If you can hear your heartbeat,

then radio isn't dead yet.

Hoping you enjoy this retro revival of Radio Spots...



In a world of AI and digital, whatever happened to the golden age of great scripting and radio spots? 

Where have all the emotive brands with great hooking radio that caught you by the ears over the years...gone?

Against a media universe of fickle imagery and Insta culture where video and image dominate, audio craft or the 'Theatre of the Mind' as it was once lovingly called, seems to have slipped through the cracks. Somewhere in the back of my head, I can still hear "Video killed the Radio Star..."


I am talking those spots that ran images in your mind, through sound, idea, drama, expert crafting and hook? Ones that went beyond selling propositions and tugged at your heart through your ears? Or tickled your funny bone?


So I asked my AI bot to answer this and it brought back this explanation which featured on Quora, which spoke about 'radio as a platform' over 'radio spots': "Yes, radio is still very much alive. Despite the rise of digital music streaming services and podcasts, radio continues to be a popular medium for news, music, talk shows, and entertainment. Many people still enjoy tuning in to their favorite radio stations while driving, working, or relaxing at home. Radio also plays a crucial role in emergency communication and reaching audiences in areas with limited internet access."


Thought I would take a step back and share 6 classic radio spots done a couple of years ago, across global brands.


Hope these 30 seconders resonate with you over the ears, over the years...(to hear them, do click the blue links, after reading their case histories)




 The Al Fresco Dining that gets Pavarotti and his wife...


Case history:

To communicate the true authentic flavors of Italian gourmet fine dining at Al Fresco in Hotel Guestline, Juhu, Mumbai, we got Pavarotti and his wife to fill in for us. We got one of India’s finest voice over artists, Chetan Shashital, also known as the man of a 1,000 epic voices in India who made this spot with us done in 1997, and made it come alive..

 

Credits:

Advertising agency: PSL Universal McCann Erickson, Mumbai, India

Senior Scriptwriters/ Copywriters: Cherry Koshy & Paul Menachery

Creative Directors: Gangadharan Menon & Nalesh Patil 

Voiceover Artist: Chetan Shashital




      

KLM becomes a child's song 


Case history:

Done sometime in  early 2000, in Dubai for KLM. 

Their problem? How to advertise a whole list of services that could be found on their newly relaunched website. 

The solution: Getting a child to spell it out, because it's as easy as ABC...

 

Credits:

Advertising agency: Self, Dubai, UAE

Scriptwriter: Cherry Koshy  

Recording studio: Tambi Studios & Kinjal Tanna





The Double minded IKEA Storage Solutions Spot


Case history:

How do you demonstrate IKEA's storage solutions for its BESTA & EXPEDIT range on air?By using the left and right side of the brain at work, which mulls over storage solutions. Which in turn played on splitting sound into stereo for the left and right brain effect. worked like a charm in hitting those thousands listening to this on Prime time while being stuck on Dubai traffic.

 

Credits:

Advertising agency: GMASCO, Dubai, UAE

Scriptwriter: Cherry Koshy  

CD: Khalid Radwan

Client Servicing: Chucri Helayil

IKEA Marketing Head: Tarja Arvela

Recording studio: Barry Kirsch Productions, Dubai





Don't forget to remember IKEA


Case history:

Written way back in 2005, this 16 seconder spot echoes the importance of the IKEA Part Sale, which is a much awaited and cherished social/retail event in the UAE. Ah, humour, we miss you so!


Credits:

Advertising agency: GMASCO, Dubai

Scriptwriter: Cherry Koshy  

CD: Khalid Radwan

Client Servicing: Chucri Helayil

IKEA Marketing Head: Tarja Arvela

Recording studio: Barry Kirsch Productions/ Emirates Studios, Dubai





Why carry IKEA in your head? 

Case history:

There are some 23,09, 45 types of IKEA products (more or less, the number sounds good as an exaggeration but you get the point). Given those alliterative and unusual Swedish names that are great for a game of scrabble, it's virtually impossible to remember them when going to buy one for your home. Fortunately, with the IKEA catalogue around, we saw an interactive idea that poses a simple question: why carry it all in your head when you have the catalogue with you?


Credits:

Advertising agency: GMASCO, Dubai

Scriptwriter: Cherry Koshy 

CD: Jatin Vadgama

Client Servicing: Vanita Noronha & Rebecca Annand

IKEA Marketing Head: Tarja Arvela

Recording studio: Barry Kirsch Productions/ Emirates Studios, Dubai




The naughty IKEA Spot that put us in a spot.


Case history:

One of the biggest draws on the IKEA marketing calendar is pushing traffic to the store when there's a product line themed push and in this case, the ask was to advertise their versatile range of lighting applications across wall, floor and ceiling. The Idea: Putting a spin on 'night life', through a very risqué approach and IKEA humour, while staying tellingly relevant!  

The spot caught the attention of local newspapers who praised it for its edginess. Of course, not easy pulling this off in the then conservative market in the UAE in 2005! You can judge this for yourself!


Credits:

Advertising agency: GMASCO, Dubai

Scriptwriter: Cherry Koshy 

CD: Jatin Vadgama

Client Servicing: Vanita Noronha & Rebecca Annand

IKEA Marketing Head: Tarja Arvela

Recording studio: Barry Kirsch Productions/ Emirates Studios, Dubai







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