Showed my boss the middle finger: Nikhil Narayanan

Everyone imagines cursing their boss, but only a few do it and get away with it—that’s Nikhil Narayanan for you.  

The bane of LinkedIn plagiarisers and poor balls hygiene, Narayanan is quite the advertising man. He’s written beautiful copy for The Hindu when at Ogilvy and other terrific work during his agency days, was one the first Linkedin writers—the real one, not the ChatGPT-dependent one—in India, and is now teaching men to be men when it comes to hygiene down there, and not remain savages with Zlade. 

Doing all this, he’s racked up quite the experiences. So, we decided to ask a few light-hearted questions about them. 

What is the most Not Safe For Work (NSFW) thing you’ve done or seen in your career?

Someone baked a cake with some “herbs” and brought it to a client party once. The client had sponsored beers for the entire office. By the end of the party, everyone was left wondering, “How potent are these frigging beers?”

When was that time you thought, “Oh no, I’m getting fired today”?

I was a junior copywriter at Ogilvy back then. At a farewell party, I got pasted. I said and did some regrettable things, forcing my boss to say that he’d have to fire me. I told him I didn’t care and gave him the middle finger.

The next morning, I walked the walk of shame into the office, all ready to clear my desk. My teammates were hovering around my computer. And I saw on the monitor, the Windows screensaver bouncing around ominously. It read, “Sorry, Boss. For being a …”

Narrow escape, it was.

What is the worst stinker email you’ve ever received?

While I have written quite a few, I don’t remember receiving too many. WhatsApp texts? Surely. I wouldn’t call them stinkers, but mostly passive-aggressive ones. Those are worse.

What is the best feedback someone has ever given you?

One of the deepest pits young creatives fall into is the one where they prioritise creativity over comprehension. “So what if the reader doesn’t understand the ad? It’s awesome,” they’d argue.

I was one of them. And then one day at McCann, my boss made a statement that burst my bubble. “Be correct first. Then be creative.” It’s one of the first filters I apply at work now.

Have you ever asked a client for a discount on their product or service?

All the time. Why stop with the client? One of the first things I asked my HR after joining Zlade was for an employee discount coupon. I am happy to share it with anyone interested in purchasing a Zlade.

What are the top two social media websites you use?

LinkedIn and Instagram—and in that order.

Do you still read, or has watching videos taken over this habit?

Rarely. If at all I pick up a book, it’s usually a fast-paced crime novel. If I do grab a non-fiction, it has to be equally gripping. An example would be Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential. Page-turner it is. Inspirational stuff.

Smartphone, computer, or TV: where do you stream your content?

TV. I have conveniently mounted it on my bedroom wall. So serious streaming happens on the big screen. Laptops are exclusively for work. Doomscrolling, of course, happens on the smartphone. That’s my dedicated brain rot spot.

Are you a cord-cutter, or do you still subscribe to cable television?

Cut the cord years back. What good is a subscription that gives up when you are curled up on your couch on a rainy day ready to consume, consume and consume?

Have you ever fallen for advertising’s lures and bought something you shouldn’t have or that was incredibly expensive?

Yes. More than once. Expensive, yes. Won’t know if incredible fits the bill as I am usually a cautious shopper. I know I am being fooled, but I surrender anyway. It is pleasurable in a guilty way somehow.