Page 36 - Seniors Today - June 2021 Issue
P. 36
Once Upon A Time | Advertising
The Mad Man
who knew Math
In the 38 years that Mike Khanna spent at HTA, he led the agency to a
position of lasting fame and leadership, writes Prabhakar Mundkur
The TV Serial Mad Men helped to those days. My office or ‘cabin’ as it is
immortalise both – the people in the referred to in India, was just another cabin
advertising profession and the profession away from where Mike Khanna sat when
itself. The advertising industry in India I joined HTA in the summer of 1982. It’s
closely mirrored life on Madison Avenue never too comfortable sitting that close to
in many ways. Advertising in India got a your superboss. One of the executives who
reputation for being an enjoyable profession shared my cabin had a very loud laugh
that included vodka martinis for lunch and and unfortunately for him, every time
parties with glamorous models for dinner. he laughed, Mike passed by giving him a
Nothing could have been further from the quizzical look which included an almost
truth. I joined advertising towards the end imperceptible twitch near his lip to say he
of 1977 and I might as well have joined was not amused. My friend was quite sure
banking which was considered a boring he would get sacked one day.
profession then (there were no scams those In the years that followed, I had a lot to
days!), given my postgraduate qualification learn from Mike. One was his penchant for
in Economics. Life on the inside I am afraid accuracy. He once told me that he didn’t
was as dreary as any other industry. like vague answers. I found that he was
There was a certain prestige in joining particularly allergic to words like ‘about’
Hindustan Thompson Associates (HTA) and ‘maybe’ which to him represented
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