This is how top ad & communications honchos plan to spend their Curfew Sunday
With Coronavirus cases in India reaching 271 (at the time of filing this report), the Government is taking various measures to prevent the spread of the virus in the country. In his address to the nation on March 18, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that in order to keep people safe, a Janata Curfew would be observed this Sunday, March 22, 2020 from 7 am to 9 pm.
The Prime Minister further urged the citizens to applaud the untiring work being done by the medical and police personnel as well as people working in media and home delivery services by clapping for them for 5 minutes at 5 pm on Sunday.
Not too long ago, when the country was in the grip of protests over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), curfew had been imposed on several areas across the country and Internet services, too, were cut off. This had forced people to stay at home for at a week.
This time around, the situation is very different, as the country faces an unprecedented medical crisis that has enveloped the entire world and is killing people in droves.
We at Adgully have been continuously monitoring the developing situation and reporting on how it is impacting the industry, the economy at large, as well as the measured that the industry is taking to combat the crisis. To take the load off with all the negative news prevailing in media, Adgully has sought to see some light amidst the dark clouds.
This is probably the first time that many in our generation is faced with a ‘Janata Curfew’. Being forced to stay indoors, everyone is planning to spend their time in their own ways. It’s been 7-10 days now that people have been observing social distancing and self-quarantine. We have seen numerous videos on social media during this time, wherein celebrities and social media stars have shared with their followers how they are spending time at home.
Adgully has sought to know from some of the leading names in the Advertising and Media industry, how they are planning to spend, what many are calling, ‘Curfew Sunday’, and how they usually spend their Sundays.
Tarun Rai, Chairman and Group CEO, Wunderman Thompson, South Asia:
“My Sundays have a fixed routine. A round of golf in the morning, followed by time with the family and then, possibly, a drink or dinner out with friends.
No golf tomorrow, unfortunately. So, an entire day spent with the family – board games, TV, chatting, reading... Have to get my two kids off their phones first!”
Anand Bhadkamkar, CEO, Dentsu Aegis Network India:
“Sunday’s are normally relaxed. Mornings are spent at the gym and catching up on some reading. Evenings are spent catching up with friends or having a quiet lunch or dinner with family. Catching up on my reading and planning for the next week are big on the agenda.
Tomorrow, the Prime Minister has asked the country to stay at home and has suggested that we celebrate our health workers in the evening. I think this is a good initiative.
Not just tomorrow, but until 31st March most people are going to stay at home in Mumbai. For me, it is a good time to catch up on shows on Netflix and Amazon. I am updating my ‘Watch List’ that needs to be covered.
This Sunday will be slightly different as it will be spent at home, entirely. No stepping out. Right now, we are deciding on the distribution of household chores. This is a first when everyone will be at home, together, for a long time with minimal domestic support and a lot of family time. Wishing and hoping that everyone stays safe and is able to fight this Coronavirus scare for good. I hope that we are able to get back to our normal at the earliest.”
Sumanto Chattopadhyay, Chairman and CCO, 82.5 Communications:
“82.5 has been working from home since the 17th of March, so Sunday is no longer that one special day I get to be at home. I usually write my personal stuff on Sundays. That is what I will do this Sunday too. And in the evening, I will attend a party via video call. My friends and I will get on to the call, drinks in hand, at the appointed time and toast each other. We will play music and probably a game of Dumb Charades. Life in the times of corona!”
Babita Baruah, Managing Partner, GTB India:
“We usually go out for a drive and breakfast on Sundays. Then follows the salon routine. And of course, the weekly shopping for groceries, food. Maybe a movie in the evening.
Tomorrow, my family and I will be at home like we have been for the past days. Even more so tomorrow for the #JanataCurfew. We will eat our meals together at home, spend time doing small chores around the house. The support staff is off, so we will do this together. I personally think I will also use the time tomorrow to catch up with some reading and my writing.”
Kavita Lakhani, Executive Director, GolinOpinion, Lintas India:
“After working and rushing through the week, Sundays are completely about relaxing and indulgence! I begin with a leisurely breakfast with my family. Self pampering at my favourite beauty salon/ spa tops the list. Then catching up on some chores. Finally, I end the day with a movie or a music programme and dinner with my friends.
All of Lintas moved into work from home last week. Weekdays continue to be hectic, albeit with social distancing. I feel as humans, we have gone a bit crazy – disrespecting and harming our environment and also our own bodies. I want to move ahead with life thoughtfully – no more racing! This Sunday, I plan to make a to-do list of things that make me feel happy, healthy and restore me. Introspection, meditation, quality family time, singing folk music, playing the harmonium, writing (trust me there is something magical about a pen!), chatting with friends and finally snuggling up in bed with cocoa and my favourite book, are some of the things on my fun list.
Lastly, I will be on my balcony to participate in the 5-minute clapping during the Janata Curfew at 5 pm on Sunday, to express my deep gratitude to our doctors, healthcare workers and all others who are in the frontline #FightingCovid-19.”
Nikhil Dey, Vice Chair, Weber Shandwick India:
“We normally go for a long family walk in one of the beautiful gardens in Delhi. It has been a routine for the last year, which has brought us closer together – with each other and with nature.
This Sunday, since we can’t go out, we are planning to have a cookout together. Family cooking. The fighting has already started on what the menu should be. So, it sounds promising!”
Chaaya Baradhwaaj, Founder - MD | BC Web Wise:
“Every Sunday is the day I go to the Dadar flower market in the afternoon time, when the freshest flowers arrive, to stock up for my daily pooja in the week ahead. This is also the day I wash and bathe all the silver and brass deities in the temple in my house, make new vastrams for them, do the abhishekam, pooja and dress them. I am a devout follower of His Divine Holiness Swami Nithyananda Paramashivam. On Sunday mornings, like every other day of the week, I also do my yoga, guru pooja and shiva puja with the atmalinga that he has blessed me with, followed by watching his Satsang. This is also the day I water all the plants we have, groom our 3 pugs, and try to spend a little more time with our 2 parrots and my 15-year old son. We do some online shopping, or watch a movie together, stuff like that.
This Sunday, I am truly blessed. Swamiji is conducting a 16-day programme Paramashivoham Level-2. Usually for these programmes one would have to go to the Aadheenam in Bidadi, Bangalore, and usually they are 21-day programmes. But this time, he has arranged so we can do this programme via 2-way video conferencing from wherever we are across the globe. The programme started yesterday, that is on 20th March, and goes on till 4th of April. It starts at 6 am and goes on till about 6 pm. I have previously done 3 of these 21-day programmes and my life has taken transformational leaps. I am really looking forward to this Sunday at home, even more so, therefore this time.”
Shrenik Gandhi, CEO and Co-Founder, White Rivers Media:
“Normally, Sunday is spent spending quality time with family, reading and meeting start-ups. I try to make Sundays productive and quality.
This time, it shall be a very interesting one. I plan to go on digital detox. Being a native of a hyper-connected world, I am taking #JuntaCurfew as an opportunity to disconnect. The digital detox time shall be spent with the family playing board games. I am taking the reach of this platform to urge many digital marketers to disconnect this Sunday, and go on Digital Detox. Put your phones away, have real conversations with your loved ones.”
Anup Sharma, Independent Communications Consultant and Senior Director, PRCAI:
“In normal circumstances, Saturday/ Sunday are for Cycling or Golf time with friends. Brunch with parents. Running some errands. Catching up on the unfinished pending personal paperwork, and leisure newspaper and book reading.
While this Sunday is now ‘Janata Curfew’, but since we all have been almost grounded and locked in our homes for the last one week, so it won’t be a big change as we have been given enough lead time. Since most of the support staff at home also had been advised to restrict going out, we have got a taste of now doing many household work on our own.
For the last few weeks, I have been working with few groups/ volunteers to check on the irresponsible message forwards of fake news. Will use the Sunday lockdown to multiply the effort. The other area where I plan to use my time is doing an online workshop with the RWAs and authorities to educate on the importance of hand wash and social distancing to the support staff – such as security guards, cleaners, maids, etc.”
Vijay Bhat, Leadership & Cancer Coach and Founder, Cancer Awakens:
“Normal Sunday: Since Cancer Awakens is an early-stage start-up, there is no let-up on Sundays! Jokes apart, a typical Sunday is for me-time and general decompressing. Sleep-in (till 7.30 am), compose and send out my weekly video broadcast, leisurely breakfast, read the Economist, catch up on work back-log, BIG lunch, nice nap, coffee (my weekly treat!), occasional walk on Worli Sea-face (now boarded up), regular family call (since both kids are abroad), followed by a light dinner and maybe some Netflix/ Amazon Prime or my favourite music, before going to bed.
Curfew Sunday: No big changes. Check-in and catch-up on phone with some old friends and hear how everyone’s lives have been turned upside down. Speaking of upside-down, do some Yoga, since the gym has been closed for a week and the body-mind are missing a nice workout and bliss-out. Preparing for at least 2 more weeks of hunker-down and bunker-down.”
Also Read:
Do’s & Don’ts of brand communication in times of COVID-19 concerns
Hindi News genre sees 19% growth in market share amid COVID-19 concerns
Share
Facebook
YouTube
Tweet
Twitter
LinkedIn