Munna Bhai: THOSE ADS & OTHER THINGS.

This is sequel to my earlier write up regarding the vulgarism in the modern commercial. Some of my friends were really upset and embarrassed by the matured contents of that blog naming Those Ads & Those Things. I had anticipated that when I wrote that blog and in fact got a stiff opposition from my better half who protested tooth and nail and warned me about possible protests from my friends. But somehow I was determined to write that just to highlight the fact about vulgarism that we are subjected to in our day-to-day life. It is never direct. It is never continuous. It is never primary too. It is conveyed in a very subtle and sure way in a secondary manner, which is well packed and well conceived and well concealed. Like slow poison it cuts into our morality without becoming too apparent. So my friends will excuse me for writing that type matured content. Now let us talk about other things in advertisements. Let us discuss how misleading these other things are.

Let me go back to year 1977 when I was studying in 10^th standard. I was brought up in totally rural back ground though I was born in a major metropolitan city. But by the time I started realizing and understanding the world around me I got exposure to my village, thatched houses, cows, rivers, boats, cultivated lands and village temple. Brought up in a very conservative back ground which preaches honesty, politeness, respect for others and kindness, I had developed a high and unshakable regards for the newspaper that comes to my village. I always believed that contents in those brownish papers were gospel truths.

Now please do not laugh at me. Novice I was. For that only, I painstakingly described my background.

Yes, what I was telling? For me, the contents of newspaper were gospel truths and nothing wrong and misleading or false gets published in the newspaper. I had no idea about publicity, sales promotion and advertisement. (Laughing? Please hold it. Please.) Whenever I see any advertisement in newspaper, I always assume that as a news article published for public knowledge and it conveys one hundred percent truth.

It should be like that. Is not it? I know youngster will not agree with me and they must have already branded me as NOVICE NO-1. No problem! I helped you only to generate another Bollywood film name after COOLIE NO-I, HERO NO-1, BIWI NO-1, JODI NO-1 and etc, etc, etc. Somehow I only do not agree with the concept of BIWI (WIFE) NO-1because for me they are always no-1. Hey, do not say me HEN-PECKED NO-1. Now, let me come back to main topic. Enough breaks.

We used to get lot of well concealed sale advertisements in the newspaper of late 70s. It comes in the form of crossword puzzle. Solve the crossword puzzle and send it so and so address. The first correct answer received will get Rupees One lakh as first prize and the rest of the senders of correct answer will get a Radio set in 50% of actual price. When I grew up, I realized that nobody gets first prize. Everybody (including those who have sent the incorrect answer) gets second prize. The declared 50% of actual price of the product is in fact equal to actual price of the product. And most important for novices like me that it was not a talent hunts by the newspaper but it was a paid sales advertisement.

You must be wondering how the novice like me became smart and came to know so many things. Boss. Experience is the greatest teacher but it is an expensive teacher too. Got it. Must be. After all my friends are not novices like me. SMMMAAARTTT !!!

Crossword puzzled has been replaced by so many innovations but the essence is still intact. Till today, in most of the cases (all cases) nobody gets the first prize and everybody gets consolation prize. I need not elaborate. You see those in plenty. "UP TO 50% DISCOUNT", "GOLD COIN INSIDE THE BATHING SOAP", "BUY TWO GET ONE FREE" etc.etc. Still there are novices like me who believes that he/she got the third one in free. But the truth is that it is a good bundle offer based on the concept of maximization of wealth rather than maximization of profit. But honestly speaking it is not that misleading like "UPTO 50% DISCOUNT" which actually ends with discount of much less than 50% because by the time you reach the venue the stuffs having 50% discount tag are already sold out. Who purchased those? Is there a way to check out those? Yes. Right to Information Act.

One should and one must seek this information. Otherwise the vandalism will continue. Here are some ads for you and their interpretations in Munna Bhai's style. Hey, please do not send me a notice under "Right to Information Act" for my misleading interpretations.