This book by a veteran research analyst, Dr T S Nagarajan, describes the path-breaking advertising campaigns created by JWT/HTA during 1963 to 73.
Nagarajan, has four decades of experience in marketing and advertising research. With a string of degrees in mathematics, teaching, economics, management, and Sanskrit and a Diploma in statistics, he joined the Census department in 1961. An accidental meeting with a friend landed him with a job in JWT, Madras in 1963, as a research executive. He quit JWT in 1973 and had a brief stint with Ashok Leyland as a Publicity Manager. In 1975 he started his own market research company (CAMRA) Communications & Market Research Analysis, which he wound up in 1992 when he decided to migrate to the USA to live with his sons.
The book, which deals with his experience in JWT, Madras during 1963-73, is divided into four parts. Part 1 deals with the professional set up in JWT then and extensively talks about the advertising tools adopted by JWT to create meaningful creative ads for its clients. In Part 2, the author, through 15 case studies covering big companies HMT, BHEL, MFL, TTK Prestige, Binny, Ti Cycles, IOB, Amrutanjan, EID Parrys, Ashok Leyland, MICO, TVS and Pond’s explains the background to various campaigns bringing out aspects of the campaign strategy. He also briefly touches on the success or failure of the campaigns. Each case study is illustrated with reprints of print advertisements, sourced from The Hindu archives.
While Part 3 briefly talks about his activities post his stint with JWT, the last part gives a glimpse about his early days and his journey in life with many ups and downs.
Chennai’s golden decade of advertising
According to Nagarajan, the decade of 1963-73 was not only a golden period in the history of JWT, Chennai but for the whole advertising industry in Chennai. JWT achieved many firsts during this period, like breaking the lethargy and resistance to advertising in public sector undertakings. It made them believe in the power of advertising, and they became the major contributors to the advertising revenue of the agency during the period. A new wave of advertising campaigns based on solid research for products and services helped clients understand the profile of their customers and find new users and new uses for them. Many conservative consumer industries in the south were persuaded to accept the concept of an integrated approach to marketing and advertising.
The shifting of a large consumer account, Pond’s, from Bombay to JWT Chennai, opened up great opportunities for the development of infrastructure needed for the advertising industry in Chennai. Handsome investments in printing, block making, film production, were made. Demand for ad professionals in copywriting, commercial art, modeling, and research arose, resulting in new job opportunities.
More product advertising
The author also says: “the period was also one of the remarkable changes in the outlook of those born post-independence who had opted for a more liberal style. It was an era that saw more of ‘product class’ promotion than ‘brand selling’ since customers had to be weaned away from the traditional perception of the usage of the products. Advertising was a significant factor in bringing about that change… JWT can take pride in that it was a significant catalyst for this development and several path-breaking advertising was produced by the creative team of the agency during the period.”
There is also a reference in the book to Umesh Rao, the legendary Art Director of the agency as the creator of the famous Air-India mascot- The Maharaja, though the full credit for it has always been given to Bobby Kooka, the Commercial Manager of Air- India at that time.
The book is a valuable addition to the literature on advertising and market research in India. Published by the Chennai based Cre-A publisher, the hardcover edition of this book with 142 pages is priced at Rs 699 and is available with the publishers. Visit www.crea.in.
