I was wondering if vigorous bowel movement has anything got to do with great ideas. I've seen you invariably get some of your best ideas when you're alone and lonely inside the loo, sitting on a shit pot. Jokes apart, lightening struck me once again last evening when I was cleaning up my alimentary canal.
I was thinking about the changing face of Indian out-of-home media, ambient media, billboards and communication in general. Maybe my sub-conscious mind was silently working on the huge billboards of Chennai as the pressure inside my arse started rising. And then I drifted to urban chaos, visual clutter and architecture. How the charming face of a city can change with irresponsible advertising? How does a urban development planning department of Govt. tackle these issues? Is pulling down billboards a right solution? Etc. etc.
Architecture has defined humanity for ages. It has helped define culture, communities. It has helped define people and places. It has created icons and landmarks. Architecture has created awe-inspiring wonders. Monuments and buildings that stand tall for centuries to tell us a story.
Which brings me to the question - What are the learnings from architecture that we can use in brand building and outdoor communication?
Let's take Absolut Vodka as an example. For years they have invested in creating an icon out of the Absolut bottle. They have done some brilliant outdoor campaigns but in the process they've also added to the visual clutter of a city. However they never thought that "In an Absolut World" they should be doing something beyond billboards.
'In an Absolut World' all your offices across the world should look something like this:
You don't need billboards once you have created this, right? You don't create clutter but add to the aesthetics of your urban landscape. It can become the greatest communication ever possible by Absolut. An icon that will remain forever on the face of earth. Now don't ask me about the construction cost, ROI etc. Those are immaterial if you love your bottle so much. Or maybe Coca Cola should think of doing the same for their HQ at Atlanta. You might argue, isn't this the same thing what BMW Towers has done in Germany and Nike Town in the US? Well, similar but way beyond.Let me give you another example - Taj Mahal Tea from the house of Levers can do so much more. India is infested with tea stalls all over the place. How about creating Taj Mahal tea stalls like the picture below.
My poor photoshop skills but if executed well, I assure you, it'll make the brand more interesting and exciting.So all said and done "potty thoughts" is not always crap, eh?
Cheers.
