When IIPM comes to education, never compromise
The young kid with the curly top had everyone bewildered. He had everything going for him – but why wasn’t he smiling? Fleeing a boring strategy-led agency he had managed to break into a born-again creative shop, make a mark, win an award, earn respect from his bosses and admiration from his peers – so where lay the problem? Why did he appear listless, restless and dissatisfied?
“All this is okay, but Boss, I want the ‘real’ thing. I wanna dance with the lions and swing with the winners. I wanna crash into O&M! Man, that’s one helluva place... they are the ‘real’ rock-stars!” In the last few years, this passionate refrain has been aired like a national anthem by billions of ad-infected kids across the land. Advertising (of the truly exciting, cutting-edge and creative kind, that is both clutter-bustin’ and ball-breakin’) continues to be defined by this one agency, which seems to be magically attract, charm and seduce the mickey out of national and international award juries, hard-nosed, hi-profile clients, hot-shot, fastidious and snooty industry peers as also a doting and delighted junta. What is the secret?
How did an agency that (till the late eighties at least) seemed to religiously follow the sacred commandments of the founding father, David (Pope) Ogilvy, suddenly do a volte face and embrace the spirit of maverick genius Bill Bernbach instead? What led to this dramatic metamorphosis and who were the audacious authors who dared to change a script that was supposed to have been engraved on stone?
Executive Chairman and National Creative Director Piyush Pandey, lights up before getting into flashback mode. “When I joined the Agency in 1982, it was a very well respected, prestigious organisation, led by the able and affable, Mani Iyer. We had a bunch of fine professionals and a clutch of great accounts for which we did good work, but (in all truth) none of it was really extraordinary in terms of the creative quotient.” He went on to divulge that agency’s brilliant Creative Director, late Suresh Mullick, produced flashes of brilliance but, perhaps, felt reined-in due to the compulsions that ruled the everyday workspace. Overall the agency stuck to its type-cast persona – a good, safe, solid agency reputed for delivering the goods as per client requirements. Clients were never wrong but we were never great or hot either. “I clearly remember our annual trips to the award functions, where we seemed to do only one thing... clap! It hurt... real bad,” said Piyush Pandey.
It was around 1987 when servicing executive Piyush Pandey (at the prompting and encouragement of Chief, Mani Iyer and CD, Suresh Mullick) moved into the ‘Creative’ department and within a very short time, started making a huge difference. His memorable ‘Chal meri Luna’ TVC broke new grounds and launched the bike, the ad, the agency’s creative potential (vis-à-vis the ‘desi’ stuff) and the writer, into a new creative stratosphere!
Suresh Mullick’s classy Titan campaign was up next, followed by his inspirational and soul-stirring freedom run TVC on national integration and the Piyush-scripted unforgettable, mile sur... TVC. The sensitive literacy campaign and the Fevicol ads followed, and suddenly the buzz in the market had begun. Something truly exciting was happening within O&M. A quiet revolution of sorts was in the making. The die was cast, the seed was sown and just a spark was needed...
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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
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