JWT-Sri Lanka Blog

We work closely with Mahela at JWT and we thought we should dedicate space and time to pay tribute to one of Sri Lanka’s top sporting personalities. This is perhaps one of the 1^st interviews with Mahela since he and his team underwent a traumatic experience in Pakistan this year.

1. Did you always know you wanted to be a cricketer when you grew up?

Well, my parents have some photographs of me when I was about a 1 ½ playing with a bat and a ball, so, I guess so. No seriously, I was always playing cricket even as a little kid with the neighbouring children. And then Nalanda had such excellent coaches and facilities that it really helped me focus and develop my talents. After that of course, there was no doubt, I had to play cricket!

2. If you had the choice of choosing another profession, what would that be?

I’m very fond of real estate, so I would probably have gone down that career path had it not been for the bat and ball.

3. What are your views about the current situation where people are being laid off due to the recession?

I think that should be the absolute last resort. I mean, these are the people who have done the work for you all this time, and they should be safeguarded as much as possible, instead of being laid off in bad times. Find ways to cost cut, cost manage, try and work something out so that everyone benefits and gets through it together. Sure, tough times means tough calls have to be made, but laying off people should be the very last resort.

4. You’ve had brilliant career and track record; you’ve been named Test Cricketer of the Year by the ICC in 2007 and 2008; why did you decide to take the plunge and step down

from Captaincy of the Sri Lankan National Team?

I really enjoyed leading the team, but after the 2007 World

Cup which was a really good tournament for us, I felt that I had faced my share of challenges. I also wanted to give my successor enough of time to settle in as Captain before the 2011 World Cup. There are no big tournaments around the corner; a couple of home series, the 20-20 World Cup, with the Pakistan and New Zealand team coming home for a series. And I also wanted to concentrate on my personal batting record, to enjoy the game a bit more without the pressure and responsibility of being the Captain. So all things considered, I thought this was the best time to step down.

5. Any regrets with stepping down?

Honestly, no. I personally believe that all seniors and juniors alike in the team need to be leaders themselves, and I always did my best to cultivate this attitude. So I firmly believe that the new Captain will have fresh ideas and a new perspective, but will lead the team in the same positive direction that it was headed. I will be supporting the Captain every step of the way, and I will definitely be there to coach and guide the younger guys, so, all in all, I have nothing to regret.

6. How did you handle the tremendous media pressure that was taking place during and before this period?

I’ve always enjoyed the media, because I welcome constructive criticism. I worked very closely and very transparently with my team, and encouraged their ideas, their suggestions, but finally, the decision was mine, and I really looked forward to the feedback as to whether it was the right decision or not.

7. Would you say you shared a close relationship with your team mates?

Definitely! I was very transparent and very involved with the guys, so they knew exactly what I was doing and what I planned to do. Everyone contributed with their own ideas and suggestions, and everyone’s voice was heard. I would gather all these thoughts, and then base my final decision on what I thought was in the best interests of everyone concerned, and the team followed it.

8. What would you consider to be a few key vital leadership characteristics?

I would say that communication is key. I communicated directly with every member of the team, and encouraged them to speak out. Secondly, I would say that rules, on equal grounds, are also very important. I mean, it doesn’t matter if he’s a senior player who’s got 15 years of international cricket under his belt, or if he’s a on his first day of training, a rule applied must be a rule obeyed. Of course, there come a time when you need to know to handle each individual player differently in certain situations, depending on his capacity and how they go about things… And thirdly, I would say that transparency is very important.

9. When the tough times get going, how do you keep yourself motivated, and in turn, how do you keep the morale of the team flying high?

Especially in the tough times, it’s very important that you focus and understand the situation you are in. And then, I would say, the secret to being on top of any tough situation, is to go back to the basics. Little things to energise, to revitalise, to help each other out add up to really big successes at the end of the day. It helps to tackle one thing at a time, to go through each process one step at a time, instead of focusing directly on the end result, which is, of course, to win.

10. With the knowledge that the Pakistan Tour would be your last as Captain, did you have any particular expectations?

I would say that the Pakistan Tour was important to the whole team! We had been very consistent in our performance on home ground, but had unfortunately not matched this performance away from home. We had had recent wins in New Zealand, England and for the 1^st time in history, we won a test match series in the West Indies, but we still that we could up our performance when it came to offshore matches. Unfortunately, we could not complete the 2^nd test match against Pakistan, but I have no regrets, as we all made it through with no severe damage or loss.

11. How are the boys after this ‘incident’?

The boys are good, they’re ok. Thilan left hospital two days ago; it will take a couple of months before he starts playing again, and the guy who got shot in the chest has started rehab and fitness training. Other than that, everyone else is gradually getting back on track; we haven’t forced anyone to train or to play, we’ve told them to come in when they’re comfortable and encouraged them to start training again at their own pace, next week’s 20-20 World Cup being the focus to take their mind off it.

12. That was definitely a traumatic experience for you and the team…

It’s certainly something I wouldn’t want anyone to go through, and it really puts a different spin on everything. Not just the tour, but your life and your loved ones’ lives… You look at the bigger picture and wonder, ‘Have I taken care of my family?’, ‘Have I secured their future?’ and it just changes your perspective on everything because it can happen to anyone at any time without any warning.

13. Would you and your team go back to Pakistan in the near future?

I guess when everything dies down, but no, not immediately.

14. What do you think of Sanga as the new Captain?

He most certainly was a brilliant deputy to me J and I know he’ll be a very good leader. He’s a great thinker of the game. Even as the Vice Captain, he was someone who didn’t agree with me for the sake of agreeing; he asked questions, questioned my decisions, put forward his thoughts and ideas, and then supported me 100%. So all in all, I think he has the qualities needed to be a really good leader. My role would be to give him the coaching and confidence he needs as a Captain.

15. What do you think are Sanga’s strong points?

He’s a very confident player as a batsman, and he’s a very hardworking player.

16. What would you say is the biggest challenge for Sanga as the Captain?

Well, as Captain of the National Team, you are bound to have to face a lot of pressure behind the scenes. Unfortunately (or fortunately), every leader has to go through this. I think that staying focused through all of it would be his biggest challenge.

17. If you were asked to name one promising, upcoming batsman to the team, who would that be?

Angelo Matthews. He’s got loads of talent for a youngster and a very good sense of work ethics, which is rare in today’s generation.

18. A bowler?

Suranga Lakmal from down south has very good prospects for the future. He’s got loads of talent as a fast bowler; it’s just that he needs to build himself up physically and stay fit.

If you have any comments or questions, pls comment on this blog and we will ask Mahela to respond to them at his earliest convenience.

We love to mind the business of others and pay less attention to our own. Think about it!-Most people think they are doctors and won’t hesitate to prescribe medicine to a sick colleague and there is no charge for it. Particularly in times of today’s victories most people have become instant military strategists and offer ideas on how to fight the war and there is no charge for it. When it comes to advertising virtually everybody thinks they are qualified enough to come-up with an idea and are liberal with them but this one carries a hefty charge on the brand and the agency because you are not able to charge for it.

When I started out in advertising I was fortunate to be taken for a presentation to a leading multinational company. I was keenly watching my superiors presenting the creative for a popular brand with immense skill. I was eager to hear what the Chairman of the company had to say. I was dumb struck! when he said that he will get back to us after showing it to his wife and servant as they represented his real consumer.

This little incident represents what we as agency people go through on a daily basis. Secretaries and sales reps are trooped into marketing meetings to give their verdict on advertising. With the entry of Apple macs into the advertising world the issue has got even more acute as instant advertising agencies springing up all around us and within client organisations. So is advertising really adding value to our brands or not? I am sure agencies fail their clients from time to time. This is similar to any other business. That is why marketing companies have consumer complaint departments because they fail their consumers from time to time. Having set-backs in our daily routine is part of any profession. If you take war as an example there are military setbacks in battle before gaining victory. But the difference is that civilians don’t attempt to do the job of a military man. That is why they are set apart and called civilians and military.

We have too many clients trying to do the job of agency professionals and the quality of advertising falters! Compounded with this issue is the paltry low remuneration for ideas. This reminds me of a joke a colleague sent me a few days ago. I am certain you might have read this before but it aptly answers why agencies charge for something that is intangibly tangible- the idea.

“The engine of a giant ship failed. The ship’s owners tried one expert after another, but none of them could figure how to fix the engine.

Then they brought in an old man who had been fixing ships since he was a very young boy. He carried a large bag of tools with him. When he arrived, he immediately went to work. He inspected the engine very carefully, top to bottom.

Two of the ship’s owners were there, watching this man, hoping he would know what to do. After looking things over, the old man reached into his bag and pulled out a small hammer. He gently tapped something. Instantly, the engine lurched into life. He carefully put his hammer away. The engine was fixed!

A week later, the owners received a bill from the old man for ten thousand dollars.

“What?!” the owners exclaimed. “He hardly did anything!”

So they wrote the old man a note saying, “Please send us an itemized bill.”

The man sent a bill that read:”

Tapping with a hammer…… ……… ……. $ 2.00
Knowing where to tap………. ……… …… $ 9, 998.00

Having a Mac and a graphic designer at your disposal does not make you “ideas”. They are some of the tools that are required to craft ideas. Today ideas are priceless and anyone capable of consistently developing fresh ideas for brands is a true bearer of the title “advertising professional”. They are the only guys who know where to “tap” which makes those ideas $9,998. Whereas anything short of being an idea is worth $2.

If anyone who feels frustrated like I do please comment. If any of you oppose my view please! please! Comment.

by
” AdPro”
feature writer – JWT Blog

Being wedged between a consumer and a brand that has a message to be delivered could be akin to being caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. Your only escape lies in getting a big idea. So when the brief lands in the hands of a hapless creative person would it hold the key to the idea? Would it anesthetise the mind or be LSD for the right brain spurring a kaleidoscopic myriad of ideas?

But what is an idea in the first place? The definition coined by experts says it’s a new combination of old elements. That may not be helpful from an advertising point of view so how about: “a concept that produces a favorable response to a product in consumers”? Now we’re getting somewhere. From a creative perspective if you take it further it would be a unique creative expression that dramatises the brand benefit in a fresh and distinctive way.

So what’s so big about the big idea? What does it do? Contrary to a popular myth it does a lot more than win awards. It wins consumers and it wins market share. A Brand is a destination built in the consumer’s mind by a unique association of imagery and words that surround a product. The idea is the journey that leads the consumer there. It makes the connection between consumer and brand, begins a relationship that if treated right turns into a life long love affair. Marlboro country, Just do it, Have a break have a Kit Kat are big ideas that have done just that with a leather swathed cowboy, encouragement to the weak yet willing and the dramatized snap of a wafer.

This brings me to another point. How big is a big idea? The answer is strange because the biggest ideas are often the simplest. The bigness lies in the bang between brand benefit and consumer understanding and its scope. The simplicity is ease of understanding and execution. The best example right now is possibly Obama’s big idea of Change.

Darwin got them, Newton got them, and so did Mozart and Picasso. Right brained people, lateral thinkers do get them they say. James Webb Young said it was a five step gestation period that produced them. There are many thinking tools and idea mapping but down to the crunch how do you get a big idea? Unfortunately there is no magic formula that can lead you to it. Neither can you sit down and say ‘I’m going to get an idea NOW’. Unlike most other disciplines where you have control on the timing of the deliverable, the big idea will most likely hit you at the least expected moment. When you wake up from a dream, in the middle of a shower or when you’re washing your dinner plate and hopefully you haven’t passed your deadline.

There’s only one thing that is truly known. No grass, no milk. And that links to why it’s not a coincidence that creative people are different and live on the edge. You’ve got to die a little and live a lot with emotions and varied experiences. Spend time with unforgettable people and inspiring places soaking your brain like an insatiable sponge with things that range from the sublime to the ridiculous. In short, jostle with life and set the stage and the ideas will come: more vibrant and eventful the play, thicker, faster and fresher the ideas.

Once you’ve got one, what next? Do you dare to flash it to your creative partner in crime, the Planner and Account Management or deny even a distant relationship to it? Grab your JWT creative rating card. It’ll tell you before anybody else does on a scale of one to ten if it should be incinerated, hibernated or celebrated.

Try saying or doing something in a new and unexpected way and you will have everyone’s attention. Be funny or emotive and people will gravitate to you. Become down right entertaining and they will not just seek your company they will feel rewarded for having done so. Simply said, big ideas do the same for brands. It’s all about wrapping a complicated, boring or the same-old brand message with a great idea that will live up to our purpose; To create ideas that people want to spend more time with.

written by
Chandini Rajaratnam
(ECD , JWT , Colombo)

First of a series of research interviews carried out by JWT’s Blog Crew which attenpmts to capture the general sentiments of society in a 3 minute video.

War and the economic down turn are the two biggest common issues faced by many in society today. Disposable incomes have shrunk as much as 50% when compared with trends two years ago.

Although everyone is aware of changes in the international macro environment (political issues, social issues etc) it is evident that these incidents do not have a direct effect on the local masses.

One startling finding was that the habit of saving a portion of their income is diminishing. This can be mainly attributed to the high cost of living.

On a positive note there were sentiments held by many that once the war is concluded it will pave the way for a brighter future

General Sentiments Explored

“In 1953, Ian Fleming set out to establish his new fictional hero as manly, dangerous and hugely attractive; so in the first chapter of the first 007 book, Casino Royale, James Bond returns to his hotel and lights his seventieth cigarette of the day. 55 years from now, what set of 2008 values will seem as warped and antiquated? And why?”

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“Bond, you are the first 007 to be brought back from hibernation. Do not try to escape. The metal bars holding you down will be automatically released after the system scan confirms that you are in good shape to resume work.

As you would expect, the world you are about to enter is far different from the one you experienced in 2008. You will be released at the end of this hologram as you have to go through the “de-hibernation” process before you start your mission off.

Your understudies back at the agency headquarters stepped up to fill your void after you were badly injured in Prague, 2008. Both “Agent Rahul” and “Agent Chang” are senior agents today and you will be working with them directly. They will also guide you through certain linguistic training on Hindi and Chinese languages as many of our undercover agents are from Indian and Chinese ethnicities.

Greed for power and wealth are still the pivotal points of terrorism. “Land” and “Access to water reserves” are primary determinants of power and wealth today. With the first colony of Americans celebrating 3 years of living on the planet Mars, all other countries are looking at setting up their respective bases on Mars.

Intel reports have shown us ample evidence that there are many secret organization who are about to mobilize their terrorist cells on Mars in order to dethrone the ruling coalition government and rule the planet. The mission is to eliminate all terrorist leaders on Mars.

Your new identity would be of a high stakes roller, where you are required to bring in our old friend “Le-Chiffre”, the foremost private banker to all terrorists to task. According to sources “Le-Chiffre” has resumed his activities after returning from his “hibernation capsule” in 2058. Intel reports that “Le-Chiffre” is organizing a high stakes poker game to win back the losses endured due to our agency interruptions last year. The game will be held at the familiar “Casino Royale” in Montenegro, so you need to get your waterproof tuxedo on.

Your first task would be to beat “Le-Chiffre” who is still an avid fan of Poker and not to mention her thirst for successful/egoistic men. Yes, “Le-Chiffre” is a “she”. For your information. sexuality change today takes only a time period of 15 minutes and is a common practice in the society. I am confident that your larger than life ego coupled with your love for the game would be a perfect match for “Le-Chiffre”. Beware, “Le-Chiffre” is a dangerous woman and hence emotional attachments are strictly cautioned against. Agent Rahul is currently working overtime to secure an image of “Le-Chiffre” as we currently do not have an “updated” image of her.

To bring you up-to-date, the great “melt-down” of the polar ice caps reduced land by 50% in 2040. Countries were re-allocated land on a proportionate basis. Sky scrapers together with sky cars have become a part and parcel of day to day life. The superrich have their own underwater palaces. “Casino Royale” is one such place built for the super-rich. Built according to the original blue print specifications, I am sure that you will be familiar with the interior, once inside the Casino Royale.

Although the rules of the game have not changed, you will find that the dynamics have completely changed. Intel has already confirmed that out of the ten poker players, six will be females who have access to their self-made fortunes. You need to adapt your brute persona as these women are sophisticated in nature. Hence, no smoking allowed! I need you to “woo” them and distract them. It is paramount that you shrug your nonchalant “one liners” to lure in your women counterparts as a more heartfelt conversation is key to win their trust. The game is still not about the “hand” but about the person you are playing against. So stay focused throughout as you hardly have any experience playing against women, at least on a serious note.

The plan is simple and all too familiar. You have to win the game and make “Le-Chiffre” bankrupt. After which, she will be forced to seek refuge with us in return for the information she has about all terrorist organizations.

The buy in for the game is 10 billion Asian Dollars and bids start from 5 billion Asian Dollars. You will be accompanied by a representative from the treasury to overlook the game. She will also be your sky car coordinator as you will need to fly to and from various parts of the earth to eliminate all links to “Le-Chiffre”.

Once we secure the information from “Le-Chiffre”, Agent Chang will accompany you to Mars where you would start eliminating all terrorist cells. All colonies on Mars are closely watched by our brothers at Langley as the new president of the coalition government is to be installed next month.

Your hibernating capsule is docked on board the International Space Station. The cold war II has begun and your battlefield is situated 20 million miles from where you are right now. James, 55 years has passed us by and I need not caution you that terrorism is far more advanced than what it was in 2008. You will be released in approximately 5 minutes. Your new suit is ready and so is your Aston Martin to return to Earth. Yes, it flies and your suit would adapt itself according to the respective surroundings. I suggest that you use auto navigation till you get the hang of the sky car, unless you want to risk getting fried when entering the earth’s atmosphere.

Welcome to the year 2063.
Bond, please don’t kill them all. We need to know as much as we can.

Now, let’s get to work.
53 years of rest should be ample rest for series of sleepless nights wouldn’t it?

After all, you must be yearning to taste a glass of Martini – Shaken, Not Stirred.”

Welcome Back.
M

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This was just my idea of how the world will be in “2060″…. Would love to know your ideas on how the world will be in 2060A.D… Please do empty your thoughts below….

An initiative by our energetic VIVA team , this short TVC was created to mark the 61st independence day of Sri Lanka which received rave reviews for its high quality execution.

We at JWT call upon all Sri Lankans to come together in this hour of need to stand up for our motherland devoid of any cast, culture or creed. We are all Sri Lankans.!

“Jaya VIVA”!!

The Obama TVC by JWT Colombo was one of the most talked about adverts in the recent past. The JWT Blog Crew explores how it all came together in a discussion featuring Nushad Perera , CEO Dialog TV and Suminda Gamage – Senior Creative Director, JWT Colombo.

Obama TVC 1

Obama TVC II

Coffee with Nushad and Summa