Interview 209.qxd 13.03.2009 13:28 Uhr Seite 1 Interview SlIdeas choose you. as two large Asian countries or econo- ––––––––––– mies, they have witnessed sweeping Prasoon Joshi, Executive Chairman and changes in both these areas in the last de- Regional Creative Director, South and cade and a half. Liberalization of the eco- South-East Asia at McCann Erickson, is nomy meant the easy inflow of multina- India’s all-round creative. Born in 1971, tional brands; a more robust economy has he started his career in 1992 with Ogilvy resulted in growing optimism and a more & Mather, where he stayed for ten years competitive market. The customer today before joining McCann. He has won is spoilt for choice and we are seeing con- countless awards – Golden and Silver sumerism making its foray, albeit in a dif- Cannes Lions among them – not only in ferent avatar. The media vehicles have the area of advertising but also in his changed – from largely print and a couple second career as a lyricist and screen- of government-funded and state-owned writer for Bollywood films. Hermann channels. Today, there are multiple private Vaske, who had the pleasure to be with media players and hundreds of channels. Prasoon in a panel discussion on “Eros Advertising has become a very high-deci- in Advertising” in Mumbai, spoke with bel ballgame. I think one of the biggest him about Indian advertising and cinema changes we saw was the massification in and Prasoon’s roles in all of this. advertising – an increased number of pro- ducts meant more consumers to be tap- L.A.: How did you get into advertising? ped and, as a means of reaching out to Prasoon Joshi, Executive Chairman and Re- Prasoon Joshi: I have been writing ever more, the audiovisual media were quicker gional Creative Director, South and South- since I remember – most of my childhood and faster. The target audience for goods East Asia of McCann Erickson. was spent in the mountains, in the Hima- and services is no longer niche – the huge IVE.COM — PHONE:IVE.COM 0043 1 715 24 layas, and the tranquility and solitude middle class and the migrating bottom there nourishes the writer in you. My first half of the pyramid is where the action is. a sense of déjà-vu. You see, I believe that book of poetry and prose was published I think another change in relation to the you don’t come up with an idea. Ideas when I was 17. And I guess that’s when my world has been the opening up of per- choose you. And they do that only if you parents woke up to the fact that, if they spectives. I think whilst Asia did attempt have a fertile mind. You have to keep didn’t step in, things would go haywire! to know more about the western world learning, thinking, experiencing. And let Coming from a family of educationists – and the culture that it reflected in its ad- the ideas get in tune with you. A wire can- both my parents were officials in the state vertising, this was not the other way not say, “I am electricity.” It’s just a me- education department – they felt that their around. The western world was pretty dium. So is a human mind. We need to son was wasting his time. In India, writing insular at the time. It may have had a tou- strive to be a worthy medium for ideas. IDE – OFFICE@LUERZERSARCH and poetry were not seen as a “career” or rist kind of perspective but not an in- L.A.: How do you promote an idea? a means of livelihood. The traditional depth one. Today, I think there is a lot Prasoon Joshi: By believing in it. Collective choices of becoming a doctor or engineer, more receptivity to the cultural nuances of belief. When the creator finds not takers or a taking government job, is what the Asia and its advertising. but co-creators, an idea lives, breathes majority of Indian parents desire for their L.A.: How would you describe India’s influ- and grows. Speaking more pragmatically: children. So I went on to do my masters in ence on Asian advertising and on world if the consumer believes in it and gives it physics and then for a management de- advertising? sanction, and becomes a part of creating a gree, but continued writing. It so hap- Prasoon Joshi: I think there is no one brand, that becomes potent. Of course pened that my summer training was fixed country-specific style of advertising, and I sometimes the time and the place may not at an advertising agency. That’s when I dis- don’t think there should be. There are be right for an idea; ideas get promoted TV AND POSTERSWORLDW covered that my writing, my crazy idea- varying points of view and approaches, when surrounded by a congenial atmo- tion, has value and it can be a career and that’s what makes it interesting. As far sphere. When there are attuned minds. choice. The fact that I could write for a liv- as my point of view is concerned, I feel L.A.: Where does this certain richness and ing was the biggest thing, and I consider that communication has to be at different madness in Indian advertising come from? myself fortunate to be in this industry. It levels. India, to my mind, is in a unique Prasoon Joshi: This coming of age of In- keeps alive and caters to the child in me, position, that of a strong indigenous cul- dian advertising, or at least the emerging which craves instantness – the desire to tural wealth of nuances to dig into, and distinctive version that the world now see your creation taking life fast – and also the exposure to – and ease with – sees, is wonderful to witness. You see, un- also to the adult in me, who gets the sat- western sensibilities. This is something til very recently, advertising in India fol- isfaction of holding the finger of a brand in that makes our offering distinctive. I am lowed and borrowed from the west. The nascent stages and watching it grow and optimistic that what the world will increa- hangover of things and attitudes western LÜRZER’S INT’L ARCHIVE – ADS, become bigger and better. singly see from India is not “exotica” but continued for a very long time in our ad- L.A.: How has Asian advertising, and how what is really in our DNA: thought lea- vertising. There is much to learn from dif- has world advertising, changed since you dership, a cerebral edge, and the power to ferent sensibilities and worlds but a huge started? make the world sit up and say, “Hey, why aspect – that of our own culture – was Prasoon Joshi: As for Asian advertising, it didn’t I think of that?” being left untapped. India, unlike the has changed hugely and in leaps and L.A.: How do you define an idea? west, is not a linear country or culture. It’s bounds. Advertising is, after all, a reflec- Prasoon Joshi: I’ve never been able to. All a country made of varied worlds. Every tion of two potent forces, the economic I can say is that it has edges. It haunts and 100 kilometers, the customs, food, habits, and the social. Looking at China and India stays with you. It’s strange and yet carries the language, change. There is so much ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 1 ✂ ––––– Interview 209.qxd 13.03.2009 13:28 Uhr Seite 2 Interview selves to being remembered. With many ––––––––––– brands, I managed to create a distinct lingo, and it was great to see the lines and dialogues of the ads being used in every- day talk in real life by consumers. L.A.: Looking back, you have created many, many great campaigns. Which one do you think was the most influential? Prasoon Joshi: Most often recalled are Coca-Cola and Happydent, both of which have their impact at various levels: on the level of brand sales, of brand-consumer relationship, of advertising awards and on the level of raising the bar personally on yourself. There are several social cam- paigns for the eradication of polio that were extremely effective. There is also a campaign for NDTV, a media brand that is close to me. It is extremely indigenous and India-centric but I believe it had the X Ads from Prasoon Joshi’s brilliant print campaign for Coke. Claim: “Coca-Cola refreshes.” factor. Building on the founder’s credibility, we took the platform of “truth” and made it synonymous with the brand. There was history so much variety and, yes, a certain you will find it in many aspects, be it films no shoot done for the commercials; we chaos: multiple things happening at the or music or just our everyday life. Our big- used authentic journalistic footage to ex- — PHONE:IVE.COM 0043 1 715 24 same time. People cross roads assuming gest religious texts were recited through plain how we are interested in a new India that the oncoming car, truck or van will the ages. One of our centuries-old poets that is ready to face the truth, to look the most probably slow down. It’s a mixture of and philosophers, Kabir, was an unread weaknesses in the eye, and have the will risk and faith in the other. At the same man. Yet his teachings and couplets have to change and better it. time, cattle may decide to park them- been passed down through generations – L.A.: Would you say that some of the ads selves in the middle of the roads and the all on the power of the oral tradition.