Tamil Radio ads for Apple products
My mac mini has been lying around, unused, ignored, in a dusty corner of the house wearing a plaintive look that can best be translated as- “Boot me. Please”. To add insult to injury, my brother has been booting Windows XP on it (Dual boot using Bootcamp) and playing games on it.
For Mac OS X, that is the unkindest cut of all. Being ignored while a buggy piece of bloatware from the beast in Redmond uses that beautiful piece of compact hardware like a Hindi movie villian looting izzat from the hero’s sister.
So I decided to restore some parity and started up Garageband yesterday on OS X to try something creative. To put things in perspective, Windows ships with the almighty Sound Recorder, while OS X ships with Garageband, a full fledged music studio for amateurs.
Earlier in the day, Mr Krish Raghav (budding journalist, bon vivant raconteur and passionate gamer) came up with some ideas on what 80s Tamil radio ads for today’s products might sound like. In fact, we had a brief discussion on radio ad formats, and we settled on three that were exceedingly common:
1. Person A uses a product. Person B gets curious and expresses desire to learn about product. Person A launches into features of product and praises it to the heaven. Person B expresses gratitude and sings his own paeans of product.
2. Person A asks kid(s) a question. Kid’s answer, for no apparent reason, includes product reference. Person A quizzically asks Person B why? Person B provides highly contrived connection between product and kid’s answer.
3. A problematic situation is explained/enacted. Enter savior, who, by the smart application of product, solves aforementioned problem. Everybody praises product.
So, how would Apple advertise on Tamil radio. Hear on:
all voices: Krish Ashok ; Script: Krish Raghav and Krish Ashok
Apologies to those who do not understand Tamil. I thought about doing this in English, but it didn’t quite sound authentic. Anyway, contest on for best English translation of above audio clip. Prize: Custom designed Merit Badge.
ஆஆப்பிள் அய்ப்பாட்…. நான் வாங்கிட்டேன்… அப்ப நீங்க…
gud post…
Super post, Ashok. Pramadam.
Didn’t know that you’re an Apple Mac addict too.
Wow.. Awesome work ..
You need to make shorter ads for radio though. I remember ads that get over even before we figure out the name of the product. I guess they used to run the tape at double speed after recording the ad back then.
Cheers..
Hello!
I hope someone gets around to translating it in English. The premise sounds great and I would’ve loved to hear that, if only I understood Tamil.
Enjoy.
Even hindi would do, for that matter. In fact, hindi would sound funnier (than English).
And Ashok, as a friendly word of advice, I request you to remove those annoying snap preview things this site has. In the words of Merlin Mann, “Snap.com previews are a valuable tool for a site’s first-time visitors. Especially as a quick way to know they won’t require a second visit.”
Give it a thought.
Ashok: didn’t realize that. removed it now
Shit, you blew my mind. And while you are at it, you nearly blew my eardrums off .. with my laptop’s volume cranked down low.
Jesus, man .. got to meet up with you again. Silkmeet @ some other place than Copper Chimney?
Ashok:We should. How about Cream Center at RA Puram. They claim to serve the world’s greatest choley bhaturey
ps: My daughter is 3. And this is like the 4th time she’s asked to hear the ads again. Especially the A for Aapull
Dude, great work!! Been a long time since I got to hear those ads. I hoped to hear them the last time I was in a barber shop in Chennai but for some odd reason all I heard was some male guy who talked as ‘he’ was a femme and my aasthana barber was trying to convince me that ‘she’ is the best thing to happen to FM radio (well, my barber puts on water claiming its after shave, so I dont take his word for it). But, I would suggest that you run the ads in a fast-forward mode in order to get closer to those ads-running-on-crack.
The calling bell tone was a nice touch. Seriously ridiculous ads and equally funny voice acting! Nice work dude.
Oh also, games = Windows. Sad but true.
*****
Great post (as usual).
Going to share this with other ஆப்பிள் addict friends.
Whahahahahahahahahahahahhaahahahaha
No jingle ala the “Ponvandu” soap song!! That thing was the single most catchy song on the radio in the 80′s. I still remember the lines to it.
been a lurker for a bit, but just HAD to respond to this. I am in convulsions, and my neighbours may be contemplating a suit against me for laughing excessively. Abs brilliant! Thanks and
lmaorotf….good way to start a monday
OMG!
you’re something special..
Props for the colorful izzat-looting phrase. Some benevolent please translate this into English. Even Hindi works.
Let humor cross the Vindhyas.
Mr. Krish Ashok, tear down this wall.*
*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyu9zIUDw0s&feature=related
First off.. Krish, your blog is extremely hilarious.
The 4th kind I can think of is probably the cheesy song one. The song is basically a high-pitched female singing the couple long lines — usually the first line is the same and the second one changes every stanza. Then it is followed by men singing in the lines of “ap kelaa.. I-lasa.. inthana.. I-lasa”
The video is essentially of a family singing in a middle-class apartment. Humble attempt…
( High pitched female voice )
Aapple Ipod touchu neenga vaangi paarunga
Gaana paatu matter philimu enjoy pannunga
( Men chorus )
Format enna?!…
MP3!
Zune-u romba!…
Appeetu!
Storage enna?!…
8GB!
Usage romba !…
Jujubi!
Aapple Ipod touchu neenga vaangi paarunga
Bustop figaru jalsaak kattai setup pannunga
( Men chorus )
IPod kammi!..
Velai
Jobsu enga!..
Thalai
Wireless maamu!..
Wi-fi!
Creative Zen-nu!..
Sothai!!
Hilarious dude!
)
Nice try but semma boring… could have made it interesting!
That was so good…very very funny..and the calling bell sound in between the ads, the All India Radio touch huh!!
Brilliant man
Just like those jhandu baam ads that i remember.. And the voice modulation was good. 
Ha ha ! Hilarious ! Couldnt control my laughter hearing it first thing in the office.
Brilliant. You are rocking!!
My friends consider my most recent post to be free publicity for your jalsa. I consider it spreadin happiness
Had to blogroll u!
Ashok: Honoured
AAApil ipod really rocks….. aanalum mac machinela Windows run panarathu konjum over than….keep rocking man…
Cheers….
Aaapil eyephone vechi anju maanga adikalaama…..
haiyaaa….
fantastic, cudn’t believe twas you with both voices…
nice modulation… loved the way you said ‘aaapull’
Chancey NO! Nearly fell off my chair!
You’re the best!
You forgot “Elaam departmental stores-liyum kidaikkum…Aaaapil Ipod”
Oh my god! There’s TWO of you? Sweet lord!
Major LOL factor, as always. Had a ‘Gopal Pal Podi’ ring to it.
Ashok: Actually there’s three. The middle one is in the US
Hoo boy!! Looks like you’d have made a killing in several professions!!
The whiney voice for the kid was simply soooper ….
Not sure why but found myself thinking of Kamal in that K. Balachander movie in which he plays ventriloquist. Dont know the Tamil name …:)
Ashok: The movie was Avargal
Was that your doorbell in between ads?! Nice !! Reminded me of the “ding ding” between ads of those days.
Ashok: Not my doorbell. It was something I found by doing a google search for “doorbell sound clip wav”
Superb! “MP3 ASE, MP4, AIFF, MOV ..” – you got that authentic tamil radio ad stamp going there – besides of course the AaaPpill ipaad)
Also, – that appa in part 3 seems pretty cool. Quite supportive to an ipod to support payan’s SMS texting girl-prends: kaalam maariduchuya! Nalla kaalam porandhuduchu
!
BTW, please give “Shaapa vimochanam” to your mini. May I suggest a varam “to move to the other side of the world” to an address in the US that I can provide.
Hey….!!!! Add telugu also in the list.
I would love to hear the same conversation if some one can translate in to telugu.
Too good, I say! This brought back such a flood of memories of my radio-listening school and college days.
Krish Ashok and Krish Raghav?? It made me think of Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox, for some reason.
Kamini.
Finally I get to listen to ur voice…. Good script Krish…. Looking forward for more such fun stuff
Oh, this is way too funny!…your blog cracks me up…first time here, but rummaging through archives and all…
DP
Super Hilarious! Gr8 job!
LOLing non-stop
boy! you should be raking in the money doing a tamizh-jerry seinfeld-type-comic gig!
Yaaaahahaha too much!
Please also compose cutesy jingle ala Ujala.
n just incase u dont revisit my blog
, here is the reply for ur 2 qns:
@ashok: Oooohhh!Im honoured!!! kadavul e darishanam kudutha madri iruku!
anyway, my 2 answers:
1. Fortunately/unfortunately tat isnt wat muruku sandwich is..the murukus themselves serve the purpose of sandwichin rather than the bread. So, it consists of 2 kutti murukus with chilli chutney,a slice each of tomato,potato and onion in between. Super yummy, fillin and juz 20 bux! Available at all chat shops in Puruswalkam but the best would be Link’s opp. Dasaprakash.
P.S: Would be a dual purpose visit. You could also get quite a lotta laughz on their spellingz on the board, eg: Courn canapes cheas (which we ordered outta curiosity. Turns out its corn canapes (!) with cheese!)
2. Ah! Fire fox, iv been hearin a lot abt it recently (yes, im very bad with tis stuff).. Naa konjam senti u c…I adapt to change very bad! But yes, word press is beckonin!
n again, THANX for droppin by! even if it ws juz to c wat i hd written abt u
hehe…
Next time try a more popular format of radio advertisement..
Copy the music and tune of any latest filmi super hit number and crush the ad jingle lyrics into it….
It sounds uber disgusting but hey it does catch ones attention at least for a split second..
absolootely enjoyed listenin 2 zoze ads.. esp liked the label appadepod.
*ya cud ‘ve created another radio jingle tat way, lotta tamil ads do tat- sync their prod features wit the musical flavor of teh season!
appade podu podu podu!
asathi podu apple ipod a!
ipidi podu podu podu
illuthu podu ear phones a!
unoda urasuthum mp3 kekavakyun
indha apple podhuma, innu konja venuma…
tat was jus a basic lacing, cos ma tamilz kinda bad, but tat was jus a thought…
*like ya flow of thoughts- very interestyn indeed.. ya prettymuch ooze creativity…
give us sum more..
Great stuff….liked ur voice modulation!
Gawd Wonly!
Hilarious!
Man-Oh-Man!!! You rock!!!!
btw am ur long time fan first time commentor !
Keep up the great job!!!
JOY!
(Also, consider this the beginning of a petition to get Krish Raghav to blog also)
…there were two alsos in that comment. Sigh.
Oh boy, this was super!! :–)
Reminded me a lotttt of good old days in Chennai, listening to Radio. Sigh!
Thanks to Websense “Social Networking and Personal Sites” is filtered” in my office, couldnt hear a word of the ad jingles
As for cool’n'casual’s perception of those nice snap previews, i differ and found them quite alluring to visit those previewed sites rather than just a plain link.
Perceptions differ Krish.
hope the old status quo is brought back
To add further, I considered those cute preview windows as one of “Doing jalsa..Jilpa’s USPs.
ROTFL….aaga… seidhigal vaasippadhu saroj kuppusaamy appadingardhu thavira ellame dhoola record panni irukkeenga…
aaapil i pod and aaapil i phone …aga…besh besh romba nanna irukku…..
aaaha…..first time unga blog paathen….range a dan irukku….ela appakazhum neenga solra maadiri ‘aaaphizh’ I phone vaangi thanda, thalaila thundu pottu solavendiyadudan…’maapu vechayan aapu’ nu
As a regular Eve, this ‘Appil’ was too tempting!
A big bite for me to laugh out aloud!
Fantastic!
)))))))))))))
Rin Style ad:
Ivar gizmo ennudhavida kalakkala?
Irrukave mudiyaadhu. Yeanna en kitte irukku Aapill iPod – mp3, mov, ABC, DEF ellam play panna kudiya jagadalapradaapha item ithu
Archana meets Gopuram Poosu Manjal Thool :
He : Shopping pannittu late a vandhennu kovamaa?
She: Ponga… ennoda pesaadheenga…
He: Varummodhu namma aapill kadailendhu Aapil iPod vaangindu vandhen.
Keatka
Paarkha
Jalsa Panna
Apple iPod Touch. Vaangungal angeegareegapattulla kadaigalil mattum. Apple mark muddiraiyai keattu vaangungal.
Aapill iPod.
I dont remember the ARR sugandha paaku ad.. That will be a rocker for the aapill iPod…
Haha.. couldnt help laughing all the way.. My gosh.. you never seem to stop surprising me.. seriously eppdi ippdi???
you are just too good.
ashok – thank you
orey kallula anju maanga.. nod to kamal’s kadhala kadhala?
dude, this one was unfucking believably good.
Unbelivelably good!!!!
dhool machi
Been a lurker for too long. That was bloody brilliant. Are all the voices you? But then I guess no one can say aappull like you. Now I’m going to crack up whenever I charge my ipod……
Plis plis sir, if you don’t mind, I have added you onto my blogroll.
He He He…
Nice work.
Saar, u r super…. aha ..aha ..besh.. besh…
,, I googled – didn’t find any… 
do the other 2 krish blog??
Aaple Ipod ad..Bhesh Bhesh! Romba Nanna irukku!
Appa samiii, Ipod ku,ippadi oru vilambarama !
LMFAOOOO!!!! DUDE…..!!! Loved the anju maanga part!!!! xD They should put this on Radio Molahai…oops…Radio Mirchi
Sooooooperma! Being a Macbook user and general Aaapul fan, I loved it. Loved your Bio too. Great work!
oh tooooo goooooooddddddddd
Wow !!
brilliant that was too gud to read it……………………..
Hey Ashok,
The audio has been buffering for real long time now. Looks like, to quote from you, my ‘LIC policy will mature’ very shortly. Have waited that long. Any clue why I am unable to play the audio, pls? I would love to hear the audio after I read all the comments.
its here.
http://goo.gl/O6cGL