InspiRAYtion 14 - A great disturbance in the Force
One of the single most inspiring things that happened to desi Advertising was ADs Broke Ad School. He singlehandedly proved that you could be the change you wanted to see in the world, writes adman Rayomand J Patell.
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By Rayomand J Patell
Welcome back. I’m going to use a line from Star Wars to begin my eulogy for the pulling of the plug by the Founder of the Broke Ad School.
“I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened.”
One of the single most inspiring things that happened to desi Advertising was ADs Broke Ad School.
He singlehandedly proved that you could be the change you wanted to see in the world.
I greatly admired the energy he brought to the table to bring Masters of their Craft to give sessions to those who needed it most: Average Jatin.
When I managed to, I popped in on LinkedIn to thank AD for doing what he was doing.
Very kindly he asked me to do a session like the rest. I didn’t have my stuff in one place in the new office and more honestly, I didn’t think I could be a convincing follow up act to people like Luke Sullivan.
We kept in touch sporadically and one day I asked him to register Broke Ad School as an NGO so that it could live on beyond him and also find a way to sustain itself the way D&AD does.
I was honoured to actually meet the introverted AD. One day he came by the office and we had a lovely chinwag on Advertising, then, now and forever.
In accordance with his wishes I didn’t post his pic in front of my library, a series I enjoy shooting whenever someone cool comes by the office for the first time.
We kept in touch and I hoped some day he’d institutionalise it the way I was recommending it. Something this fantastic, needed the seeds of institutionalised longevity in my opinion.
Sadly, it was not to be.
One fine day there was a longish note on how more scientists, engineers and Doctors were needed in society and that cruel agencies that exploited young talent couldn’t be suffered any more so why continue inspiring Young Turks.
And then it was gone.
RIP Broke Ad School. While you railed against the fat cats in advertising, this fatty is quite sad to see you gone. You did so much good for the cause of Creative people and if only we’d have chatted before pulling the plug I’d have liked to say that one must never let an agency interfere with one’s love for Advertising.
I truly hope AD returns or republishes the community again. Or, at least shares all the sessions on YouTube.
And if he feels he’s done what he could, who’s stepping in to feed and nurture and nourish the collective Creative spirit the way he did?
It could be you.
Rayomand J Patell is an advertising veteran and InspiRAYtion is a weekend column on everything about advertising and marketing.
