A toast to your health

A recent invention to emerge from marketing departments of hospitals is the preventive health check. Some annual, some monthly, some at odd intervals. Look at it from the marketer's perspective and it makes perfect sense. Get people in, on the premise that you want to protect their good health. Find a problem. Treat it. Bill it. Profit.

Okay, so I'm not even starting to comment on this modus operandi. The interesting part is there are more healthy people waiting to see a physician than ailing ones.

Let me explain.

50 employees from company ABC Softwhere turn up at this well known hospital for their complimentary health check-up, an employee perk which otherwise the employee would have decided was entirely unnecessary. But if it's free it has to be taken. So what if it's a HIV test and you've never had sex.

Getting back, that's 50 relatively healthy people waiting to see the doc. Also waiting are some others. These folk are unwell - fevers, food poisoning, migraines etc.

Now then. Who sees the doctor first? The healthy folk? Or the sick?

Simple.

Consultation by appointment only.

Sony... er, yet so far away

Last evening I stepped into the Croma on North Usman Road.

Aim of experiment? To procure a HD video camera.

Budget? 25K or less. The latter being the more attractive option.

I figured that having just passed Diwali, the store would be less crowded, and I'd be able to motor my way around without being glared at by fat bottomed Maamis.

All above turned out to be true, and a salesman was at our elbow as soon as we set foot inside Croma. For those who haven't heard of Croma, it's a multi-brand store that stocks electronics among other things. I then informed the salesman of my intentions, desires and depth of wallet.

He promptly showed me the available range of Sony HD camcorders. Explained a few features, while laying emphasis on those absent in the less expensive model.

Cool. All is well. I like what I hear. Now I'd like to appreciate what I will see. "Can you hook up the camera to a television so I can appreciate the quality of the video it captures?"

"Sir I can do it after you buy the camera. With your piece."

"You mean, you cannot give me a product demo?"

"No sir, it's against the rules."

Very quaint. This must be what they call free after sales service. I could imagine the ad.

FREE demo on purchase of HD video camera worth Rs. 25,000. Conditions apply.

I kid you not. This did happen. Try it yourself.

TwentyOne C is online

The TwentyOne C website, after much ado, is up and running. Nothing fancy, but it does the job to my satisfaction. Drop in.
www.21c.in is where it's at.

2010 with TwentyOne C

A-I-D-S

Have no idea? Have no idea what's going on?

The first is a common malady, treated quite easily by persistence of pen on a blank piece of paper.

The second is an even more abundantly prevalent ailment. Incurable. Epidemic.

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome?

Advertising In Deep Shit?

Why TwentyOne C?

It didn't take me 13 years to realise that the way an ad agency is structured is unfair to a creative person. It took me that long to muster up the courage to do something about it.

Therefore TwentyOne C.

Why TwentyOne?

At 36, I discovered the legs of a 21 year old. Probably because I'm running after something I passionately believe in. Heck, I'm also running 'cos I know the bank account ain't gonna clink on the 1st of every month.

But what the hell!!

I'm running to save my own ass. I like that.

TwentyOne C

Ok, I was bored. Logging on, typing a few lines, checking back for comments. Therefore the break. I didn't get away from writing though. I wrote ads, some jokes, verse, and worse, a resignation letter. After 13 years in the business of advertising, marketing and refusing to suck up, I got lucky.

I found an employer who I would love for the rest of my life. I found a workplace where it would actually be all about the work, and nothing else. I found an agency where I could actually work for the people below me.

You know, I really should be saying founded. It's called TwentyOne Creative.

Then bought a laptop, printed a bunch of business cards and hit the road. Armed with a belief in my abilities and the firm faith that clients deserved better than the bull that's hitherto been served up to them.

A few weeks down the line what have I to report? My first client.

So long then, till I have something new to report, which i'm hoping will be really soon. Meanwhile I request you to visit TwentyOne Creative's website for a look at its under construction page. My colleague wrote a rather cute limerick for the space.

www.21c.in

Click.