Reaction to the Innovative Advertising Strategy

THE STIMULUS SENT:
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PONDICHERRY TOURISM CAMPAIGN

How do you sell something when you have 'nothing' to sell? This campaign titled "Nothing's Better" for PONDICHERRY TOURISM, got us rave reviews. Would like to know what you think of this.
Vinod Natesan
Mayan Consultants International
Mumbai

THE RESPONSE SO FAR:

1)
From: gksathyan
To: natesanvinod
Subject: RE: Innovative Marketing Strategies
Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2007 07:06:03 +0000

Awesome Vinod. Very impressive.

Sathyan

2)
From: sankar
To: Vinod Natesan Sent: Sunday, August 19, 2007 11:59:31 AM
Subject: Re: Innovative Marketing Strategies

Hi Vinod,
Hope this note will find you fine fettle.
Yesterday being a holiday, yes we started 5 day week from this month, I was going through your mail in a relaxed mood. Vinod, it is a great work and something different, thought provoking.
I had not been to Pondichery though I have few friends there. It used to be a French colony and still it create that feel once you go there, I believe
Sankarnarayan
Sterling Publications, UAE

3)
From: Suman Srivastava
To: Vinod Natesan Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2007 9:51:34 PM
Subject: RE: How do you sell something when you have nothing to sell? Do visit my blog to find out.

Brilliant.

Cheers
Suman

4)
From: christine chastain
To: Vinod Natesan
Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2007 6:14:28 PM
Subject: Re: How do you sell something when you have nothing to sell? Do visit my blog to find out.
Boy, what wouldn't I give to be in Pondy right now! I love the ads...

5)
From: diganta barua To: Vinod Natesan
Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2007 8:37:08 PM
Subject: RE: How do you sell something when you have nothing to sell? Do visit my blog to find out.

Super stuff. Singleminded idea, well executed. Great campaign for Pondy.

Diganta Barua, Credence Consulting

6)
Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2007 15:43:38 +0530
From: nairmpTo: natesanvinod
Subject: Re: Innovative Marketing Strategies

Hearty Congrats Vinod, I like the spirit. May Success prevail in all your endeavours... M P Nair

7)
From: Carriappa P M
To: Vinod Natesan Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2007 12:38:00 PM
Subject: RE: How do you sell something when you have nothing to sell? Do visit my blog to find out.
Hi Vinod,

Good work! Deja vu Mauritius ads years ago.
Regards

Cari
8) 
I think the concept and the executions are very strong. Nice work!
Too often I have seen great work by me and my teams go unused by government agencies. Unfortunately,
it tends to go with the territory of governments being cautious and the "decisions by committee."
At least it seems like they liked your approach.
Posted by Ed Katz
   9)
Amazing work Vinod.Creativity at its best. I would love to hear the silence of NOTHING some day in pondy.Damn ive missed such an unmatched & unparalleled destination as of now.Believe me,you have beautifully promoted pondy without using anything(in fact by using NOTHING)
Posted by Shobhit Mishra
    10)
Have visited Pondy a few times spanning a decade, happy to note that the essence remains untouched.
 The water front hasn't changed in decades and so are the areas around the main markets like the mission street. The Water front areas, the quite bars with enchanting sea view are worth dying for and remain uniquely french.Good work, keep it up.
Sudhakar.Posted by Sudhakar Komaravolu
    11)
Ian CROMPTON has indicated you are a fellow group member of Media & Entertainment Professionals:
I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.Absolute genius promo on Pondicherry.
- Ian
    12)
Having recently visited Pondicherry after many years, happy to note that the proposition for the town
 remains the same it was 2 decades ago..Unspoilt by tourism!You've caught it beautifully!
Cheers! Sundarraj Mahadevan
  13)
Seriously - love it, and would like to see more of what you're doing... Do you have a web site
set up besides the blog? No reason why we couldn't sell a bit of that talent on this side of the world
Chuck Bogardus
   14)
Perhaps a good alternative would be to consider how the concept involved -- the "anti-resort,"
as it were -- can be applied to other products/services. There's nothing wrong with using the concept
as a "hook" to gain attention. Then you move on to what you've got to offerand why it's better than what
your competitors are offering.
Bill Brody
    15)
Very cool Vinod, you have successfully (and masterfully I might say) created the perfect social network pear.
 Congats. Please connect with me we have much to discuss.promise to be entertaining and thought provoking
Alan Munroe
    16)
Amazing creatives and body copy. A great differentiated campaign stance. Was it never released?
October 2 SRIKANTH RAMAN
    17)
very nice stuff vinod...actually Vinod Sir :) I especially liked the pondicherry campaign...totally
bang on...how are you? and which part of the country do you operate from?
ANAND DAMANI
    18) 
    Excellent ads Vinod - well done !Posted by Debashis Dey 

Pondicherry Tourism Campaign-Radio .15 secs

Title: Sounds like nothing

The spot opens with the sounds of a wave approaching and crashing onto the shore, then rolling away. There is no other sound to be heard except for more waves rolling in. After a few repetitions of this, we hear the birds squawking and chirping, interspersing the sound of the waves. Then it goes back to the sound of waves. This sound fades a little to bring in a new sound, that of an elongated, deep and contented sigh.

MVO: Silence. Solitude, Serenity.
Pondicherry. Nothing’s better.

Note: This was an idea from Ms Shanmughapriya who now works for a radio channel. Pillai did the developing and finishing of this spot. This again is simple to make, adaptable , on strategy and stunningly simple!

Pondicherry Tourism TV Commercial- 15 secs

Title: Still Life

The film opens on a well known location in Pondicherry, like the Esplanade on the waterfront. The scene is unmoving, just as if the whole scene is a still photograph. There is no movement, no traffic, no sound. A super appears on this frame, which reads ‘Main street. Tourist season’. This scene continues for a good ten seconds. Then all of a sudden, a bird, maybe a seagull, flies across the frame, squawking.
SFX: Cries of the bird, as it flies past across the frame

The camera now moves to follow the flight path of the gull, as the viewpoint of someone watching it fly. The camera moves back to its original position, capturing the very same frame as before.

Of camera we hear a deep, contented sigh. And the film fades into darkness, from top to bottom as if somebody’s eyes are closing.

MVO, Super and Branding: Silence. Solitude, Serenity.
Pondicherry. Nothing’s better.

Note: The concept came from me as a planner and the Creative Director (Pillai) happily did the narrative and finished it. This had the advantages of simplicity of production, adaptability to any duration, stunning originality and adherence to the brief. Milind Dhaimade who was working in Mumbai as the National CD loved it when we read it out to him.

Pondicherry Tourism Campaign- Leaflets

Pondicherry Outdoor Campaign- Roadsigns

Pondicherry Tourism Outdoor Campaign- Main Street

Pondicherry Tourism Outdoor Campaign- Resorts

Pondicherry Tourism Outdoor Campaign- Beach

Pondicherry Tourism Print Campaign- Investor Promotion Ad 2

Pondicherry Tourism Print Campaign- International Yoga Festival

Head line: In the silence of nothing, your soul plays your song.

Body: Pondicherry hosts "Shunyata"- the first World Yoga Conference. For a month, study interact, imbibe and assimilate with the great yogis of our time. In a spiritual effort to achieve the point of total surrender and total salvation. Aptly, in a land better known as the Culture Cauldron of the World - Pondicherry

Tag: Pondicherry. Nothing's better!

Pondicherry Tourism Print Campaign-Gallery for Two

Headline: In the absence of the gallery, you play only for each other.

Body: The solitude calms egos, unmasks pretences, lowers defences and sets the tone for souls
to synchronize.

Tag: Pondicherry, Nothing's better!

Pondicherry Tourism Print Campaign-Sounds of Silence

Headline: In the silence of nothing, listen to each other.

Body: The solitude calms egos, unmasks pretences, lowers defences and sets the tone for souls to synchronize.

Tag: Pondicherry, Nothing's better!

Pondicherry Tourism Print Campaign- Right Notes

Headline: In the silence of nothing, you hit the right notes.

Body: The solitude calms egos, unmasks pretences, lowers defences and sets the tone for souls to synchronize.

Tag: Pondicherry, Nothing's better!