From the publisher amuls india read more india through 50 years of amul advertising lasting piece between the two for fifty years now, the amul billboard has watched over india, punctuating its progress with wry observation, heartfelt tribute, sly comment and the occasional controversial slip. Its relationship with the country has been unique unlike the newspaper, which offered a daily account of all important events, the amul billboard was more selective, choosing the events it highlighted with more care. The considerations were many the event had to be of sufficient interest, it needed to have some dramatic potential and, of course, there had to be a way of connecting with the brand, however superficial or contrived that link might be. The link with the brand was an important part of the charm of the message, for it gave some boundaries to the message and pushed the agency to greater creativity as a result of this constraint. Maintain internal security the nature of the amul intervention was often very simple. In a lot of cases, it merely observed events and pointed them out. In a lot of billboards, there is little comment. The act of being a spectator, of merely marking out the moment and presenting it in a manner that caused us to smile, was often the only role it played. Of course, there were occasions when more pointed comment was felt to be in order, but overall, amul used the platform it had in the national consciousness with restraint, something that has no doubt helped it stay relevant after so many years. By not overplaying its hand and being led away by its ability to frame debates, amul avoided the corrosiveness that can come naturally to the habitual commentator. Tracing amuls journey through the decades is in many ways akin to tracing indias journey, albeit through a specific and special vantage point. It was sharjah boys not haar ja it was sharjah, boys, not haar ja that is my favourite, if not the most pleasant, memory of an amul hoarding. The occasion, of course, was indias infamous loss to pakistan, when javed miandads last-ball six dented not only the personal pride of the individual spectator, but put a lingering question mark in the national psyche about whether we had it in us to face tough situations and come out on top. The amul hoarding captured our feeling perfectly, using stiletto sarcasm instead of blunt criticism. Of course, this was one of many amul messages that came out deliciously-timed and appropriately cheeky, and gave us something to chuckle about. Growing up in an entertainment starved india, the opportunities for amusement were few and needed to be contrived through personal effort. In such a landscape, the amul billboard was a bracing shock of good cheer, to be looked forward to and commented upon. Facebook with amul mark 2000-2010 the other significant change seen during this period is, of course, the importance of the internet and the many changes this has brought about. Billboards like eeek-mail (documenting a destructive virus), dotty about coms (the dotcom explosion), face-bhook (the rise of facebook), I-fun (the popularity of the I-phone), sabka emotikhana (the emergence of emoticons as a phenomenon), all recognize the role being played by this new medium in our lives. The increasing impact made by indians on the global it stage is also captured in the hoardings. Sundar piyo chai (indian born and bread) is a good example of this genre. We also see the first signs of anxieties that have begun to surround the appropriation of the internet by large corporations and the need felt to protect net neutrality tum com ho interfere karne wale (trai this neutralicious snack) calls attention to this issue. We also notice the first references to issues of alternative sexuality, with a message like out of the closet, out of the fridge marking the delhi high court judgment legalizing homosexuality. Read more