I wish I had made these

This is a tough one because the industry has been churning out some seriously great stuff over the last 6-8 years. There are several ads that make me go ?who?s the lucky b*****d that wrote these?,? says Rohit Malkani, executive creative director, Grey India. ?One is JWT?s?er?Aggie?s (Agnello Dias) commercial for Nike done some years back. It was Nike?s first cricket film in India and what a film! It took an iconic brand, threw in a distinctly Indian flavour and served it up with a kickass track which to me was the icing on the cake. I still watch it sometimes because it just makes me happy. But here?s the amazing bit, each time I watch it I notice something new and that?s what great advertising is about. You need to be watchable and relevant at the same time,? he says.

His other favourite is the IPL (Indian Panga League) campaign by Virgin Mobile. ?For some unfathomable reason it never made it to television but created a tsunami on the web . Hilarious, irreverent and quintessentially Virgin at heart, yet built on a very real insight on how cricket fans enjoy taking pangas with each other. The ?pangas? became common parlance and that?s another hallmark of good work, the manner in which it becomes part of our social fabric. It?s the kind of stuff that made me wish I could go back to Bates just to write a couple of quick films,? he says.

Thank god, it isn?t me

Talking about some of the worst ads he has seen, Malkani says, ?This a a relatively easier job!! But yet again, there are several in the recent past that make me search for the nearest barf bowl. The new ad campaign for Cadburys Eclairs is a good example. Honestly guys, how original is this proposition, getting lost in the taste of a product. Oh! Wait a second, there?s a pun as well ?Get lost?! Sorry, doesn?t redeem the commercial for me, especially after the Chocolate ka Bomb work which was super. Here is a fabulous product and category and a wasted effort.?

The other one is the ICICI Prudential Life Insurance campaign with Amitabh Bachchn – Jeene ka license. ?What a lovely string of coincidences, stilted acting, people in trains in crisply ironed clothes, the Big B whipping out an insurance form conveniently like a handkerchief to blow his nose and, of course, the killer: ‘I see’ says the protagonist and Big B replies ?I see nahi?ICICI?. That?s right boys, watch me slash my wrists,? he says.

My first ad

Malkani’s first ever TV commercial was for Taj Mahal Tea. Talking about his experience, he says, ?Like most debutants, mine was anything but path breaking. It was a film for Taj Mahal Tea with Zakir Hussain that I now find eminently forgettable. But what a thrill for a young copywriter! Interacting with the Ustaad himself, the hustle and bustle of the film world. Being introduced to strange new words like Tarafa, Nipple and Patla. I can still remember sitting in a studio in South Mumbai with Zakir Hussain and a bunch of musicians and watching them create the track? magical! All of it seems so commonplace and pass? today but it?s amazing how I still get all excited when any film of mine goes on the floor.?

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Malkani has about 15 years of experience in advertising. He started his career in account planning at Rediffusion Y&R. After moving over to the creative side, he has worked in various agencies such as JWT, Ambience Publicis and Bates 141. His portfolio includes brands such as Taj Mahal Tea, Van Heusen, Vicks Action 500, Hair & Care, Silk n Shine, Parachute After Shower, Parachute Therapie, Revive Starch, Virgin Mobile, Reliance Communications and Bisleri.

He has also done information design and website creation at Planetasia Bangalore for Sony Music, Hindustan Times, ESPN and Hindustan Unilever among others. He is also a TV and theatre actor and a stand-up comedian. He has featured in several commercials including Tom Chi, MacDonalds, Naukri.com, Shaadi.com and Pizza Hut. He has been a radio jockey for Radio Midday and Radio City Bangalore.