We know Suhel Seth has a small one! So, who the hell wants to work with him?

Equus Chairman Swapan Seth and One by One Design Founder Anurag Hira join hands to have some fun at the expense of Counselage boss Suhel Seth. These guys are bananas!  

Kalyan Kar | Delhi | January 24, 2013

Click on the image to enlarge

It is said often that good advertising is all about quirkiness. But when creative mavericks get into the act, it can be fun too – and with razor-sharp messaging. So, when a band of once upon a time Calcutta-based – much before our lovely city became Kolkata – creatives get into the act, you are assured of some delightful ad copy. Once again we have the Seth brothers – Suhel and Swapan – and their former comrade-in-arms Anurag Hira collaborating for an ad for Counselage, the brand consultancy owned by elder bro Suhel, that has just been published in the Jaipur Lit Fest brochure.

Last year we had written about the rib-tickling Counselage ad that proclaimed: “Suhel Seth has a very small one!”

This year, too, younger bro Swapan, who runs Equus Advertising, and Anurag, ganged up for an equally saucy ad for their repeat client Counselage/Suhel Seth. Anurag, incidentally, was the third co-founder of Equus along with the Seth brothers, but has since moved on to set up Kolkata-based One by One Design.

Taking off from last year, this year's ad asks: “Just who the hell wants to work with that Suhel Seth?!”

The copy is by Swapan while the artwork is Anurag's. Oh yes, last year one saw a tiny banana at the bottom of the ad. This year Suhel's banana is suitably peeled!

Suhel Seth

The body copy is short and makes the point that many international tony brands and some of India's finest brands go to Counselage and Suhel Seth for branding and marketing wisdom – doesn't matter if the banana is small or peeled!

Suhel is not perturbed really. As he said, “It is crisp, clear and clutter-breaking much like Counselage.”

Swapan Seth

Swapan commented in his inimitable style: “Suhel is quite a testicular guy. He is always up for the clutter-breaker. Plus, the ad is based on a potent consumer insight. So it makes for compelling communication. Suhel understands that.” So no hard feelings between the siblings.

Swapan added, “It is always a pleasure to have Anurag Hira art direct an ad. He is amongst the few art directors who remotely understand copy."

Anurag Hira

But the best came from Anurag. He said, “Suhel's bananas! Swapan and I just love monkeying around at his expense and what better opportunity than a print ad on him. The JLF ad last year 'Suhel Seth has a very small one' had to be set in Gotham Black as that's just his type – loud and in your face. And if there was one fruit that came to mind with that thought, it had to be a blessed ripe 'ol banana, scaled down to a piddly size! This year, too, just to continue an annual tradition of well… taking pot-shot at his fruit, the small banana's very much there, but I had fun abusing and skinning the shit out of it! Oh, I so love him!"

As I said at the outset, it's all in a day's work, and a day's work can be great fun.

Credits:

Client: Suhel Seth/Counselage

Art: Anurag Hira

Copy: Swapan Seth

Agency: Equus

Kalyan.Kar@BestMediaInfo.com

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