Marketing Love in a big way

THE MUSIC is growing louder. It's party time again. The Millennium hangover seems distant as the city gets ready to celebrate St.Valentine's Day.

The promos started a while ago, to cash in on the ``love in the air''. Of course, it gives the ``new kids on the block'' a wide array of choices. Say it with gold `n' diamonds, if you can afford them; or on a quiet evening out at an exclusive joint or a noisy disc. Why, it can even be indoors with the satellite channels.

For instance, Globus' `Luva Luva' Valentine Festival spreads from February 4 to 14, and if you pick up a particular brand of jewels then, you could be in Mauritius with your Valentine! There are other `down- to-earth' prizes as well - like movie tickets and candle-light dinner coupons.

Walk into Tanishq showrooms, if you want to say it with their set of diamonds and gold jewellery - new collection of 18-Karat gold and gemsets, with some stunning designs have arrived.

Yet another jeweller has come up with a simple idea. Send a message through us. If your message is good enough, it will be published on Valentines.

A blinking heart and a heartshaped fragrant candle form part of a strategy by a watch manufacturer. Chic clothes, including ethnic, western separates and coordinates, which come at a discount at many outlets in the city, make this among the best seasons to shop.

The channels have also joined the race. The youth channel has offered to deliver flowers and candy plus a card with mushy nothings of your choice at your Valentine's doorstep. Oh, yes, you have to pay for it. And, what's more, their bash is at HFO. EC 41, on the Golden Beach, is gearing up too along with Gatsby and the new Central Sindhoori disc.

The hotels are not far behind either. For the simple reason that they cannot afford to, whether they have a discotheque or not. Some are still smarting from the huge Millennium expenditure, even as others are recovering from discovering some ``naked truths''. Look around and you will notice that the themes are changing, so are the wallpapers, to keep pace with the mood of the celebrations. Hotels both in the city and those outside city limits are preparing for the big day, in a big way.

So, the Residency, whose coffee shop is a favourite haunt of all the late-night teens, is planning to celebrate love in the air. ``We are arranging for an exotic buffet for lunch and a candle- light dinner at Chin Chin (the Chinese restaurant),'' says Jayashankar, F & B manager. A crooner who specialises in singing heart-warming ballads will be in attendance; a fortune teller will predict how your love life will turn out the moment you leave the hotel.

Drive down to Radisson, if Italian food and wine and a quiet little place for `just the two of you' is your idea of Valentines. ``We have the Italian food festival to coincide with Valentines Day. The menu has everything that one would look for and the ambience will keep in tune with the festival,'' says Sanjay Umashankar, GM.

This time Valentine's Day is a weekday - a Monday of all days. Maybe that's why the first Valentine events happen on the Saturday before. The British Citizens Association, Chennai, have organised a St. Valentine's Ball at Cottingley with a good deal of prizes thrown in as well.

Among the bigger events to usher in the Valentine's Day will be on the eve at the SVS Club open air auditorium. At ``Love2K - Get Handcuffed'', one can dance, sit around and watch a fashion show, a magic show or join in the fun and games. A four-and-a-half feet tall chocolate bar will be on auction too.

But in the new Millennium, many will miss being in the crowded and smoke-filled `After Dark' (Greams Road Sindhoori disc), once a preferred destination even for some members of the Indian cricket team. Public memory is short. Times change. And no one stays young, in the disc- going gangs forever. `After Dark' will fade, like Live Wire (the Savera disc) did. Ask the middle-aged `old timers !'

By R. K. Radhakrishnan

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