I travel by bus across the city to reach my work place, which is almost 22 km away from home. While most of this journery time is occupied with catching up with sleep, I almost never miss the latest amul ad on its regular billboard on JC Nagar near the palace ground/fun world entrance.
To those (few) who do not know about these Amul ads... they are usually based on some current affairs or issues of public interest and wittily deliver a message. clever, innovative, sarcastic, funny, punny ... you'll find them all....
This is one their latest ads...
Volcanic ash from Iceland leads to closure of European airspace disrupting flights world-wide - April'10
I was wondering if i could find their older ads.. I had particularly liked the one BT brinjal to be very innovative and funny... (let bhaingan be byegones... hahahaa)... so as usual i googled it and Lo!
Debate over the safety of Bt Brinjal continues with mixed views from scientists farmers and environment activists - Feb'10
Also i found the official amul website that has these ads under the title amul hits. and they ALL their billboard ads from 1976!! wow.. i didnt know this was such an old thing...
Here are some of my favourites from the older stock.... I was so tempted to post almost every ad heheheheh
(disclaimer: all images and caption from the ads are taken from the offial site..
check it out... there are loads!! )
and here's the fun part... when u look at the old ads, u get a feel of these times...
samll events and controversies that had happened in these time but weren't big enough to put in our history books.and you know about so many things you didnt know, even if they were quite big and controversial... (Rambling 1) 
When helmets were made compulsory in Mumbai
Fashionable raincoats hit the market (1980)
I liked the following one 'cos just the other day my parents were reminiscing about how hold-alls have gone out of fashion. Earlier, anyone traveling by train would have to carry their entire bedding with them as all seats on trains were wooden. cushions were provided on special fee and that too only in the first class compartment.
Indian Railways introduces cushioned chairs in first class compartment (1979)
Oh here's another one... when multi-storey buildings and apartment complexes became increasingly popular in big cities, the postmasters job of delivering letter door-to-door delivery system became too tedious... which is when the ground floor common- mailbox system was introduced.
The new mailbox scheme proposed to be introduced meant to east the postman's woes of trudging up and down the stairs
Some of these ads even have follow ups :D This is about a major controversy in 1982 that gathered a lot of public attention
Virgin test for Indian women at the airport in London.
Amul pacifies the protesters for the hoarding captioned "Indian virgin needs no urgin" which was put up earlier.
Here's one.. Politics...
On Laloo's refusal to vacate chief minister's seat
When Laloo's wide was elected cheif minister
( i love how they make "pokes" at the government in their "oh-so casual" manner... hehehe) This is when Pakistan infiltrated across LOC into Indian Territory (Sealed like the national border.... Easy to open packs!! hahaha...)
they also have regularly cast sport - related ads ... mostly cricket...(have u seent the latest one(s) on IPL hehehe) although you'll fnd tennis and chess (and now golf) too
Here is an old one... :D Sunil Gavskar's century against West Indies in Delhi... followed by another century in successive match)
There's festivals and cultural events , music and concert related ads ... and of course ... bollywood and other hit films and serials... The (then) popular serials (Ramayan , Mahabharat). You'll even find Bold and the Beautiful , Kyinki Saans Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kaun Banega Crorepati among others.
Even cashing in on latest trends ( ZooZoo and Facebook )
Here's some of my other favorites... Enjoy! and check out the website...
Ms. Benazir Bhutto back to a domestic lifestyle after losing the elections
A/N : (To the uninitiated : Pak shastra means Culinary arts and Pak Shala means kitchen )
The rapid change of prime ministers in the country in the general elections in the 1990's
Amul reflects on the growing popularity of Shiv Sena in Mumabi
On battle for supremacy in UP politics
Cloud Seeding experiment results in rain (1983)
See ya later!!
(A repeated disclaimer: I do not own this pics and captions. None of these ideas and thoughts are mine. I am only reposting them from www.amul.com No copyright infringement in intended)
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Rambling 1 :
You read these ads and you you read about the events behind them.. you get a feel of the era... I always have wondered how the country was when my parents were younger, when they were of my age... Of course, parents will tell you about different events... but they always feel more like anecdotes. You can read them in books and see pics on the net.. but when you see these ads... a light hearted take on these events... somehow these events become more real and relatable... I react to the old ads and old events the way I do know after seeing these new ads... and get a feel of exactly how ticklish the country's funny bone was then. (somehow ... kids of a particular generation always tend to think that they are very humourous, clever, witty and most "cool", when compared to older generations, which are often dismissed as were serious, somber and boring... and to think so is very natural... look at where we get most of our info from... the books and news reports... always so drabby)
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End of rambling session
