We speak with Aabida Boxwalla, mother of two, active participant on BrandPotion, and second community prize winner in the Banner category for Education Times's Education In 2020 competition...

What do you do?
I completed my PGD in Media and Communication last year, and I interned at Network Advertising. Presently, I am doing a course in Graphic designing (Commercial Art) and Flash, and I'd like to work as a freelance copywriter in the future.

What's intrigued you about advertising?
I love the copywriting and planning part of advertising. I believe I can make a place for myself in the world of advertising with my innovative ideas. I like to work for print, but banners are more interesting as they can surprise you (with animation). I want to create ads which will get me good work experience and awards.

How did you hear about BrandPotion?
Last year at SNDT Women's University, I came across a notice board which read Sign Up. Just out of curiosity, I visited the website. Now it feels great to be a part of this community.

Name some ads that have inspired you to get creative?
In print ads, I like Lakme's ads. They always come out with innovative colours for Indian skin, and they associate with Indian designers too. Uniquely Singapore is yet another one where there is lot of synchronisation of colours. Where other tourism ads showcase locations, their ads go beyond that, showcasing both their traditional and contemporary cultures. I also love Amul hoardings, which have a dose of current affairs.

In TVCs, Bajaj Pulsar 220's Pulsarmania was just awesome. Six international stuntmen came, performed and conquered us all with their stunts. Tata Tea's Jaago Re campaign was an eye-opener for many. I believe many voting registrations happened after this ad, so I feel this ad really worked for all Indians. I also love the Incredible India ad for Madhya Pradesh.

How does it feel to have won a prize on BrandPotion?
Wonderful! My curriculum vitae speaks proudly of my achievement.

Tell us about the thought process behind your winning entry?
I always sat next to my late father watching action, science-fiction and fantasy movies whenever I had the time. I vaguely remember, in one of those science-fiction movies, the actor places his hand on the left side of some chamber to enter. In India, many teachers, as well as students, remain absent. I just showed how technology could counter this in my ad.

What software do you use to create your ads?
I use Photoshop and CorelDraw.

Which has been your favourite brief to work on---in terms of which was the most fun, and the most interesting?
My favourite brief has been for Mumbai Mirror's Mirror Of Success. Others include Not Another Face In The Crowd and Education Times's Education In 2020. All three of them were interesting.

What changes would you like to see on BrandPotion?
I would like to see a Work Graph as part of My Page of BrandPotion showing the amount of time spent on BrandPotion and the awards one. It would also be great to have smaller graphs to represent the contributions made to different mediums.