Learn or Unlearn Advertising! the Question unasked, un answered , un said

Josy Paul

Country head, national creative director, rmg david


Grown ups are too correct. Advertising isn't !

There's nothing adult about Aamir Khan in Coke. There's nothing grown upabout the Hutch ad. There's nothing correct about Alpenliebe Lollipop'Lagey Raho'. Or the Fevicol Bus. Or, for that matter, the Cancer Association's 'dead horse' hoardings.These ideas come from the 'child' state.The thinkers and creators behind these ads haven't grown up. (At least,when they created these ads.) Which is why their work is so enjoyable andso memorable.The problem with grown ups is that they have already grown up. So they havenowhere to go.Growing up is different from grown up. The difference is that growing up isan excited state of becoming. While grown up is an inert state of havingarrived.Grown ups throw cocktail parties so that the drink gives them a legitimatereason to be kids again. When they wake up, they grow up really fast. (theylove that, don't they.)Growing up is all about play. Like most creative activities, it's about kicking things around. If you are not playing, you are a mere spectator. Anarmchair adult. "Full of fury, signifying nothing."Once you stop playing, you end up evaluating. That's the adult game. Youbecome a referee or an umpire. Which is why judges are good for courts, notfor advertising.The heads of some of India's largest agencies have stopped playing. Whichis probably why their agencies have nowhere to go.These whitewashed men in full suits who present their case on slick laptopshave forgotten what it means to be growing up.So how do we keep 'play' alive?At rmg david, this is part of the early training that strips us of our fearof embarrassment.You've got to resign when you join rmg david. Resign from adulthood. Ourcontract cajoles you to read, sign and accept a 300-word poem that goessomething like this (here is a sampler)"My resignation as an adultI have decided I would like to acceptthe responsibilities of a 6 year old again.I want to sail sticks across a fresh mud puddle. And make ripples with rocksI want to think that small candies are better than money,because you can eat themI want to believe that the world is fairI want to believe that anything is possible.I want to believe in the power of smiles, hugs, a kind word,truth, dreams, peace, justice, love, the imagination, mankind,Santa, the tooth fairy, a kiss that makes a boo-boo go away.I want to believe that my parents are the strongestand smartest people in the world.I want to be 6 again."The nice thing about being a kid is that you have a license.License to discover, explore, make mistakes. "Bachha hai, jaane do " Picasso said it took him 60 years to think like a child.What about you, boss?

In whatever you are , and what ever it is you are doing be child like not childish.