Absolut 'Manish' Arora

A contemporary Fashion Designer, Manish Arora, encases the finest elements of his Paris Fashion Week in October of 2009, lending a surreal texture to the bottle.

Given his penchant for colors and patterns it comes as no surprise that he was appointed the creative director of Paco Rabanne in early 2011.

Absolut 'Vikram' Seth

Vikram Seth is not only a gifted writer but also a painter. In this campaign series, each of his canvases is a symbol of a "Rasa"  blending music,dance and art, giving them an ethereal feel . He breathes life not only into words and poems but also to colors by giving them a new dimension on his canvas.

 His Blue Canvas contribution to the Absolut campaign, has "Na Main,Na Mai" in Urdu and Nastaleeq script scrawling over the blue bottle in gold letters. It reflects the "Shanta Rasa" or Peace.  

 In the above canvas, his multifacted personality comes to the fore where he effortlessly blends hues of orange and red, reflecting the "Vira Rasa". The "Heroic and Energetic" flavors radiating from the painting are unmistakable. "Jiu" is the Chinese character for wine as exhibited in the canvas.

A nod to the peerless Harivanshrai Bacchan, Vikram Seth borrows "Pyasa Pyala" in Devanagiri script, meaning the "Thirsty Cup" from "Madhushala". The image is of surreal love that "Shringar Rasa" is about.

All the three canvases represent the true spirit of Absolut.

This exhibition makes Vikram Seth the fourth Indian to contribute the iconic Absolut campaign.

Absolut 'Subodh' Gupta

Subodh Gupta, a prolific artist has made a valuable contribution to the 30 year old legendary campaign of Absolut Vodka with the above sculpture.

He has taken everyday kitchen articles, placed them in a new dimension,  rehashing the mundane quotidian value of those articles and elevating them to represent the true spirit of Absolut.

Absolut 'Bharati' Kher

Bharati Kher, born in London, is a popular contemporary Indian artist with several paintings, sculptures and installations to her credit. 

Bindi, a decorative mark that Indian women wear in the middle of their foreheads, are used extensively her sculptures.

Her fascination with the "sperm" bindi, her signature, is evident in the Absolut Vodka installation which gives it a 3 dimensional perception.

Bharati Kher is married to the popular Indian Sculptor, Subodh Gupta.

A day in the life of India - 100 rupee note

Revisiting an old TOI ad.. which shows the life of a 100 rupee note and its worth as it meanders through the lives of several Indians each with a different tale to tell

Iconic Ad Campaigns: Got Milk?

In 1993 , as Americans switched to Soft Drinks, Health Drinks and other beverages  the sales of Milk took an obvious hit. This was the time when dairy processors in California decided to get together to fund a non profit marketing board – well to market Milk obviously. 

The Marketing board – christened California Milk Processor Board , hired Goodby, Silverstein & Partners to come up with a campaign to market milk to the masses. Out of this exercise came the most successful and longest-lasting campaign of the CMPB – Got Milk?

The first advertisement ran on October 29, 1993 and was directed by Michael Bay.

The ad was at the top of the advertising industry's award circuit in 1994.

The ads would typically feature people in various situations involving dry or sticky foods and treats such as cookies and peanut butter. The person then finds himself in an uncomfortable situation due to a full mouth and no milk to wash it down. At the end of the commercial the character would look sadly to the camera and boldly displayed would be the words, "Got Milk?".

The campaign’s immense popularity is also attested by the fact that countless celebrities from different walks of life have been willing to endorse the ads and appear in them.