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There are a number of words that come to mind, when you think of Balki. Angry, defiant, reserved, simple, honest. The last one, about sums up his reputation in the industry. He doesn't mince his words, whether its award shows, the state of the Indian advertising industry in India today, creative advertising or why Cannes should be learning from us, instead of the other way around. A self confessed Illayaraja fan (whose music finds it way into many of his ad jingles) Balki (R. Balakrishnan, to the uninitiated), Executive Creative Director, Lowe, has come a long way from the vociferous creative director of 2001, the year that saw him and the whole creative team at Lowe, withdraw from the Abby's. He is calmer today and much more at peace with the world. That is until we question him about the state of the Indian advertising industry today. And the Abby's. And the belief that Lowe is the second most creative agency in the country, today. Here is a peek into the mind of the man, who has steadfastly refused to be defined. Impact's Bindu Nair Maitra spoke to the arrogant con-man.
In an industry where perceptions are everything, you are known to keep a low profile…That also goes for all the senior creative directors who work under you.
Do I keep a low profile? I didn't know that. I don't have a lot to say. Still, I think I've been more high profile than most people in the industry. The issue is very simple. I understand the necessity to have this propaganda face of Lowe, but I think we have done it enough. I believe it's an overkill to just be splashed around in the media. I think that's vulgar. We speak a lot about our work. It is not the faces that should be important, it's the work that should be spoken about. I think I already am a little vulgar. This year, I will go a little bit under.
I find it far more difficult to market a campaign than to do it. I find it so painful to call someone and say this is the campaign that we have done, now talk about it. It is tiring but I do it sometimes reluctantly, because I have to.
You have been quoted as saying "I've never found clients to be the reason for bad advertising." Surely, that's a diplomatic statement to make…
It is not a diplomatic statement. Clients have helped me do far better advertising than most other people have. Today, I don't think it is a scenario where clients are stopping good advertising; it is about advertising people not meeting client expectations. Clients are far ahead in terms of understanding their markets; they are far more exposed to the potential of advertising, they are all searching for the big idea. No client is going to shoot down a big idea for any purpose because they know it is big money. Big ideas lead to big money.
The majority of clients are ahead of the advertising agencies, let me tell you that. I believe this from the bottom of my heart because I have seen the advertising conversations that happen, with other advertising people and with juries of advertising clubs. Why are we behind the clients? Why does an industry that's supposed to be so free spirited, sound so stuck up? It is because we are so formatted in our creative. Our definition of creative is so linear and uncreative. We have lost the courage to evaluate uncomfortable ideas and celebrate them.
We love clever ads created around simple briefs or generic briefs. We believe that it defines simplicity. 'Is this going to make it at the Cannes?', 'Why is there so much dialogue?', 'Why does the pack shot have to be so long?' 'Why does it have a product window?', These are meaningless stupid discussions of creativity, boxes that people in advertising have got themselves into, as definitions of creativity. Of course, people say, 'Oh, we like the Coke, ad, we like Hamaara Bajaj etc.' you cannot quote those two or three examples and say, 'We also understand advertising that's right for the Indian consumer!' There is a hell of a lot of good advertising that they do not understand.
Honest is a word that has often been used in your context. You call a spade a spade. Surely there are times when that kind of thought process backfires?
How can anybody in advertising be an honest guy? I think I am the biggest con man under the sun. Honesty is the biggest con weapon in the world. I genuinely believe that. That's how you con consumers, when you are honest about it in saying, 'Hey C'mon this is how I am, please like me.' It's the easiest con weapon under the sun. Calling a spade a spade is not honesty, it just saves a lot of trouble.
Doesn't it pay to be more diplomatic in this industry?
If advertising is about cutting the faff and coming to the point in every kind of marketing problem, then how can the industry's way of being, be different? Advertising today has no room for diplomacy, it has no room for politeness. If it is bad, it is bad, if it is good, it is good; it is as simple as that. I am not asking everybody to like our ads, I am not going to like everybody else's ads, that's always going to be there. I believe from the bottom of my heart, that most of what we do is right, otherwise, we woudn't be what we are. I also know that some of what we do is wrong, so I am not ashamed to say that we could do better on this one. I tell clients that, I also tell my team internally.