On November 5th, Mr. Prahlad Kakkar, an icon and advertising guru, gave a masterclass on branding and advertising at the Heritage Group of Institutions in Kolkata. The program served as a warm-up for the prestigious AD ADDA 2022 competition, which is being held under the aegis of the Heritage Group of Institutions and is coordinated by the Department of Media Science at The Heritage Academy.

Mr. Kakkar was welcomed by the Chief Executive Officer of Heritage Group of Institutions, Shri Pradip Agarwal, in the presence of Prof. Basab Chaudhuri, Principal, of Heritage Institute of Technology, Prof. Gour Bannerjee, Principal, of The Heritage Academy, Prof. Madhupa Bakshi, Dean, Department of Media Science, The Heritage Academy and other faculty and staff members of the Institutions.

Advertising is about tomorrow, Mr. Kakkar stated during his speech. The future is the subject. One needs to be aware of the future as a marketer. According to Mr. Kakkar, “the future is the dreams of the young people about how they might improve their lives, society, and the nation.”

Mr. Kakkar gave some classic instances to illustrate his point, saying that in order to be a successful advertisement, one must tap into the audience’s fantasies in order to craft a compelling narrative that will stick in their minds. Additionally, he emphasized that a tale can only persuade the audience to purchase a product and ensure its success. From now on, it is essential for advertising to create captivating tales that can draw the audience in. It can also happen when one goes into the dreams of the youth.

The Masterclass was attended by students and faculty members of various colleges and universities across the State namely Adamas University, Amity University, Brainware University, SNU, and many more.

Priyanka Dutta