So Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have become brand ambassadors of Radio One!
And I know I am late, but this article has been pending for too long..half written, sitting in 'drafts' - but ready now...
To an average listener this idea (of brand ambassadors)might not make a difference, but then it does change the idea of 'celeb quotient' on radio.
When the concept was launched, frankly it sounded like they were unprepared. The sound bytes were vella and it did not come across as a complete, well thought out concept. May be it is a difficult concept to present on radio, which is what got me thinking.
I was wondering if radio as a medium lends itself to this concept at all. When anything is given 'air-space' on radio, the medium ends up promoting that product, or that event, or content. In a way, its like a one-way medium.
When Abhishek Bachhan was all over the city as a Big FM model, one could understand that a celeb is being used to promote something new. Then, Sonu Nigam was used too. Big FM again. But in both cases, the on-air was hardly used. It was more on-ground, events and outdoor hoardings. So it was more like a brand endorser, rather then an ambassador. The visual medium was used to attract attention to the product. But here, entire on-air space is being used to promote SEL - so that they can promote Radio One!
I still maintain that the idea is interesting and we should wait and see what it gets for Radio One... but may be the concept requires much more attention to detail. What is a Brand Ambassador to do - and more importantly, do On-Air, in an audio medium? Its kind of weird to hear them say 'paise jeeto!' Also, when SEL tell me One is where you get maximum music, what makes it different or more believable than when a jock says it? Or any other celeb for that matter (when we ask them to record an endorsement for us?)
