Man is different from animals not only be-cause he is a thinking being, but also because of his tryst with eternity. This fascination for immortality can be seen with the Egyptian Pharaohs, the British “Elizabeth”, the French “Louis”, our very own Vikramaditya, the earlier President Bush... And if that were not enough — I am not just Neena and nor are you just you. Each one of us carries the legacy of our past and hands it down to the next generation. “The king is dead, long live the king” is an axiom that somehow completes the mythical circle of life.
This moment of enlightenment happened when I was contemplating what to do over the weekend and was browsing thr-ough the cinematic picks of the week. On offer was: Bheja Fry 2, Transform-ers 3, Toy Story 3, Cars 2, Kung Fu Panda 2, Golmal 3, Xmen first class, Harry Potter and the Deathly Gallows-2. And if that was not enough, my idiot box blared out the promise of a popular game show Season-4; another channel spoke of the fifth season of a reality show. My woes did not end there as just then the bell rang and I opened the door to my grand dad’s friend Colonel Bahadur and his son Taj Bahadur and the new edition, baby Chintu Bahadur.
This fascination with the ‘sequel effect’ is not just limited here. It is interestingly an oft used strategy by brand managers as they attempt to ensure permanence in the consumer’s provisional mind space. The creative spiel essentially uses either an approach of continuity in narration or the constancy of character. Thus, whether you are long-lost Ramesh or Suresh, or you are the railway announcer or the star jockey on your horse once you are enraptured by the unforgettable Five Star bar you cannot but exclaim Sab kuch bhul jao. Illustrations abound as we view the puzzled characters who scratch their heads and wonder aloud Log chloromint kyon khate hain and the endearing moments of the innocent acquisition of human values through ‘fighting’ the Kichad and dirt of life. The idea —Kuch achha karne se daag lagte hein to daag ache hain.
Aamir Khan as the protagonist donning different garbs in the Thanda matalab Coca Cola ad series — sometimes becoming the pahadi guide, the discriminating husband is an example of the second approach. And more recently, the spunky Juhi Chawla exulting in different roles as she says Tedha hai par mera hai.
The tactic is not limited to humans as we all remember the faithful pug, always happy to help his little friend wherever she went. The innovative Zoos Zoos as they enacted diverse Vodafone applications and services have instantaneous and near universal recall. Some-times, one also sees an interesting amalgamation and the simultaneous use of a commonality of theme and a resolute sutradhar. A case in point being Idea where for the last couple of years a popular cine star plants these schemas sometimes as more trees, harmony in ethnic discordance, or a healthy lifestyle where you walk as you talk. Truly, what an idea Sirji!
To understand how the sequel effect works, the gyan is again two fold:
Sampooran na ki adhura: In case you maintain the constancy of character, a popular school of psychology explains this as an attempt to complete an unfinished picture, when exposed to one. Thus as you view the communication of the new idea, HCL or Zoos Zoos the brain retrieves the threads of narratives viewed earlier and a short 90 second slot gets you an instant 90 x 4, second recall. So bingo! In a short span you have hit a major jackpot!
Thus any communication in the form of sequels whether Rambo IV, Kaun Banega Crorepati IV or the ageless Amul cherubic girl are heartening as the Fevicol ka jod jo hamesha chalta jayega…
The writer is professor, marketing, International Management Institute,
New Delhi