THE GURU OF ADVERTISING

RENDEZVOUS WITH ALYQUE PADAMSEE-------------

BACK IN THE EIGHTIES,THERE WAS A JOKE THAT WAS DOING THE ROUNDS IN ADVERTISING CIRCLES,ALYQUE PADAMSEE,CEO,LINTAS,ALSO KNOWN AS “GOD”,HAD A SCRETARY CALLED JENNY POPE.THE JOKE SAID THAT IN ORDER TO MEET GOD,YOU FIRST NEED TO MEET THE POPE.
OVER THE YEARS,AS I HAVE GOT TO KNOW ALYQUE CLOSELY,I HAVE OFTEN WONDERED WHY HE WAS CALLED GOD.HIS PERSPICACITY,HIS VISION,HIS CREATIVE GENIUS,HIS INIMITABLE ORGANIZATIONAL ABILITIES,HIS UNENDING ENERGY AND HIS UNCANNY OMNIPRESENCE-ANYONE MAN WHO IS ENDOWED WITH ALL THESE QUALITIES CERTAINLY QUALIFIED FOR THE POST OF GOD.HE CAME,HE SAW HE DELIVERED.FROM BEING MY SOUL RACER,GUIDE,PERPETUAL PACE SETTER,ALYQUE HAS INSPIRED,MOTIVATED,SOMETIMES BULLIED BUT ALWAYS ENCOURAGED IN MISSIONS.
HE GAVE 100 PERCENT OF HIMSELF TO ISSUE AT HAND.HE WANDERED AROUND LINTAS IN RUBBER CHAPPALS(WHEN HE HAD A HEEL PROBLEM),EQUALLY AT EASE IN THE CANTEEN AND BOARDROOM,GIVING FREELY OF HIS ADVICE TO ANYONE WHO CARED TO LISTEN.THE SMART ONES NOT JUST LISTENED BUT MADE MENTAL (IN MY CASE WRITTEN) NOTES.HIS ORGANIZATIONAL ABILITIES AMAZED ME.HE ALWAYS CARRIED A LITTLE DICTAPHONE INTO WHICH HE SPOKE ALL THE TIME,MAKING COMMENTS.HE ALSO HAD HIS LITTLE NOTEPAD(WHICH HE CARRIES EVEN NOW)THAT WAS MORE DEADLY AND INFALLIBLE THAN THE MOST COMPLEX ELECTRONIC DIARY.
SOME OF THE FAMOUS ONE LINERS,WHICH HE IS FOND OF QUOTING EVEN TODAY,REMAIN THE BIBLE FOR ANY NUMBER OF BUSINESS ASPIRANTS,CREATIVE FOLK AND PEOPLE IN GENERAL.
“RUNNING AN AGENCY DOESNOT MEAN RUNNING THE SHOW.IT MEANS RUNNING THE PEOPLE WHO RUN THE SHOW.”
THE TRUTH OF THIS LINE HAS BECOME EVEN MORE BLINDING FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC AS ONE REALISES THE CREATIVE AND BUSINESS ANGLES OF LINTAS OVER DECADES.I ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT CREATIVE AND BUSINESS ACUMEN DON’T GO TOGETHER.
HE BROUGHT NEW MEANING TO THE WORD MOTIVATION.HE MOTIVATED IN THE MOST INNOVATIVE WAYS.WHEN LINTAS BECAME TOO LARGE FOR EVERYONE TO MEET EVERYDAY,HE INSTITUTED THE CONCEPT OF “PRAYER MEETINGS”,WHERE EVERYONE GOT TOGETHER AND “BROKE BREAD”.HIS MONDAY MORNING MEETINGS WERE LEGENDARY.HIS SRBS(STRATEGY REVIEW BOARDS) WERE EXACTING,DEMANDING EVERY PERSON INVOLVED TO DO HIS HOMEWORK THOROUGHLY.”WHEN EXECUTION COMES BEFORE STRATEGY,YOU ARE COURTING DISASTER”.HIS CREATIVE REVIEWS SENT HOTSHOT CREATIVE DIRECTORS SCUTTLING FOR COVER,WHILE AT THE SAME TIME BRINGING A JUNIOR OUT OF HIS OR HER SHELL,WITH A SHY,TENTATIVE IDEA GETTING PRIDE OF PLACE IN THE LINTAS HALL OF FLAME.