The modern little red riding hood, reared on singing commercials, has no objections to being eaten by the wolf.

"If you don't get noticed, you don't have anything. You just have to be noticed, but the art is in getting noticed naturally, without screaming or without tricks."


This is yet another addition to the things I admire with awe. It has become part of our life… juz like most other things we see everyday and take it for granted. There had been more than one instances when I’d actually missed the usual one or one of my favs.

Straight to the point is what my friends want me to do. Before I go on abt it, I owe a Cornetto if u’ve guessed by now wat I’m yapping about. (No cheating…okie?).

Its all about the make believe world of Advertisements. The first ever advertisement that I remember is that of Hamam soaps. The way the ad of this company has evolved over the quarter century is overwhelming. The ads match the latest trend in every way. This is just an example that jumped out of my memory. The adv, which I admired recently, was the Sony Ericsson mobile fones… where they replace the word LUV with their marble logo. Something like I walking in the rain… I music, I missing the last bus, etc. Very creative… Very impressive.

The first thing that crosses our minds when we think about Ads is the LOGO. By the way… do u know wat LOGO means --- its Logic Oriented & Graphics Oriented (read this is a CSC book of a 10yr old kid).

The creation of logos, I trust dates back to the stone age when people started to mark their territory or clan with symbols of their own, say images of animals, nature, etc. In this cosmo era, the logos that various corporate exhibit are mainly to tap the potential customers in their respective domain. The term ‘Corporate’ should not just remind u of Nike, Adidas, Sony, Benz or Chevrolet. Do u remember the Re.1 pickle packets or 1.ps toffee that we get in our granny’s village… did u notice the logo there? Thanks for remembering them… yes… they too hold a pretty logo speaking for itself.

Creating Logos is the base of the Ad world, coz most of the times they bring out the life of the product. An apt example is of ADIDAS that has to be read as All Day I Dream About Sports [my friend once said S stands for ‘Shree’. Of course I was on Cloud 9, no doubt on that ;)]. But then again, I wud like to ponder more about the creative gray cells that work together or even against each other to come up with catchy, competitive Ad films, hoardings, pamphlets, digital scrolls, etcetera.

Any public relations team cud of course tell these Ad Experts wat they wud like to niche with the new advertisement. Getting into the minds of the requestor, analyzing the market of the product, their expectations and other core things is the most debilitating of all influences in the creation of good advertising (I can’t think more… coz I’m not even close to an amerture in this context). What actually runs into their minds when confronted with an assignment is wat I wud like to ask them if I confront them some day in the near future. Shamelessly copying from the net, I would second the thought "Ads are the cave art of the twentieth century". Won’t you?

Every dark cloud has a silver lining… & so far we’ve been generous enough to see the silver side of this dreamy, floating mass. I won’t do justice to my wicked soul if I dnt write about the darker side as well. Do the advertisements really mean wat they say? Are they true to their word about wat they hoard about? I also believe in wat Will Rogers (psst... I dnt know him either) said - "If advertisers spent the same amount of money on improving their products as they do on advertising then they wouldn't have to advertise them". Wat except money do they gain by luring people with film stars, catchy captions, tempting visuals and lying thru their teeth. I can feel the heat of stare as I hear u say, ‘as if she works in an IT firm for social service’. Hehehehe cunning amn’t I?

Say wat ever, Ad Film making is an unfulfilled dream career of mine & I wud cherish & admire forever & ever.

"Creativity is an advertising agency's most valuable asset, because it is the rarest."

Jef I. Richards

Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder

By plucking her petals, you do not gather the beauty of the flower. ~Rabindrath Tagore


This blog is dedicated to people who think beauty is not just skin deep & something more personal & intimate. Beauty is not in seeing a little of a person, but admiring them as a whole flower. A guy made me feel so recently, and few others in the past too (many of whom I felt never really existed – that’s my ego speakin). I was juz wondering wat runs in the minds of those people who FEEL beauty in a person, rather then see it, like the rest of the world.

As usual, I read in the net, a quote by Helen Keller, which goes as ‘The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, nor touched ... but are felt in the heart.’ The truth ... as is.

Born & brought up in India, hogging at the filmi queens & heroes in the 1000 & odd films that get released per year… beauty to me meant glossy hair, smooth, freckle free skin, pearly teeth, beauty contestant figure, hi-fi clothes, luxury cars… mmm ok… I’ll not list out wat all of us know already. While in school, when teachers spoke of inner beauty in our Moral Science classes, I strongly believed that it was to make the not so pretty kids feel a little better about themselves. Those ideals brought no sense to me… until a few months back.

In my recent past, my fate took me face to face with the wickedness of wat lost beauty cud cause or wat truth it can reveal. This is not about someone I know of, but then it has affected me in a way, which I intend to take to my grave or spread across the world thru my ashes. It was in a hospital where I witnessed this scene. A guy suffering from third degree burns was so lovingly attended by (just) his girlfriend. His parents?? That’s whom I was searchin for too. I was told that they were too embarrassed to even claim this burnt mass as their son. But, the dedication with which the gal (not yet his wife) cared for him as if he was still the handsome guy she fell in luv with, brought tears to my eyes. I was moved by the incident… but still it dnt remove the etch in my brain that said ‘Beauty is wat is visible to the naked eyes.’

Now comes the part when I my heart carved the words "No object is so beautiful that, under certain conditions, it will not look ugly” (Oscar Wilde quotes (Irish Poet, Novelist, Dramatist and Critic, 1854-1900)). I’m an amateur fotographer and was goin thru my album filled mostly with people I know & some strangers who’ve looked into the lens when my camera focused them. Each of them… different skin tones, different smiles, different kinda beauty, a tear filled eye, a appreciative hug, a deceptive look, a disappointed shoulder, etc. Lookin at it again, I realized that most people I deeply loved ‘ve are not the smooth skinned beauties I mentioned earlier. The wrinkles on my granny’s face reflected the pains she had gone thru to rear us, the look on my friends’ face… portrayed her concern for me & her disappointment in my mistake, etc & me. Aren’t those what beauty is all about?

In the recent days, I’m closer to the person who has made be believe in myself…. Like he always says… Weed is a plant whose virtues are not yet been discovered (he got this from the net too). He keeps telling that looks acquaint many people but those who remain with us see more than looks in us. I was impressed & my emotions come out thru my only vent … my blog. He made me feel beautiful -- juz like the quote 'You don't love a woman because she is beautiful; she is beautiful because you love her'.

Did u guys think of this at any point of time? Even for a minute? I’ve .. a lot before… but without understanding wat beauty actually is. My perspective has changed & I trust, so has my life.


That which is striking and beautiful is not always good, but that which is good is always beautiful.