Staying Ahead of 'The Times'

Advertisements are the most easiest way to reach out to the masses. In a time where are there ways abound to strike a cord with the customers, ranging from newspapers, FM radios, Internet to social media, it is suffice to say that if the ad clicks, so will the product. But how many ads click? Now that I have altogether stopped watching TV, I am no expert in judging how good and creative the ads have turned out to be except for a few I get to catch in movie halls on the weekends. But if there has been one ad that really put a smile on my face recently, that indubitable honour goes to the Hindu's new adverts that take on its rival, the Times of India.

One of the print ads of the Hindu

For the benefit of those who haven't seen them, they (beautifully done, the casting is spot on) show an invisible questioner asking questions to young people, who seem to be clueless as to who will succeed Ratan Tata (one says, his son actually... Mukesh Ambani) or to the location of Tahrir Square (it's a geometrical shape like circle, according to one) or to the full form of ATM (AnyTime Money is one answer) or to who is Ram's father in Ramayan (to which one replies Bheem). But they all know the leading Bollywood actress who has a size-zero figure or the nickname of Hrithik Roshan or the gender of Aishwarya Rai's baby. The last question is about the newspaper they read, to which all reply Times of India (beeped out). The punch line of the ad goes 'Stay Ahead of the Times'. The message could never get more limpid!

This is the first time Hindu is engaging itself in television commercials since its start way back in 1878. Besides the TVC's, a few print ads have also been published as part of the campaign. So really why now? On the thought behind the new ads, Suresh Srinivasan, vice president, advertising, The Hindu Group, says,"The Hindu believes that in a more than ever globalising knowledge-driven economy, it is vital that readers are well informed about the world at large. And yet, over the last few years, news from the media industry in India has increasingly focused on serving up a steady diet of trivia and shied away from the national and international issues that matter. It is the kind of news that equates to junk food. In the long term, it is a steady dumbing down of readers who end up knowing about a celebrity’s kid than about serious stuff that truly matters."

It may be recalled that, a few months ago, TOI released an ad for its Chennai city edition claiming that the Hindu was one newspaper that put people to sleep (though more subtly). The ad ended with the words 'Wake up to the Times of India'. Fondly called by its readers as the Mahavishnu of Mount Road, The Hindu has indeed woken up from its slumber to launch a perfect and a fitting reply to its rival. It is also widely believed that the editorial succession in the Hindu group is another reason why it chose to take on its competitors head on.

At this point, I must profess that I am an avid reader of the Hindu. Right from my childhood days, I have spent hours reading the paper; be it Young World or Science & Technology or Magazine or Friday Review or Open Page, it has something for everyone. I have grown to love the English language primarily because of it and Journalism would have been my if-not-an-engineer-what-else career stream of choice. At home, I get extremely agitated when I don't get to lay my hands on the paper first thing every morning (especially when my Dad's reading it!) with a cup of hot steaming filter coffee. Now, that's the first thing I do after reaching my office. There must be many a people who love the newspaper like the way I do. And to say that I was offended by the TOI ad would be an understatement. And to say that I was ecstatic and elated when I saw the TVC's that really punched its rival in the face would again be an understatement.

However, my beloved newspaper isn't without its faults. In the last few years, notwithstanding its leftist/communist leaning, the paper has come under heavy criticism for turning a blind eye to the human rights violations by the Sri Lankan government and for its appalling coverage of the Spectrum 2G scam. However few its flaws may be, they pose a significant threat to the quality and trust it has built over the years among its sincere followers. Media should abide by its journalistic code of ethics and should never succumb to pressure or propaganda or whatsoever.

On the other hand, the ads themselves depict a sorry state of today's media. Except for a few a publications, many papers (mainly the TOI) resort to yellow journalism by purveying sensational news rather than covering the real issues at hand. The creative director behind the ads has added that they weren't an invented joke to rebut the competition. It is brand Hindu's take on populism and broadly, a point of view on us an informed society. Actually the ignorance of people astounded us. None of the answers there are prompted or aided responses.

If such is really the case, it is indeed shameful and worrying. Agreed many (including myself) love gossip and would love to know which star dated whom or which star couple divorced, but mainstream dailies shouldn't stoop to the level of tabloids to entertain such garishness. The Hindu has taken up the fight for a great cause and may it pave the way for a more socially responsible media. And yeah, two thumbs up for the thoroughly enjoyable repartees that exposed the chink in TOI's armour.