Anant’s blog: Mother Pious Lady

It never ceases to amaze me when advertising agencies (and those who work in advertising agencies) are careless when it comes to marketing themselves or in building their own brands. Have a look at the websites of Indian advertising agencies and you’ll get an idea of what I’m talking about.

And when adlanders write books (which take an enormous amount of effort) and then care little about the name of the book, the layout, the cover design and the marketing, I’m completely stumped. And there are so many I could name which fall into the ‘care little’ category.

That’s why Santosh Desai’s (pictured) book, ‘Mother Pious Lady’ gets a five star rating before I see or open the book (both of which I’ve done; I’ll do a review in a week or so).

A look at the name and I stop and wonder, what the hell is that? What does that mean?

It’s got my attention. I want to know more. And all of you who didn’t know the name of the book are probably asking these very two questions as you read this.

The book primarily deals with the changing middle class, and Santosh takes the three words that he uses for his title from common usage in classified matrimonial ads which describe the prospective bride as blah-blah-blah, the father as being in whatever profession he is in and the mother, well, as a ‘pious lady’.

The name makes the book eminently more ‘pick-up-able’ than it was called, say, “The New Indian Consumer”.

Every name tells a story, and Mother Pious Lady tells one too. It tells me that the book will not end up being a bore or heavily academic and text-booky. It suggests that Santosh sees things in everyday situations (which of us has not seen the three words in classified ads – and which of us could connect that to the changing middle class?) which you and I don’t. And it suggests, at least to me, that the book will be full of such nuggets.

Imagine if all the communication you create could do what Mother Pious Lady does to me: First, make me stop and take notice. Second, make me want more. Third, make me want to go out and buy the book. NOW!

Post Script: Remembered another book that took the name from common-or-garden variety of boring ads: Colin Dexter's Last Seen Wearing, which took the three words from everyday 'MISSING' ads, as in "Girl missing, 18, fair, blonde, last seen wearing a red blouse and .... etc."

 
Go on, buy both the books.