A case of Hostile – Mind Takeover Marketing by Aircel

Today morning one got up to a slightly different news paper. The Front page of the newspaper instead of saying “The Times of India“, said “Move On India“. As the day progressed one realized what was “Ambush Marketing” taken to the next level, which I have referred to as “Hostile Mind Takeover Marketing“.

On my way to work, I generally switch on the radio and navigate through the peak hour traffic listening to the Radio. However today all I heard on Radio were Aircel Commercials. Long boring commercials, which were playing more frequently then music (read here). Switch from one channel to another and what do you hear there, the same commercial. Aircel had completely hijacked all Radio Stations.

The day went on and I got busy with work. On my way back home, near the media display outside the elevator, Aircel had put a long sticker tape on the border of each display. I reach home and switch on the Television, what do I see. Aircel ads being played on every channel on every commercial break. Great so by now I was starting to understand this strategy very well. In any case I switch on the news channel and there is a Aircel ticker on every news channel too. Phew talk about a brand overdose.

What are we talking about here. Aircel is one if India’s telecom operators launched it’s operations in Delhi and NCR. For once I felt that spamming had reached a new level. I was also trying to do the numbers on how much all this marketing would have cost them. I believe that in these troubled times where advertising fees has been cut by almost 50%, Aircel made a killing. I still invite guesses on what all this Hostile – Mind Takeover Marketing costed Aircel.

India’s burgeoning, mobile wielding generation got yet another service provide in Aircel. Hope all of this leads to a healthier competition between the Telecom giants of India. We already have Airtel, Idea, BPL Mobile, Spice, Vodafone, BSNL, MTNL amongst the leading telecom operators in the country. We just got another Aircel.

Delhi 6 a.k.a The Black Monkey

Chandni Chowk To China – From Some Indian Place To Some Chinese Place

Celebrating Our Second Anniversary – Introducing DelhiPlanet 2.0

2 years back on 22^nd December, 2006, a publication was born that aimed to emulate a fictional Superhero. DelhiPlanet.com started out 2 years back as a tribute to Superman and was inspired by the paper he worked for, namely “The Daily Planet“. This is quite apparent from our Logo and our famous comic which shows the inspiration behind DelhiPlanet (check it here). Now, 2 years and more than 300 articles later we present to you our new avatar.

The New Delhiplanet would showcase our work published over the past few years in addition to creating even more active and interesting content so that you keep coming back for more. So whether you are planning a trip to Europe, trying to find out ways reduce stress at work, checking out the reviews of a recently released movie or even finding ways to know your future you can find it all @ Planet.

So checkout our new world and do let us know your thoughts.

Catch These Flicks in ’009, Part 1

The Year 2009 is just 2 weeks away and this time the celebrations are going to be much less extravagant and toned down as compared to any of the previous years of the 21^st century. The past few months of 2008 have left the world in a state that very few people have ever seen. The economy is reeling, lay offs are on the rise and after the recent terror attacks in mumbai there isn’t too much of a feel good factor around. People are therefore celebrating the old-fashioned way by spending more time with parents and are enjoying themselves with less expensive pass times like watching movies, taking short trips close to home etc.

While most people and industries have been affected by the current economic climate, some industries have also benefited. The Movie industry for instance would be one such industry which would do well in 2009. So if you’re a movie buff looking forward to the movies that are gonna be out next year, then you have something to feel good about. Bollywood is lining up a couple of movies that everyone is looking forward to in the next year and all them seem to have innovative and interesting plot lines. So let’s have a look at what’s in store in 2009.

New York

As the trailer and the name of the movie suggests, New York is a story of three friends studying in NYC. They seem to be living their dreams till 9/11 happens and their world is turned around. New York will be YRF’s first release in 2009 and this theatrical trailer was released with the release of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi on 12^th December,2008. The film is directed by National Award-winning director Kabir Khan whio had earlier worked with John Abraham in Kabul Express.

Well, the trailer looks quite interesting and it will surely draw the educated Indians in India and other countries to it as they would be eager to see an Indian interpretation of the 9/11 attacks.

Delhi 6

After the immense success of Rang De Basanti, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra is back with a movie that showcases Delhi from the eye of an NRI. New York is again present in this movie as is visible from the trailer. The film stars Abhishek Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor, and the movie is about Roshan Mehra, who travels to India with his ailing grandmother. Little does he realise that this short trip will turn into the longest journey of his life a journey where he discovers India and himself. The story is told against the backdrop of the walled city of old Delhi. And the number 6 in the title is the postal pin code of the area. It is anticipated that the movie would again carry some kind of social message.

Rakeysh Mehra along with Aamir Khan are 2 of bollywood’s most intelligent filmmakers and the audiences would definitely be eager to know what Delhi-6 is about. The Delhites in particular would love to discover the splendor of Old Delhi on film after a long time. The film is slated to release in late February, 2009.

In the next part we’ll cover 2 more movies with even bigger star casts and fascinating storylines, so stay tuned.

When Delhi Rocked To The Sound Of Metal

A DelhiPlanet Exclusive

Thirteen years ago, a festival called The Great Indian Rock began with bands from across the country competing at Delhi’s open-air theater Hamsadhwani at Pragati Maidan. This season too the show is back albeit with a new name called The Fuel Great Indian Rock. The competition has now transformed to a national concert tour, spanning seven cities — Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad and Shillong— with 21 Indian bands and three international acts. “The festival has always aimed at providing local bands a platform to write and perform good, original music. It is not a competition anymore, it is purely bands in concert” says Amit Saigal, founder of the festival (Source).

Yesterday was the first day of this festival in Delhi and it surely rocked to the sounds of bands like Cyanide, Kryptos and the Norwegian band Sahg. India is said to be the next big thing on the global rock music map with international bands culling heavily from this country. “Indian rock musicians are innovating. Bands in this country are incorporating elements from Indian classical and religious music into hard rock and heavy metal. They sound very good. Asia is where all the action will take place in the future. I just heard Pentagram, a Mumbai-based band, yesterday and I liked their music,” says Mattias Seklunth, guitarist and vocalist of the 16-year-old Swedish rock band Freak Kitchen.

The Great Indian Rock Festival over the years has featured some of the biggest names in home-grown rock like Parikrama, Orange Street and Indian Ocean. It has been a platform for Indian bands to showcase their skills and talent – with several crediting the festival for their journey to the global stage(Source).

If missed out any of the action of this show then you’ve landed at the right spot, checkout some of the action below:

It’s Raining Moths – What’s Causing The Great Delhi Insect Menace

The Svetambara is one of the two main sects of Jainism, followers of which in believe total non-violence. They always clad themselves in white clothes and some even cover their mouths with a white cloth to practise ahimsa even when they talk. By doing so they minimize the possibility of inhaling small organisms.

So unless you’re a monk who practices Svetambara it is quite certain that you must have inhaled or eaten quite a few insects that have suddenly bombarded the night skies of Delhi in the past few weeks. It has become a common sight over the past few weeks to see thousands of insects swarm around even the smallest sources of light, much to the amazement of delhites who are wondering about the reasons of this moth onslaught. So the basic questions that arise are: What are these insects ? Where are they coming from ? Why are they coming here and When does this menace stop ?

These insects are an immigrant pest called the Brown Plant Hopper(also known as leafhoppers with local names like phudka or bhusaddi) and they are coming from the rice fields of neighbouring Haryana. G.T. Gujar, head of the Division of Entomology at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, says the population of this pest has increased “300 to 400 times this year“. A single rice plant could have more than a thousand of these insects hidden inside, he says. “It used to be an agricultural menace in the 1990s but was controlled by pesticides“, says TP Rajendran, Assistant Director General for Plant Protection at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.

This year, untimely rains began a chain reaction that led the Hopper population to explode. The rains caused an increase in the population of crop pests, which made farmers use increasing amounts of insecticides like carbaryl, which ended up killing off all the natural predators of the Hopper like spiders and frogs. The Hopper, meanwhile, turned mutant and developed immunity to the available pesticides. It then went forth and multiplied. Normally, the insects would be drawn towards the moonlight and they would fly in huge swarms for mating. In the city, however, they get drawn to electric lights and usually die due to the intense heat. “There is no way to keep them out of homes. They are extremely small and can fly in through the smallest of cracks. Since they don’t cause any harm, nobody really bothers. But this time, due to their unusually large number, people are facing problems,” says Dr Mohammad Faisal, an entomologist.

The female insect lays eggs in the mud. Then, the eggs can lie dormant for good 6-8 months and hatch when humidity increases. When the temperature ranges between 35 and 22 degrees Celsius and relative humidity is about 85%, the eggs can hatch even in four days. One female leafhopper can lay up to 681 eggs during its lifetime. The leafhoppers we see are adults, with a life span of 23-39 days.

The Menace is expected to end most likely after Diwali once it starts to get a little cold.

What Did Superman Give India This Diwali ?

It’s Diwali, the “Indian Festival Of Lights“. A time when people all across the country and Indians all across the globe adorn their houses with lights and lamps. It’s a day which people celebrate with great fervour and enthusiasm and is one of the biggest festivals in the country.

In the 21^st century this festival continues to carry forward its religious and cultural significance. While the festival is supposed to have originated to commemorate the homecoming of King Rama of Ayodhya, after a 14-year exile in the forest (thus the people of Ayodhya welcomed him back by lighting up rows of lamps), today it has become an event where people exchange gifts and pray for a better and brighter future. The lights and lamps are supposed to signify the uplifting of darkness and victory of good over the evil within.

And then there is Superman, the great american hero who embodies the noble american virtues of honesty, patriotism and chivalry. Superman is superhuman and possesses god-like powers which he uses to good effect while battling numerous villians and super-villians in the universe.

Now, wait a minute, Lord Rama and Superman, isn’t there something similar between these two. There certainly is. Both of them are superhuman but lead ordinary lives as normal humans(superman spends his time as Clark Kent, a reporter at the Daily Planet when he’s not crime-fighting). Both of them fight villians and monsters(rakshasas) to ensure world-peace. While lord rama has billions of worshippers all over the world, superman too has millions of fans across the globe. So maybe for a while we can assume that Superman is infact the modern day Lord Rama.

So what would happen if Superman visited India around the festival of Diwali. Well, he wouldn’t be welcomed the way Lord Rama was, but he would certainly use his powers to enjoy this diverse and mystical land. And maybe, he would even give India a diwali gift.

On the occasion of Diwali, DelhiPlanet is very proud to showcase the DelhiPlanet Comic Strip. A short story on Superman’s discovery of India which ends with his gift to the country (See below, click on each image to see the larger version).

Well you probably know the answer to the post title now.

DelhiPlanet has over the past 11 months aimed to emulate Superman’s Newspaper and has in the process published close to 150 articles on a gamut of topics ranging from news, current affairs, trivia, little known facts to travel tips, travelogues, stock tips, movie reviews, event reviews and much more. Our endeavour is simply to keep you informed and to try and make a difference to the world that we live in.

Here’s wishing you and your family a very Happy, Bright and Safe Diwali.

Note: We will back next month with a new set of informative articles and stories, so do check us out.

The DelhiPlanet Comic Strip was conceptualized, designed and created by DelhiPlanet and reproduction in full or in part without prior permission is prohibited. If you wish to spread the word, kindly link to the post.

DelhiPlanet is best viewed with a resolution of 1280 X 800 or more.

DP Travel: Our Tips For The First Time Traveller

DelhiPlanet is back after a mind-blowing trip across Europe and if you wanna know what we did then keep checking us out. With DP Travel you’ll be travelling across the length and breadth of Europe from the comfort of whereever you are.

First Time Air Travel, especially International Travel is something that most people look forward to and many experience it at some point in their life in one form or another. As much as one may deny it, travelling for the first time to an alien country is always a little scary. One doesn’t know the procedures followed at the airport, the security measures(especially after 9/11) and there is always a fear that something may go wrong. Keeping this in mind, we bring to you 7 Tips, that would prove to be very useful to you if you are a first time traveller travelling to a foreign land from any Indian Metro.

1. The First Checkpoint at an Indian Airport is the Airport Entrance, where a guard checks your ticket and passport(a security measure exsistent at very few airports around the world). It’s quite amusing to see that in a city like Delhi one cannot enter the airport at either the arrival or departure terminals without a passport. This is in stark contrast to airports around the world where the arrival terminal is almost like a mall, where you can even go for a casual visit.
2. Next you need to get the baggage you wish to check in x-rayed and if you’re not carrying something illegal then the guys at the counter would tie the bag with a plastic band. This band indicates that you’re baggage is safe for check in. Again this is something that happens in very few countries of the world.
3. Now, you need to find and goto the counter of the airline that you’re flying. For Example: If you are flying KLM, goto the KLM counter and checkin your baggage. If you are lucky the attendant would ask you the kind of seat that you like(window/aisle) and would then give you a boarding pass for the flight. Keep this boarding pass safely with you as you would need it till you board the aircraft. Also first time travellers need to give a copy of their visa and an employment/college certificate at the airline counter.(very irrational and once again this happens only in India)
4. Next you would need to fill out an immigration form that would be handed to you with the boarding pass. This is quite a simple form that can be filled out using your passport and boarding pass and has to be submitted at the immigration counter.
5. Now you need to head towards the immigration counter and upon being called you need to present your passport and filled immigration form. The officer at the desk would check the validity of your visa and passport and if everything is fine, he would stamp the visa with the date of your departure. Once you are through this point it means that you have officially left the country.
6. The next stop is the much dreaded security check. Post 9/11, the american and british airport authorities have really gone overboard with this procedure sometimes even resorting to Strip Search, which is quite pathetic. It is strongly recommended that one should read the guidelines of the airport from which you are flying as they vary from one place to another. At Most places it’s better not to carry any form of liquids,gels,knives, pins or any other pointed metallic objects in your hand luggage, it’s advisible to place such items in the luggage that you check in. During the security check your hand baggage and everything in your pockets and your belt would be x-rayed and you may or may not be physically checked by the officer. Many people who do not read the rules and regulations of the airport are forced to surrender items that they buy, so make sure you have read all the rules.
7. Once past the security check you would find yourself in the departure lounge, here you can do whatever you wish to kill time. Seat yourself close to the gate mentioned in the boarding pass and carefully listen to all the announcements being made. At the time mentioned on the boarding pass you would be asked to board the aircraft. Pick up all your belongings and head towards the gate with your passport and boarding pass in hand. The Airline officials would check your boarding pass and once inside the aircraft the cabin crew would take good care of you.

That’s it 7 steps and you’re not a first time flier anymore. Be Safe and Have A Nice Flight !!!

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