The Chicken Rules blog
Not many of you know of the blog, do you now? Well, The Chicken Rules is my niche, work related blog. On this, I and a few of my friends will talk about advertising, marketing, brands and the like. I have great plans for the blog. Like I do for almost all blogs out there. But since I can play with only mine, (how pathetic is that?) I will have to, well, only play with mine.
So anyway, all this lengthy preamble is to let you know that the Chicken Rules blog has been updated, with a look at two recent campaigns and how they highlight the difference between Product Story and Brand story. Go over there and check it out.
P.S. Why ‘The Chicken Rules” is a question I have been asked before. Many times.
One of the reasons is that I wanted a quirky, unique and funny name that would be remembered by all.
Second, it is the old story of the Chicken vs Turtle.
The Turtle lays a 1000 eggs, but not many know. While the Chicken lays one and the world comes to know of it. The power of advertising.
(Yeah, I know. Bad scene. Well, what can you?)
The Chicken Rules – no more flu
If there are actually readers of mine who were readers of mine back in historical times (to wit – pre 2005), and if those readers of mine who were readers of mine pre 2005 have decentish memory, those readers of mine who were readers of mine pre 2005 with decentish memory would remember that I used to have a blog, a part of Selective Amnesia, called the Chicken Rules.
Now, even though the readers of mine who were readers of mine pre 2005 and have decentish memory, they might not remember what the Chicken Rules blog had. So here’s a little recap.
The Chicken Rules blog, easily accessed at www.selectiveamnesia.org/chickens is an advertising blog. In that, it hopes to limit posts to only those that deal somehow with advertising.
Now, why on earth would Chandrachoodan write about advertising? is a question all of you will ask. And justifiably so. The answer, dear readers past and present, is simple. I happen to work as a Copywriter (Motto: One clever line every day) in an ad agency (Motto: Prevent copywriters from coming up with clever lines everyday) that does advertising for clients (Motto: Don’t buy agency’s suggestions. Just blame them for everything that goes wrong) and releases it in newspapers (Motto: Nothing but the untruth, since 1850) and TV (Motto: We’re still working on a motto) in an attempt to con-vince consumers into buying products.
So, as I was saying, I had a blog, funnily titled Chicken Rules, which dealt with advertising.
Now, where is all this going? you might ask. And again, justifiably so. All this ramble is going towards one single point…
Welcome on board Murali Menon. Murali, or as friends call him – P.C. Muralidharan Menon, is a friend. More, he is an ex-boss. In my fledgling years of advertising, Murali, and ex-colleagues far too many to mention, helped me learn the craft that is Advertising.
So it was only natural that Murali accept my sincere requests (and the threat of total annihilation) to blog at Chicken Rules, on advertising. And he’s already doing a great job.
I am very glad to have him with me.
Also welcome on board, Arti Ganesh. Arti is also an ex-colleague. And she’s a friend. No correlation. She too has accepted my sincere requests and agreed to blog about advertising, specifically from an art-person’s point of view, on Chicken Rules. She will soon begin posting.
So go over to the Chicken Rules blog now, folks and readers of mine who were readers of mine pre 2005 with decentish memory, and welcome my two pals.
Since SelAm sucks
I decided to concentrate my blogging energies on this ignored little kid – The Chicken Rules.
A few friends will be joining me there, and writing for the site. Hopefully, we will see some action there. And since I won’t be the only one writing there, the suckiness quotient would be more bearable.
Portfolio Night
For a long time now, I’ve been following I have an Idea – a blog/website/resource-centre for advertising professionals. And for a while atleast, I was cursing everybody in Canada and the US who could walk (or drive or train or ship or fly) to any of their special events. I soon overcame the jealousy and wished them all the best.
But no, jealousy doesn’t die. As I’ve already said, Jealousy is the definitive emotion. And now, it has come back to haunt me. For IHaveAnIdea has just announced its popular Portfolio Night.
Portfolio Night is a special I Have An Idea event where aspiring creatives, juniors and other professionals take part and get their portfolios reviewed by industry veterans. Here’s more information
Portfolio Night is not an event. It is advertising history in the making.It all started four years ago when a group of unemployed juniors with absolutely nothing more than a dream took it upon themselves to unite the industry and to break down the wall between advertising hopefuls and advertising leaders.
We believe that it is the responsibility of the leaders of this industry to make sure that the next generation becomes the best generation.
Everyone that participates, everyone that sponsors, everyone that reviews portfolios, everyone that works on this night is taking the future of advertising into their hands.On May 4 we will make possible the impossible.
What’s more, they have goodiebags and stuff. Plus the big-cheeses from the industry come around. And bless random creative people with a job. Or a calling card. Oh man! I wanna go!
But since I can’t, I will spread the word. I am not sure how many of you are in the 9 cities of San Francisco, Vancouver, Calgary, Chicago, Toronto, New York, Montreal, Boston and Halifax. More importantly, I am not sure if you are in advertising. But if you are, and if you are. Go! Like immediately.
Cutting Edge Advertising – Jim Aitchison
Chenthil gets the post he wants. Here’s a review of the book I am currently re-reading.
Jim Aitchison’s Cutting Edge Advertising. To be honest, this is possibly the fifth time I am reading this book, and so this can’t technically be called a review. But still.
Ever wish for somebody who’s made it big in your field of work to come home one day, give you some tips and pointers to you over a cup of hot coffee? Ever wish to get into the brains of the top pros and see what gets them kicked? Well, with this book you can.
That’s so not a cutting edge beginning for a review. Let’s see if I can better it. Here goes.
Throw out every damn thing you hold dear! Throw out everything you’ve ever learnt. Throw it to the ground, stamp on it and grind it into dust. This, and this is the only way will you be really creative. Learn things anew. See things from a different perspective. Learn to love what you do. Learn to love words and what they are capable of.
That, folks, has been my takeout from by far the best book on Advertising. Or as David Abbott says, by far the best book on print Advertising.
Every page filled with heavyweights in the industry, from Indra Sinha and Neil French to David Abbot and Bob Barrie. So much so, turning a page is a real pain. So much to learn, so few pages. A little tip here. A big idea there. A fantastic way of looking at things everywhere else. Combined with neat little examples and you have a book that will practically sell itself. And it has. Incredibly well, too. They even came out with a second (Cutting Edge Commercials) and third (Cutting Edge Radio) and a revised edition of the first. In short. A brilliant book.
Nah! This still isn’t a good enough review to call cutting edge. Let’s see. Get out! Get out and buy this book if you want to be in advertising!
Well, almost.
(cross posted in The Chicken Rules)
We are regretting for the silence. Please to be bearing with us
Every once in a while, a man has got to do what a man’s got to do. In my case, it was prioritise my activities. Blogging, Getting a life, Working etc. Though I am the first one to give blogging top priority, I need some time to do the other stuff too. If you think this is an apology for not blogging, well, it might be. And it might not. But this definitely is a new post and so rejoice.
Firstly, a small observation, cast your way much as pearls are. Nothing restores one’s faith in humanity and reassures one of one’s own importance in the general scheme of things more than finding underwear that fit. Seriously, the right underwear does a lot to lift your spirit.
Secondly, The Chicken Rules blog has new content. I know I’ve been neglecting it for sometime now. But not anymore. I have quite a few pieces planned on advertising and India that I want to talk about. So much so that the Chicken Rules blog even has a new template. And a smart one too. So head out there and read and comment away.
Talking of comments, look who’s been commenting on the Chicken blog. None other than Mr. Indra “Amnesty International” Sinha. A fantastic copywriter and a long time campaigner for the victims of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. Mr. Sinha was features in the Copy Book, THE book for advertising writers, and to have him comment on my blog is a fantastic honour.
In other news, I have moved to Hyderabad, if the previous post was undecipherable. If anybody there wants to meet up next week, I am game. Let’s export some Madras Blogmeet phenomenon to our neighbours I say.
It’s alive
Just a quick note to let you know that the Chicken Rules blog is alive, and well. Check it out
About
Chandrachoodan Gopalakrishnan is a copywriter, photographer and goofball from Chennai. He is also an archaeologist, historian and a city lover. He is currently a documentary film-maker and desk-monkey for a film production house.
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