scorecardresearch
Saturday, May 11, 2024

Brandma

Phantom comics to political exposés: How Illustrated Weekly became a must-read

Under editors like Khushwant Singh, M.V. Kamath and Pritish Nandy, the magazine captured the imagination of urban erudite readers.

Bollywood star on ads, Disneyland tickets, space-age branding & yet Thril cola fizzled out

Caught between two worlds, McDowell’s Thril cola made an impact in India, but briefly.

ECE bulb hi laana: How a boring brand name got etched in Indian memory

The TV ad of ECE bulbs featured actor Kanwarjit Paintal and the jingle hit an amazing chord with viewers.

Lambretta: The Italian two-wheeler that became a ‘dad scooter’ for the big Indian family

The much-loved Lambretta is scheduled for a comeback in India with its retro-cool look.

Photography for all: The Hot Shot camera changed the way Indians clicked

The ease of photography with mini Hot Shot cameras meant more candid and fun family albums.

Big Fun: The bubble gum whose claim to fame was its freebie cricket cards

Big Fun’s promotional strategy of giving sports cards with each bubble gum became an instant hit in the 1980s.

Devil’s in the detail: How Onida TV became a household name in the ’80s

Onida’s new TV came when the market was flooded by Sony, BPL and Videocon sets, but it brought home what none of the others could – neighbour’s envy.

India’s first ‘big’ bathing soap failed because it was OK

The ads for Tata's OK soap were hugely popular, but its name and branding let it down.

Before foreign cars came to India, there was foreign-looking Contessa that defined class

The first big, long car in the Indian market also seemingly created a class divide between those with Ambassadors and those who drove Contessa.

Indian Airlines defined flying for three generations post-Independence

Despite chronic delays and unexciting food, Indian Airlines was a brand Indians were close to.

On Camera

What’s Xi Jinping doing in Europe? His goal is more strategic than economic

India should aim to get European investments that are clearly no longer going to China. That is where the dots of its efforts to save Asia from China’s dominance converge at its most basic.

Day after mass sick leave by employees, Air India Express fires crew members, cancels 85 more flights

About 300 employees had called in sick Wednesday, allegedly in protest against mismanagement of airlines. Remaining staff given ultimatum to rejoin work by end of Thursday.

Vice Admiral Sanjay Bhalla takes charge as Chief of Personnel of the Indian Navy

His tenure as Chief of Personnel will be marked by a number of important appointments, both afloat and ashore.

Frontrunner is letting the challenger define this poll campaign. Modi still hasn’t found a big theme

A theme has not yet emerged for BJP & people see lack of a contest, which makes it unexciting. For all these reasons, 2024 is turning out to be an unexpectedly theme-less election.