The Real Taste of Life

Some ads have the potential to brighten up a dull day. For some a bar of chocolate is enough. Chocolate to me as a kid, was only Cadbury’s (not Cadbury, but Cadbury’s), irrespective of the make. Nestle was also Cadbury’s, so was Amul. Only Milky Bar wasn’t, because of its whiteness. Brown signified Cadbury’s and Cadbury ads, happiness.

Oglivy & Mather, as always, did a good job and so did Louis Banks (Kuch Khaas Hain is his favourite amongst the jingles that he created). Shankar Mahadavan and Gary Lawyer also bagged a few awards singing them. Wonderful. And they demand and encore. Television is expensive, but internet is not. Here’s reliving all that great Cadbury ads from the years past (never chewed on a whole bar, but preferred to break them into small squares and sucked them).

This ad brings out the kid in us (I was still one, when it was first aired). Bindaas. Cricket and chocolate, kamaal combination. This one’s in English, the Hindi version touches the heart deeper. (1994)
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Here’s something that we all did at least once in my life (I did it uncountable times), picking up a fallen chocolate piece from the floor, and ensuring that no one is watching you, while you pop it into your mouth. But I’m yet to flung a bar of chocolate at a departed sweetheart, savouring it in agony of departure is much better. (1994)
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Age has nothing to do with spirit. There’s kuch khaas (something special) in all of us, at all ages. (1995)
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Now you know from where Cyrus Broacha got all that extra pounds from. He doesn’t need any bahana and ‘m going to make a chocolate-loving-bakra out of him sometime soon. (1999)
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There are three Cs and an S in neo-journalism. One of the Cs is cricket and 2003 was the year of the World Cup and we also made it to the finals (that the Aussies drubbed us there, is a forgotten story). And Dada was the capt’n (Ganguly is back, yahoo!). Cricket and chocolate, I repeat, is a kamaal combination. Coke doesn’t come anywhere close, anyway, the asli desi drink Thums Up and Sprite sell more. (2003)
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You don’t need a reason to smile. This ad unfailingly lightens my heart. Khamakha, no reasons, period. (2003)
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Meetha for so long was synonymous with rosogollas. The Dada might not like it, but the bhaiya from the banks of the Ganges at Allahabad is out to redefine the wants of the Indian sweet tooth (I had to get mine extracted sometime ago).

Spent all my school days in one of the rainiest regions of the planet, but never ever got a day off due to rains. Poor me. And never did the school building catch fire despite our heartfelt prayers (even if it did, the rains would have doused it in minutes). (2004)
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