We once went into a client briefing. This gentleman – the MD – was wearing a suit…. and sandals. He was seated behind his desk. The sandals were on the floor and he sat cross-legged (like in a Sukhasana).
He wanted us to make a new TV commercial. A famous Bollywood starlet (very, very famous) was on contract with their brand. They had already made a commercial with her. He sang the jingle done for them by a big time music director. Obviously they had paid lots of money to get this starlet. And I’m sure the music director had not done the jingle for free either. But the client was not willing to spend money on the new commercial. There was almost no budget. We didn’t even have a script, but he knew how the agency could save costs. The agency pointed out that even a basic shoot would need some budget. He was ready with his answer:
“We Have Taken Her In Every Position.”
Pin-drop silence among the agency rank and file – many thoughts must have been running amok in their minds. Then the penny dropped and much to our relief the answer to our short-lived fantasy and dilemma.
What he meant was that we were to use the footage from the previous shoot where the starlet was featured in different costumes and postures. He had no money for the shoot, but at least he was an honorable man.
Who were the cast and crew besides yours truly? Go Figure!
Disclaimer : Featured here are real incidents. I will not reveal the identities. This is not a quiz page – so please don’t check with me on the names of people featured here or send guesses or submit wagers. Just enjoy the pieces, string the puzzles together and ….Go Figure!
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Dhunji S. Wadia is the President of Everest Brand Solutions. Featured here are his views and anecdotes - mostly without malice. Dhunji blogs here and tweets at http://twitter.com/dhunji
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