ACT OF PUBLICITY

Publicity is a promise for particular product and mirror of desires one has for one’s life through that product. It does not talk about particular object or product but it talks about the situations one can be in after possessing that object or product and also talks about fulfilment of one’s desire for the activity/function where this object going to be used, i.e. Liril’s old advertisement in which they show a girl bathing under a waterfall. It also draws parallel to the new emerging desires and becoming dissatisfied with present situations, i.e. Fair and lovely fairness cream which creates desires to be fair and beautiful.

Publicity also puts across the current issues or events and validates the products place in today’s time and at every situation, i.e. Amul butter hoardings.

Publicity makes a person feel incomplete without all the, glamour/transformations/wishes/looks/being envied/status, that product can provide to the consumer. Sometimes publicity also generates the curiosity to create the desire or want for that particular object, i.e. when some soft drink was launching in west, to make people curious they applied a strategy in which different people would go to different shops and ask for this soft drink but shopkeeper would not have it as it was not launched in the market. Same way people would talk about this drink in the society before the launch. So when finally that soft drink got launch it had a huge market already waiting for it. The similar strategies can be used in India as in India socializing is a part of everyday life and ‘word of a mouth’ from socially known and trustworthy person is more valuable than any advertisement or hoardings.
Publicity also tries to connect to each and every person so it allows one’s own interpretation to connect to it. Publicity also uses metaphors, myths and unrealistic things to project and convey the virtues of the product,

i.e. Fevicol adhesive (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBTRv14_Jfc ), Ambuja cement.

Publicity in India targets the families and their values. India is well known for its culture, philosophy of life and festivals so in publicity they try to make it larger than reality. Publicity also uses the charm of celebrities/ architecture/ art/ literature(paro-devdas characters) which are counted for the status so in one way publicity brings all people at one level i.e. every one eats the same biscuits which Shahrukh Khan eats. Publicity also indulges the possibility of using the same products which these celebrities use and thus feel the status of that particular celebrity, i.e. Tag Heuer watches, Reid and Taylor, Provogue, Kiah jewellery etc.

Publicity represents the similar desires for similar products, the idea of publicity remains constant but the way of representation depends upon the context, where India or other country’s reference plays a huge role. Content can be contextual for the publicity but idea of publicity cannot be contextual.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgJYu-bkd3M is the close up advertisement outside India.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMvYqmcQCsE&feature=related is the close up advertisement for India.