Page 44 - Seniors Today - Oct 2019
P. 44
Once Upon A Time | Advertising
The Indian Mad Men
In an era when numbers matter more than figures of speech,
Prabhakar Mundkur doffs his hat to some of the people who made
our advertising memorable
‘Advertising is the most fun you can have with men? Was I over-qualified for the job at that
your clothes on.’ - Jerry della Femina time? Of course I was. The last advertising
My story starts 42 years ago. Rejected as a agency I applied to, had asked me to become
bum by many corporates because they couldn’t a statistician in a bank instead. As if I wasn’t
fathom why any student would give up college intelligent enough to have considered that
for 3 years to become a professional musician, possibility already. My clever application letter
I reluctantly decided to apply to an ad from to daCunha’s read that we were both looking
daCunha Associates in The Times of India for the same thing. 5 years. Except that I was
recruitment columns, that asked for an Account looking for the 5 years ahead. And daCunha
Executive with 5 years experience. That may Associates was looking for it behind. Somehow
sound odd to the ad man of today. An Account that seemed to attract Sylvester daCunha.
Executive with 5 years experience? Were they Miracle. I got the job. But the clever letter was
looking for people who hadn’t made it? Were a big mistake. He put me on a 5-year iron-clad
they slow those days? After all, in today’s contract.
advertising world, if you were still an Account
Executive with 5 years’ experience you were The Age of Supermen
most certainly a confirmed failure. When Sylvester daCunha or Sylvie as everyone who
everyone else is making it to Senior VP in 5 knew him was one of the original mad men
years. of the Indian advertising industry. Talented
My heart beats expectantly. I dream of being like hell. Born copywriter. Theatre Man.
freed from the Rs 120 pocket money that my Disciplinarian. Exacting. Tore through my
parents gift me every month while doing artwork because I missed a colon for a semi-
my MA in Econometrics and Mathematical colon. (in the days of hot metal typesetting)
Economics. How was I to know that 38 years Never again God would I make a proofreading
later Sir Martin would be looking for math error. Respected. By clients and ad people. Once
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