Hasta La Creative!

by Arjun Mukherjee
Arjun is a Creative Director with Bates 141 Kolkata

Sometimes you have this queasy feeling that sacrifice is such a bitch. As a strappy 22-year old one fine day I decided to chuck a bank job like one tosses an unwanted banana peel carelessly by the roadside. Ann Rynd got the better of me and like Ché crisscrossing the virgin countryside I decided to follow my heart. Jaws dropped, eyebrows took the shape of previously unseen arcs and discouraging words dropped like sharp icicles when I announced that I wanted to be an advertising copywriter.

Armed with fresh smelling resumes I started calling up advertising honchos and doing the rounds of big agencies. The rejections were quick and brutal. The drowsy secretaries bleated out the same answers and catching a glimpse of the Creative Director seemed as difficult as spotting a snow leopard in
a blizzard. After experiencing several such ‘push aways’ I resorted to lies, calling up as car loan agents, making appointments as book suppliers and several such cheesy disguises. The results as expected were disastrous and broke away big chunks from my fragile confidence.

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