Behind every achievement, there will be a tale of struggle. It’s rare for people who recall their past once they reach the helm of their profession. But this maverick ‘ad man’ is different. He has the legacy of rewriting the grammar of commercial ads and trends. For Sebastion Antony Parammel, director of Time Ads Group, achievements were not a snap. As an 18-year-old, Sebastion Antony Paramel boarded train to Mumbai to scrape a living. His brother owned a firm at Juhu and he joined there. The remaining part of his life takes after a film’s plot. From an ordinary Artiste who paints the hoardings, Sebastion Antony Paramel rose to the position where he could set up Space Ads in Mumbai under the guidance of his brother.

Expansion

His philosophy was to move to smaller markets and become the big player there. So he included Goa in his initial expansion market map of the company.  Later he ventured into Kerala market. “The outdoor segment was relatively small in these markets. National advertisers had not been spending much because of the quality and nature of work there. With the advent of Times Ads, there was a considerable improvement in the quality of work. The output was similar to anywhere else in India,” elaborates Sebastion Antony Paramel.

The major change, rather the ‘revolutionary’ makeover, was the shifting from canvas to flex and later, lighted flex boards. The outdoor ads gave the immaculate precision like that of a magazine or TV ad; thanks to the new technology.  “Therefore, with our innovations, when a new campaign was launched overnight the ad spots in the city would also undergo a change,” he adds. Other innovations that came into being were Mobile Vans with Backlit that could be turned to any direction.

Reality in ad field

“Despite being an industry where about 25 lakh people are working, there is no aid from the government. There is a mutual help group called KAIA (Kerala Ad Industry Association) which would extend help to the people involved in this. In fact, the transition of the industry from painting to printing has really affected a lot of people,” points out Sebastion Antony Paramel.

He recounts his days in Mumbai when hoarding/billboards were painted by hand. There was a system followed similar to a modern production line. Rough canvas was created by cooking old cloths in huge vats and then it’s dried out. This is then converted into smaller pieces, which is sketched out by and artist with charcoal. At the same time there would be a palette of colors kept ready by mixing paint and plaster of paris. About 3 coats of this are applied over the charcoal sketch then the main artist takes over to apply the finishing touches. The people who see the hoarding never know the amount of hard work that goes into the making of the final product. It’s a very industry in which a lot of effort is required yet gets back only a minimal pay in return.

Film debut

Meanwhile, Time Ads Group ventured into film distribution and the maiden film they released was ‘Ulakanayakan’ Kamal Haasan-starrer “Dasavatharam”.  The film also marked the beginning of the usage of hoardings for films, which created the transition from posters as the main means of publicity. They had put up 100 hoardings across Kerala for the movie’s promotion.

The Group has a few films in their production credit- “Trivandrum Lodge”, in which a Helicam was used for the first time, “My Big Father” and “Loudspeaker.”  Mr Prakash, CEO of Time Ads Group has been his constant companion from Mumbai days onwards. After consulting with him, Mr Parammel decided to start a production house. The quality of the movie and the independence with which they could market the film , without a restrictions on the budget was  the main reason for him to start it.

The Family Man

In his own words, Mr.Parammel is blessed with a family which not only understands the demands of his entrepreneurial path, but also supports it. All major decisions are discussed with his wife Deepa. The couple is has 2 children Merlin and Arnold who are students at the SBOA School l in Kochi. Describing himself a self made man, Mr.Parammel has hands on experience in every sector within the industry from Design, Production, Manufacturing and Mounting of the product. Such experiences help in derive various innovative ideas for his clients. He confesses that he was a good footballer. If circumstances had been better he would have taken up football as a career.

On asking about personal interest and hobbies, Mr.Parammel opens up with a smile,’ I like collecting antiques, crystals, and similar objects of art, my interest in it has the final say, I never let anyone else influence my choices. He recounts a story from his younger days when his elder brother had taken his shopping. His choice of shirt was dismissed by his brother and they left the shop buying a different one. Yet Sebastian made it a point to go back there the next day to purchase his initial choice.

Vision

Making it a professional industry is one of his visions. Also Sebastian Antony Parammel is very eager to create a brand name and ready to offer help to people with similar tastes and ideas. “We need a new breed of talented people because no one can always be on the top of business all the time. One day we will have to give way for others,” signs off the unassuming ad maker, who likes to share his success with the almighty.