Monday, 4 June 2007
Monday, 12 March 2007
Nike... Just did it!
Nike just did it... with its latest ad exploding on television screens in India, the world's top sports shoe company has done something it has never (probably) done before -- a commercial on cricket.
Packed with tremendous energy, great visuals and fun music, the ad captures the spirit of the ubiquitous Indian street cricket with superb authenticity and gripping drama. The ordinariness of its characters, giving it the everyday familiarity that connects with the audience far greater than ads with star cricketers would. Contrary to many previous Nike ads which ride on the backs of sports stars, this ad depicts two star cricketers -- Zaheer Khan and S Sreesanth -- as onlookers, who even get their car bashed up while the game is being played in a chaotic traffic jam. "watch boy watch, how your game is played on our streets"
Based on the concept of 'Gutsy Cricket,' some of those involved take us through the making of the Nike commercial. Cricket in a traffic jam: "We wanted to show how cricket is played on the streets in India. These players are as tough, mean and hard (as international cricketers). On our streets in India, cricket is played in the toughest, meanest and best way. It also shows a microcosm of India," says Agnello Dias, 41, Senior Vice President and Executive Creative Director, J Walter Thompson.
Inset: Agnello Dias, the creative spirit behind Nike's first-ever cricket commercial
For all of us who have played cricket on the streets, we know we have to play a quick game -- to bowl or strike the ball -- before the next car comes by," says Dias. "The game in the ad is being played in a traffic jam and captures the chaos and disorder of an everyday cricket field in India, where there could be 21 matches being played at the same time!"
'Gutsy Cricket' was the concept behind the Nike cricket ad. In advertising, cricket is mostly shown as being played by star cricketers or by cute kids. In keeping with the concept, stars were not central to the ad. It shows them as onlookers. Here we have the game being played by 16-17 year olds -- kids who will bowl the heads off anyone who comes in the way of the game!"
How it began: The JWT servicing and planning team in Bangalore led by Dhunji Wadia and Rajesh Gangwani got the 'Gutsy Cricket' concept approved by Nike headquarters in Portland, Oregon, USA.
'Balcony, ball dena,' the statue of a Parsi gent with a raised finger, " screaming Out boy Out"
Featuring a Konkani song in the ad was Dias' idea. He shared the idea with ad filmmaker Abhinay Deo and made him hear Konkani music on his car stereo while eating vada pav in Kalbadevi, south Mumbai. "Nike says it is amongst their best Nike commercials of all time. In dealer conferences in the US, they are showing this ad at the beginning and at the end. It may later be shown in the UK and elsewhere also," says Dias.
Time taken to write the script: Half hour.
Biggest challenge while working on the ad: "The challenge was that this was the first mainstream Nike commercial not made in Portland. This was also the first Nike cricket commercial in the world. We wanted that it be showcased amongst its best." "We wanted to show that cricket is not a game that is just played by gentlemen in white in elite clubs but it is also played by tough, macho men on the streets in the largest democracy in the world."
A mind blowing idea: "When I was given the brief of filming the ad in a traffic jam, on top of cars and buses, I thought it was a mind blowing idea. Abhinay Deo, 36, at Ramesh Deo Productions. "What you see is fleeting glimpses of shots. It is shot by two hand-held cameras in natural light. Only at the end, the shot freezes and the logo appears. I wanted the audience to be in the middle of the game, so that they experience the game rather than seeing the players as exhibits." "It had to be raw, very realistic and hardcore cricket played by general people that we see everyday. To capture the roughness of the game -- the running, jumping on the roof of cars and buses -- without it looking like they were doing stunts."
Inset: Abhinay Deo, the filmmaker who shot the ad
Where it was shot: On a set in Karjat, near Mumbai.About 45 people were cast in the ad. The buildings shown are facades with nothing behind. "We did not want people who looked like models," adds Agnello Dias, "we wanted them to be tough and have lean, sportsmen-looking bodies. They are not models, they are actually stuntsmen."
Time to shoot: One month.
The challenge: "I wanted complete authenticity," says Abhinay Deo, "That it should look like a huge street in a metro. The challenge was being pitted against Nike commercials which are the most incredible ads. We had to stand up to the international level without losing sight of Indian-ness. What usually happens is that international ads become universal and lose the local flavour, and vice versa, (where local ads lose international appeal because of being too rooted in a particular culture or region). We did not want that to happen."
Why a Konkani song? "What you usually hear in ads is either North Indian/Bollywood music or classical music. We wanted to show the fun side of Indian music like in Konkani music. We have our own rock 'n' roll history, you know. So the track is a reinvention of old Goan music," says its composer Ram Sampath, 31, who has scored the music for films Khakee, Let's Talk and numerous commercials.
"The ad depicts aggressive energy needed to play the game in the spirit of the game. The reason it worked is because it has certain energy. Inset: Ram Sampath, the composer
Lyrics [Literal translation (intended meaning)]
Rao, Patrao, Rao
[Wait, boss/partner, wait]
Khelu mhaka di muntao
[Let me play]
Khelu mhaka di na zaalyaar tuze photelle toklao
[If you don't let me play I will break your head (I'll chase you down)]
Kheluch amche osle
[Our game is like this only]
kenna-ch raunk nasle
[never waited (to think)]
Undeer-Maazraache khelu kosle
[like a cat and mouse game]
Moraun dhoraun podaun sonkol
[fighting, pulling, falling]
Noseeb mhoje kosle
[my fate's caught in it]
"Rao patrao Rao, its not over yet - One of the best visuals ever seen; chaos, passion, will, energy, power, conviction, and of course fate
cricket is not just a sport its our religion; so enjoy the ad people which some of the best creative guys have given us - my fate's caught in it"
Tuesday, 23 January 2007
Some more pictures
Designer Outlet - A huge mall with 120 shops of designer brands. You name it, you get it here
Some brands you can see here
Hugo Boss and CK and DAKS London
Shambles - A very beautiful shopping street for Souvenirs and other small stuff. Most famous in York
Me outside Shambles
Thursday, 18 January 2007
Big BUCKer
Date: 17th January, 6.38 p.m.
Shilpa: I had kept 4 oxo stock cubes in the kitchen, and now I can only see one. Where are the rest?
Jade: I used it for the pasta.
Shilpa: Three! For that pasta? You just required one!
Jade: It was too bland. So used 3.
Shilpa: The stock cubes were the only things I had ordered on the shopping list, and you finished it all!
The argument continues and gets heated to an extent that our own “Churake dil mera girl” is labelled as a liar (incidentally shilpa had ordered most of the stuff on the shopping list), fake, pathetic and that she was so stuck up that she could smell the stink of her s**t right up her a*se. Shilpa was livid but could not live up to the argument and finally accused Jade of having Big Brother as the only claim to fame before retreating to the pink room.
Shilpa: I had kept 4 oxo stock cubes in the kitchen, and now I can only see one. Where are the rest?
Jade: I used it for the pasta.
Shilpa: Three! For that pasta? You just required one!
Jade: It was too bland. So used 3.
Shilpa: The stock cubes were the only things I had ordered on the shopping list, and you finished it all!
The argument continues and gets heated to an extent that our own “Churake dil mera girl” is labelled as a liar (incidentally shilpa had ordered most of the stuff on the shopping list), fake, pathetic and that she was so stuck up that she could smell the stink of her s**t right up her a*se. Shilpa was livid but could not live up to the argument and finally accused Jade of having Big Brother as the only claim to fame before retreating to the pink room.
All this comes from Jade Goody -
Who is Jade Goody?
Five years ago, Jade Goody was known as The Pig.
Tabloid newspapers denounced her as the most unpopular woman in Britain and baying crowds held placards in front of the Big Brother cameras suggesting the producers "Kill the Pig".
Hating the 21-year-old dental nurse from a council estate in Bermondsey, south London, became the national sport in the summer of 2002.
Yet her misdemeanours were mostly innocuous. On her first night in the third Big Brother house, her only crime was to talk very loudly and ask what asparagus was.
She later found herself in bed with her housemate, PJ, threatened to "deck" another contestant for pointing out she had a verruca and stripped during a game of poker.
But it was her tenuous grasp of general knowledge that attracted most opprobrium. She thought Rio de Janeiro was a footballer, that Sherlock Holmes invented the toilet and that Pistachio was the genius behind the Mona Lisa.
Curiously, she left the Big Brother house not in the direction of obscurity but to become a multi-millionaire with a mansion in Essex, two children, a best-selling perfume and a profile to rival Victoria Beckham's.
By her own account, she is "the most 25th inferlential [sic] person in the world".
It is a fair distance from the chaotic house where she was brought up by a lesbian mother, for whom she rolled cannabis cigarettes from the age of four.
Her father, of Jamaican descent, left home when she was two. He died of a heroin overdose.
During her first stay in the Big Brother house she asked housemates: "Where's East Angular [sic] though? I thought that was abroad."
On travel: "Do they speak Portuganese in Portugal?"
On sport: "Do you play croquet on a horse?"
Tabloid newspapers denounced her as the most unpopular woman in Britain and baying crowds held placards in front of the Big Brother cameras suggesting the producers "Kill the Pig".
Hating the 21-year-old dental nurse from a council estate in Bermondsey, south London, became the national sport in the summer of 2002.
Yet her misdemeanours were mostly innocuous. On her first night in the third Big Brother house, her only crime was to talk very loudly and ask what asparagus was.
She later found herself in bed with her housemate, PJ, threatened to "deck" another contestant for pointing out she had a verruca and stripped during a game of poker.
But it was her tenuous grasp of general knowledge that attracted most opprobrium. She thought Rio de Janeiro was a footballer, that Sherlock Holmes invented the toilet and that Pistachio was the genius behind the Mona Lisa.
Curiously, she left the Big Brother house not in the direction of obscurity but to become a multi-millionaire with a mansion in Essex, two children, a best-selling perfume and a profile to rival Victoria Beckham's.
By her own account, she is "the most 25th inferlential [sic] person in the world".
It is a fair distance from the chaotic house where she was brought up by a lesbian mother, for whom she rolled cannabis cigarettes from the age of four.
Her father, of Jamaican descent, left home when she was two. He died of a heroin overdose.
During her first stay in the Big Brother house she asked housemates: "Where's East Angular [sic] though? I thought that was abroad."
On travel: "Do they speak Portuganese in Portugal?"
On sport: "Do you play croquet on a horse?"
Ok, cut to Big BUCKer -
In the pink room, Shilpa is heard talking to Cleo mentioning that I am from a foreign country as a guest in UK. Is this what UK has become? It’s scary.
Total Drama!
I have missed the episodes where the racist remarks had been made, but when I read about it in the newspapers I couldn’t stop myself (someone who hates reality shows) to watch the entire episode yesterday.
Indian media channels and newspapers have been flooded with the “hot news” showing the same story in a loop 24x7 as this has been the most important news since Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated.
People of Asian origin have taken their mobiles, pdas and laptops to the street condemning the content on Big Brother. The mobile networks are jammed, the OFCOM website (UK media regulator) is down and 21000 complaints have been received in the last 24 hours by the UK government.
Channel 4 (the channel which airs Big Brother) has clarified that there have been no racism going on in the Big Brother house, its just – ‘a clash of cultures and class’. Am sure the lawyers at Channel four must have worked all night to come up with that line.
Tony Blair and Gordon brown have done their bit by condemning the ‘offensive behaviour’.
The UK police have launched an investigation into the matter too (they must have been pulled out from the task of investigating the 7/7 bombings).
Conservatives in UK, not wanting to be left behind, vying for media attention have jumped on the bandwagon saying there have been no racist remarks on Shilpa Shetty.
I won’t be surprised if these conservatives counter allege that Shilpa has condemned the UK by initiating the racism complaints.
If you think of it, this has been a well thought strategy by the Channel 4 guys, since most of the stuff on the show is arguably scripted. Ok, for those who don’t agree with me on this, let me put it this way – The channel 4 guys gave made sure that the housemates behave in a certain predetermined fashion simply due to the way the housemates have been selected (one Indian and one Black in a White group).
Racism is rampant all across the West and it is no rocket science for any one to predict this would have happened.
The outcome? –
The UK government will apologise, the Indian media will divert their attention to some other “IMPORTANT NEWS” and a few more thousands of additional viewership will skyrocket their TRPs.
And Channel 4 guys will be laughing their way to the bank!
Big Big BUCKer!
Total Drama!
I have missed the episodes where the racist remarks had been made, but when I read about it in the newspapers I couldn’t stop myself (someone who hates reality shows) to watch the entire episode yesterday.
Indian media channels and newspapers have been flooded with the “hot news” showing the same story in a loop 24x7 as this has been the most important news since Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated.
People of Asian origin have taken their mobiles, pdas and laptops to the street condemning the content on Big Brother. The mobile networks are jammed, the OFCOM website (UK media regulator) is down and 21000 complaints have been received in the last 24 hours by the UK government.
Channel 4 (the channel which airs Big Brother) has clarified that there have been no racism going on in the Big Brother house, its just – ‘a clash of cultures and class’. Am sure the lawyers at Channel four must have worked all night to come up with that line.
Tony Blair and Gordon brown have done their bit by condemning the ‘offensive behaviour’.
The UK police have launched an investigation into the matter too (they must have been pulled out from the task of investigating the 7/7 bombings).
Conservatives in UK, not wanting to be left behind, vying for media attention have jumped on the bandwagon saying there have been no racist remarks on Shilpa Shetty.
I won’t be surprised if these conservatives counter allege that Shilpa has condemned the UK by initiating the racism complaints.
If you think of it, this has been a well thought strategy by the Channel 4 guys, since most of the stuff on the show is arguably scripted. Ok, for those who don’t agree with me on this, let me put it this way – The channel 4 guys gave made sure that the housemates behave in a certain predetermined fashion simply due to the way the housemates have been selected (one Indian and one Black in a White group).
Racism is rampant all across the West and it is no rocket science for any one to predict this would have happened.
The outcome? –
The UK government will apologise, the Indian media will divert their attention to some other “IMPORTANT NEWS” and a few more thousands of additional viewership will skyrocket their TRPs.
And Channel 4 guys will be laughing their way to the bank!
Big Big BUCKer!
Tuesday, 16 January 2007
Faux Pas in UK!!! Must read
Arrived at York late night on 9th Jan with a so called ''Jet Lag''; dunno the difference, just that it felt like i have been travelling for ages! But could still squeeze in a couple of Carslberg beers, which I bought from a loacl kirana store on my way home, before I hit the bed. 10th Jan was quite cool, with a couple of introductions to people, getting my access card and most importantly - ''PER DIEM''. I had to visit London for 'full day meetings' on 11th Jan, so I thought I should crash early on 10th. And so i did that, not before I had a few Budweisers though.
So I went to bed after I put an alarm for 530 am on my phone (thats what i use as alarm clock normally) as I was supposed to catch a train at 7 am from York to London. The alarm went off at 530, as it was supposed to, and I snoozed for 10-15 mins and finally dragged myself out of bed. Got ready in a jiffy, called for the cab and left for the station at 620 am.
The normal road to the station was shut so the driver tells me we have to take a detour. I was a bit tense as I didnt want to miss my train. I informed him that I have a train at 7 am so I hope I wont get delayed. He gave me a rather confused look but finally gave me an assuring ''Do-not-worry'' nod.
I reached the station, paid the cabbie and got off. Saw my phone, it was still 645 am, well in time. Breathed a sigh of relief and with confidence glowing all over my face I went to the station screen to see what time the train is and which platform it is supposed to arrive. (I have always been very bad with trains even in India so I didnt want to take any chances)
The screen said the next train is at 215 am!!! I kept staring at the screen, rubbing my eyes in dibelief and all voices in my head telling me different stuff!
I was completely shocked, as I went to the station clock and saw it was 1.15 am... The voices in my head telling me either I have gotten up early or I sleep an entire day and night! - which was more of possibility as I always wake up late.
I checked my watch - it said 1.15 am; the other phone I was carrying said 1.15 am and the second phone says 6.45 am. It then dawned upon me that the phone I was referring to, still showed India time. so it was actually 645 am IST and 1.15 am UK time. I felt so stupid!
Not knowing whether to wait at the station for 6 hours and catch the train at 7, or go home, take a short nap and come back to the station, I lit up a smoke. The wind, the rain and the chill helped me decide in a jiffy. Hired a Mercedes E 230 back to the house. It costs freaking 5 pounds each way for a distance of 1.5 miles! So 10 pounds wasted (The same voices telling me I could have bought 2 six packs of heineken in that much money!) Felt very miserable...
Went back and slept, and overslept, got up at 630 am uk time (this time) and called the cab. No god-damn cabs were available for 20 mins. So I walked till the bus stop and the bus arrived at 6.55 am and I missed my train! and my first meeting in London.
Caught the next 740 train and headed to London and reached an hour late just in time for the next meeting. The day went fine, came back , had a couple of Budweisers still feeling miserable and slept. What a day it was!
So I went to bed after I put an alarm for 530 am on my phone (thats what i use as alarm clock normally) as I was supposed to catch a train at 7 am from York to London. The alarm went off at 530, as it was supposed to, and I snoozed for 10-15 mins and finally dragged myself out of bed. Got ready in a jiffy, called for the cab and left for the station at 620 am.
The normal road to the station was shut so the driver tells me we have to take a detour. I was a bit tense as I didnt want to miss my train. I informed him that I have a train at 7 am so I hope I wont get delayed. He gave me a rather confused look but finally gave me an assuring ''Do-not-worry'' nod.
I reached the station, paid the cabbie and got off. Saw my phone, it was still 645 am, well in time. Breathed a sigh of relief and with confidence glowing all over my face I went to the station screen to see what time the train is and which platform it is supposed to arrive. (I have always been very bad with trains even in India so I didnt want to take any chances)
The screen said the next train is at 215 am!!! I kept staring at the screen, rubbing my eyes in dibelief and all voices in my head telling me different stuff!
I was completely shocked, as I went to the station clock and saw it was 1.15 am... The voices in my head telling me either I have gotten up early or I sleep an entire day and night! - which was more of possibility as I always wake up late.
I checked my watch - it said 1.15 am; the other phone I was carrying said 1.15 am and the second phone says 6.45 am. It then dawned upon me that the phone I was referring to, still showed India time. so it was actually 645 am IST and 1.15 am UK time. I felt so stupid!
Not knowing whether to wait at the station for 6 hours and catch the train at 7, or go home, take a short nap and come back to the station, I lit up a smoke. The wind, the rain and the chill helped me decide in a jiffy. Hired a Mercedes E 230 back to the house. It costs freaking 5 pounds each way for a distance of 1.5 miles! So 10 pounds wasted (The same voices telling me I could have bought 2 six packs of heineken in that much money!) Felt very miserable...
Went back and slept, and overslept, got up at 630 am uk time (this time) and called the cab. No god-damn cabs were available for 20 mins. So I walked till the bus stop and the bus arrived at 6.55 am and I missed my train! and my first meeting in London.
Caught the next 740 train and headed to London and reached an hour late just in time for the next meeting. The day went fine, came back , had a couple of Budweisers still feeling miserable and slept. What a day it was!
PS: Please note the deliberate mention of beer brands in the entire post... Just showing off that I am having phoren beers here ;-) And the mention of meetings are just to show everyone I am working too!
York station
Outside the York stationThe cold is making my hair stand
This is the bus I take from office back home... If we get these in India, I would leave my car at home everyday...
Another view
The MANGO store... right behind me
York was surrounded by walls on all sides... This is one of the walls... Most of the walls are gone, just a few remaining... This one is right behind our office
This is where i have fun
The ''Cross Keys'' pub.... authentic english / irish pub which serves Guiness!!!
Saw an African movie called Apocalypto with English subtitles directed by Mel Gibson in this theatre called City Screen... Apna Imax aur Fame is much better than this.... On top of that that a movie costs £10!!!
Yo1 is another decent pub with nice music where u get a pint of budweiser for £2.40... Not bad at this price
Aur ye hai hamara York City Sight Seeing bus... just like our Mumbai Darshan...
Inside the pub - ''Last Drop Inn''... Guiness on tap!!! And smoking allowed in this pub!! Need I say more?
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