Gajraj Rao Instagram – When I started directing ad films around 20 years ago, PPMs (pre-production meetings) with clients felt like board exams—nerve-wracking and intimidating. A few months into the game, I found myself across a table from a team of 7-8 agency and client members during a HUL meeting for a Brooke Bond Natural Care Tea ad. The PPM dragged on for almost four-five hours, and I was visibly flustered by the barrage of “out-of-syllabus” questions.
During a tea break, a senior gentleman from HUL, Anil Gopalan sir, with a constant divine smile, took me aside and asked, “You look bothered.” I kept quiet. He continued, “Gajraj, we are on your side. These queries are coming because we are not filmmakers and are eager to understand how you will craft this film. Treat these PPMs as if your lawyers are doing mock drills with you before you reach in front of the judge. And the judge here is the audience, our consumers. Mr. Rao, we are partners, not enemies.”
Anil Sir wasn’t patronizing a rookie ad filmmaker; he came across as genuine and honest, a caring partner. That small interaction in a corner of Ogilvy Bangalore’s office changed my entire perspective about PPMs with agencies or clients. After that day, I might have felt a little nervous before such meetings, but never scared or hassled. Thank you, Anil Sir, for that precious lesson.
And yes, today’s PPM at HUL Mumbai went really well. Thank you, team HUL and Team Ogilvy, for the wonderful partnership over all these years. @hul.news #hindustanunilever @ogilvyindia @ogilvy #advertising @coderedfilms_india | Posted on 03/Jul/2024 19:16:34
