Deepa Pillai, aka dpill, one of the Education in 2020 winners speaks to us about advertising and her winning entry

What do you do?
I am in my final year of graduation at Ramjas College, Delhi University. I am someone who likes to be involved in lot of extracurricular activities like poster designing and slogan writing, which brought me to this platform.

What's intrigued you about advertising?
I am an average college-goer for whom life is half-dedicated to being a couch potato, and hence I am witness to ads day in and day out. What intrigues me about advertising is that for someone like me who switches channels so frequently, there always are some ads which make me stop and watch---sometimes smile, sometimes shake my head in empathy and sometimes bring a tear to my eye. It's amazing they do that in just 60 seconds.

How did you hear about BrandPotion?
One of my friends told me about BrandPotion, who in turn had heard about it from her sister pursuing an MBA in marketing. As I am into poster making, slogan writing and so on in college, she thought this would be something that could take my work to the next level. And these days, I enlighten everyone I meet about BrandPotion.

Name some ads that have inspired you to get creative.
Here are some ads which have inspired me to be creative:

 
How does it feel to have won a prize on BrandPotion?
It feels very good to have won a community prize because it gives me that much more confidence to continue participating in the contests put up. It's a very good exercise which gets my creative juices flowing and to be awarded for it is a double incentive indeed. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank BrandPotion and Education Times. I would also like to congratulate all winners, while adding that some of the ads which haven't won were truly amazing, so all those should keep trying.

Tell us about the thought process behind your winning entry.

My idea was derived from what I want as a student. I think Education in 2020 will be all about knowledge. In 2020, it won't be about mugging up your curriculum, there will be a module which you can use right from your brain. This idea is based on the thought that each child needs not only education, but also knowledge; and only then will he/she be able to apply it.

What software do you use to create your ads?
I use a variety, including Poster 8, Photoshop, and Paint.

Which has been your favourite brief to work on---in terms of which was the most fun, and the most interesting?
The brief that I like the most is Chill Mar Horn Mat Maar, because the lingo of the slogan itself gave me a free hand. However, I found Education in 2020 interesting too, because it really made me sit down and think, and in the end when I was done with my ad, it seemed worth the while. I really wish it comes true in India, and helps us to become a superpower.

What changes would you like to see on BrandPotion?
I would like to see more competitions, bigger prizes and a marathon advertising challenge. It would also be nice to include other elements like slogan making or critical analysis of a popular ad. The ultimate challenge would be to have an idea turned into an ad for national TV.