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CUTTING
THROUGH THE CLUTTER
How creative is ‘Creative’ in
Chennai?
It actually depends on the product that you are getting to work
on. Of course, it’s a lot better now than it was previously.
Clients are becoming adventurous. They have a far better sense of
creative than before. It’s probably because of globalisation,
which has brought in a lot of international exposure to various
areas.
Does Chennai have the talent base required
for the ad industry’s requirements today?
Yes, it is getting a lot better now. I have seen a couple of new
agencies doing very well this year. TBWA Anthem for instance.
In today’s world the customer gets bombarded
by loud visuals. What does it take for the Art Director to cut through
the clutter?
 I
will like to show you the Saregama.com commercial that we
made recently and it swept all the awards. The press ads also were
well appreciated. We had a zero budget. Normally Television commercials
will cost you around Rs 15 to 20 lakh and we completed the ad for
Rs 1.5 lakh.
(We move on to the conference room to watch the award winning commercial)
This proves that you can actually make clutter-breaking, refreshing
and economical ads. I believe in minimalising. Less is really more.
Of course, you have to create a larger image in some areas, but
where you are able to sharpen the whole concept to a single idea,
minimalist will work.
 "The
more you tell, the more you sell"; How relevant is David
Ogilvy’s phrase today?
As long as you have a lot to tell…because most companies are
coming up with the same kind of products. USPs are getting rarer.
Talent helps a lot in selling, but as most products are the same,
there is very little left to say. It should kept simple and easy
and you should be able to relate to it.
What change has the growth of the dotcoms
brought to Ad Agency approach?
It has taken a lot of good people away from the ad agencies. It has opened
out another medium to work in. Another medium to explore possibilities.
When Television came in first, there was this feeling that you could
not do without Television. But other media still do exist. Similarly,
this medium is another avenue. It will exist along with other media.
When we talk of Art Direction for web and
convergence, what are the new skill sets required and which ones do
you feel will stay relevant?
Whatever you do... whether you are a typographer, copywriter or
an illustrator, you should expect a certain standard in your work.
You have to keep your quality. That is the only thing which will
stay relevant, even as new things come in and even as things evolve
constantly. If you are good in one thing, it will show across everything
you do.
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2:03:00 PM 
