India produces best ads in the world : Kakkar

Cites example of Google India Reunion on Partition to prove his view; says ad brings lump in his throat whenever he sees it

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Ad guru Prahlad Kakkar feels that India makes best advertisements in the world and cited the example of Google India Reunion on Partition to buttress his view.

"Take the Google India Reunion ad which is based on Partition. Whenever I see it it brings a lump in my throat. It talks about Partition which Indians and Pakistanis can understand, but it (also) talks about stories," Kakkar told PTI on sidelines of a discussion on "Brand as a person: Humanizing a Brand" during the Edutainment Show held at the weekend.

Affirming that an ad is all about telling a story - mostly in 30 seconds in the most engaging way possible - the famous ad personality said, "Stories are based on facts. Because you take away the stories when you leave and not the imageries".

Kakkar, who had made the epochal Pepsi TV commercial with Sachin Tendulkar, said he had found it very refreshing to work with children in ads.

"If you have to learn from anybody, you have to learn from children, to make them feel comfortable. My best ads are all with children but if you again ask me to pick from one of them (ads with children) it's like which of the illegitimate children is closer to you," he said with a wink.

Kakkar, who insists that technique is important than story, says what makes ad people different from others is the sheer capacity to dream.

"Communication is paramount in advertising," Kakkar, one of the few globally-known directors from India for commercials of Unilever and Pepsico in different countries, said.

Coming to West Bengal, Kakkar said the state had the best minds in the advertisement world.

"Even in Mumbai many creative people are Bengalis and I don't know why they run away from Bengal," he expressed surprise.