'Ads turning into advertainments'

Advertisements are losing their essence as they are being converted into 'advertainments' - focus is more on entertainment rather than telling about the product. Most advertisements suffer from inadequate market research or lack of it. This would not aid the advertisers as the consumers would only remember the advertisement and not the brand behind it, according to adman Alyque Padamsee.

Interacting with the media on the sidelines of the Marketing Summit 2008 here on Thursday, he said India, with 50 per cent of its population less than 30 years, was heading to be a marketing giant.

"Indian ideas will lead the markets,'' he said, adding India had a distinct research and development base that can be used to take the innovation legacy from Korea. China could only mimic a product to bring down its price but innovation will happen in India, he felt.

 

The commercials are getting shorter due to the pricing pressures. "The smaller commercials are only a reminder to the consumers that a brand exists. It does not tell anything about the product.''

"The world is waiting for India to act,'' he said citing IPL as an example.

The shorter version of the game has spurred the advertising arena and brought in more revenues.

On those opposed to the concept of cheer leaders in the game, he said: "Unlike the commercials on the TV, the cheerleaders do not disturb when an over is on. They are a celebration."

He rubbished the animal rights organisations' claims of advertising firms subjecting animals to cruelty in advertisements. "The pug is the star for the ad (Vodafone) and stars are expected to perform,'' said the author of 'A Double Life', an autobiography combining theatre and advertisement careers.