercised

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Y2K Years
The Decade: TVCs evolved, gaining global recognition. Digital advertising found its feet
The AD: As mobile service providers lined up to provide their services, Hutch came up with the killer line: "Wherever you go, the network follows you." Vodafone bought Hutch out, but the pug stayed. The AD: Teeth that double up as chandeliers, lamps and sources of light. Exaggeration worked for this chewing gum ad

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 (Source: Adkatha, The Story of Indian Advertising. By Anand Halve and Anita Sarkar Published by Centrum Charitable Trust) ET on Sunday 4/10/2011

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 One puff and a slap of fine of Rs 200

Under Sec. 4 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 smoking in railway premises including trains, stations, waiting halls and offices is prohibited. South Eastern Railway
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An early Indian tobacco advertisement, probably dating back to the late 18th century. The copy makes an interesting read (Anbumani Ramadoss would strongly disagree): Support the Indian industry by smoking guaranteed Indian made Nizam, Vazeer & Gold Tipped Nizam. Packed in packets of 10 each. Made in India! By Indians! For Indians! Registered Ask your tobacconist for Nizam, Vazeer & G.T. Nizam cigarettes Manufactured in Bombay by John Petrino & Co.

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One of the most popular cigarette brands in India - Wills Navy Cut's advertising campaigns has the highest recall value. Their 'Made for each other' campaign spanned generations of cigarette smokers. Here's an early Wills ad, when it was called 'Wills Filter' and old timers still do, some say 'Filter Wills.' From the mid or late 1960s.

The copy reads: Made for each other Like Wills Filter Filter and tobacco perfectly matched. Taste that truly satisfies - time after time. Millions of smokers wouldn't have it any other way. Wills Filter. Once you've tried it - you stay with it. India's largest selling filter cigarette Wills Filter Filter and tobacco perfectly Page 27 matched

Made for each other in 1994. The models had changed but not much difference in the theme and also the copy.

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A Wills ad from April 2004. Would be among the last ones to appear

in mainstream

print.

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 5 Star Energy Bar ad 1971. More than a decade later it was selling for a princely sum of Rs. 5.

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Probably from the 60s. Definitely early 70s. (Check Update)

'Some complexions just never grow up! Pears keeps your skin young, innocent. Pears...the original glycerine Soap. ' Agency: Lintas

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1979

Guy has a cigarette hanging from a corner of his mouth, preferably left. He still talking, almost enjoying the talk as just much as the smoke. His hands are busy working on something. There's a woman in the frame too, worshiping him. Her mouth agape in pretend awe. A classic smoking situation, for films and ads. Just the thing to get you started. The scene tells you it is a classic situation for life too. The guy enacting the situation in this ad happens to be Shekhar Kapur. It is a funny thought there is now a generation in India that grew up without seeing ads for cigarettes in magazine, and certainly without seeing celebrity endorsement of cigarettes. The impact of government policies and directives in shaping public lives in never so obvious.

[P.S. Nice watch]

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A public service ad from 1980s

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This is a 1959 ad for a India Tourism! The size of the ad is approximately 2x3inches. The caption for this ad is 'India Life Patterns' The ad is in great condition. This vintage ad would look great framed and displayed! Add it to your collecction today!PRICE: $9.99

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