The Finals

The spoils

Music & LiteratureMoviesSportsIndiaScienceGeneral

Business

4 rounds:

Dry 15 Questions Written 6 Questions Dry 7 Questions Major Differential 8 questions(Major

Chandrakant Nair)

36 questions in the finals.

Round 1- Dry

15 questions Infinite bounce +10 Pounce +10, -10 No part pouncing Blanks are indicative of the length Look out for italics, ‘inverted

commas’ and emboldened statements for potential clues

All the best

1 The first time ___(1)___ asked this question in 1957, which follows

the same syntax as one of the most quoted Shakespearean lines, the answer was 1 to 15 - as in, only 1 in 15 people were using ____ ______. Just 11 years later, the answer was 1 of 2, according to TIME Magazine. The campaign was apparently so successful that some states stopped requiring women to denote ____ ______ on their driver’s license.

___(1)___ did the opposite of what most marketers would do. They didn’t want every woman on the street running around saying they were using their product. They wanted women to understand that their product was so good that people wouldn’t be able to tell if they were using it or not.

Which product? What was the question they asked? (advertising campaign)

Hair ColourDoes she or doesn’t she?

2. Although her face had been seen in public since she was a

baby back in 1928 and trademarked in 1931, it was only in 1978 that the company released the identity. Before the revelation, however, speculation was rife among the public as well as the press and guesses ranged from Humphrey Bogart to Elizabeth Taylor to US Senator Bob Dole.

When the identity was revealed it turned out to be Ann Turner Cook, British mystery novel writer and retired teacher.

Since 2011, however she no longer remains the face of the product, as another baby was selected in a nationwide contest.

Who/What is being talked about?

Gerber Baby

3. Critics have noted that this company works in a similar way to the Dutch

East India Company in the 18th Century - that is, colonizing, controlling, exploring and mining frontier worlds to enrich Great Houses.

The structure is similar to that of a publicly-held corporation. It consists of shareholders, and, as in a public company, major shareholders are given directorships to lead in the board of directors.

In this case, however, all shareholders are nobles from the Landsraad, which consists of the Minor Houses, the Great Houses and the Imperial House. The Great Houses predictably hold the directorships of the company, but the Padishah Emperor is able to give out directorships and revoke directorships at whim.

Forbes in 2007 rated this intergalactic company’s worth to be 1.7 trillion dollars.

Name this company.

CHOAM

4.

A company called Kandi Technologies unveiled this massive machine in Huangzhou in 2013, ostensibly as a method for pollution control in China and have plans to install 10 more, with some in Beijing and Shanghai.

The machines, called “Kandi Machines”, work similarly to traditional _______ ________ but instead of confectionary or drinks, you get a/an _______ ___. Since the commodity offered by these machines come for as less as $3, even the pricing is similar.

The only difference is that after 60 mins, one is required to return this commodity to another “Kandi Machine”.

What exactly is this “Kandi Machine”?

Vending Machine for Electric Cars

5."I want a cup of______, but I don't want a GMOI love to start my day off without helping __(1)_________(1)_____, let our farmers grow what they want to growFrom the fields of Nebraska from the banks of the Ohio Farmers won't be free to grow what they want to grow If corporate control takes over the American farm with fascist politicians and chemical giants walking arm in arm.“

These are the lyrics of the song “Rock ___(2)_____” by a certain musician in his new album “The ____(1)____ Years” , famous for his anti-capitalist views and harsh criticism of the American Govt., especially during the George Bush.Sr. administration.

Name this musician and FITB for (1) and (2).

Neil Young / Monsanto/Starbucks

6 Perhaps the most famous application of this product

was in the 1860s when someone’s physician applied(in vain) this substance to his patient’s wounds.

Considered macabre among medicines, this substance is made from ‘genuine ________ _____’, finely ground and believed to be a remedy for epilepsy, abscesses, rashes, fractures, paralysis etc. It was available as late as 1908 through the German E. Merck Catalogue.

Who was the patient?

What substance?

Abraham LincolnGenuine Egyptian Mummy, Mummy

Dust/Powder

7. A hiring company in China called for prospective

employees to be “a woman with no sexual experience, has a bra size of at least C, and has no scar or wound visible on her body” to pick “Kou Chun Cha” , causing controversy.

An extremely sought after business practice in some circles, the company defended the ad by saying that it was traditional for Kou Chun Cha to be picked in a certain way and hence the body proportions of the candidates must be such that the tea-collector will fit properly.

Evident from the name itself, how is Kou Chun Cha picked?

Tea leaves picked by virgins with their lips and collected between their breasts

8 Following is a list of the first letters of tyres that were used

by the winning constructors since the inception of the Formula One World Drivers’ Championships.

P F C E D G M B

Name 6 for 5 all for 10.

Pirelli Firestone Continental Englebert Dunlop Goodyear Michelin Bridgestone

9. Recently, a certain organization spoke out against

a widespread practice prevalent almost exclusively and entirely in India.

The official statement given out was :“____ _____ should be respected as they are a symbol of the Sovereign and public should not misuse them and help in increasing the life of ____ _____.”

What wastefully costly used during weddings and political rallies did this organization ask Indians to hang up?

Money Garlands

10 Mike Smith, a Maori activist, put up a Husqvarna

equipment for sale on ebay, that he used in an unsuccessful attempt in 1994 to turn a particular New Zealand location into a misnomer by removing the _(1)_ __(2)__ that stood on the __(3)__. Following a successful second attack in 2000, it would be apt to add an ‘N’ before the name of the location.

The attack was meant to draw attention to the injustices they believed the NZ government had inflicted upon the Maori and they felt the __(2)__ was an appropriate target for a particular reason.

Why? Also FITB [ (1) (2) (3) ]

One Tree HillThe tree that stood there wasn’t a native NZ species

11 A few metres down the Town Hall Road from the famous Round

of Thrissur district of Kerala is a small, single-shuttered, 78-year-old shop . This unique ‘remedy’ shop was opened in 1937 when Nazar’s(the current owner) father who used to repair a certain type of commodity in West Bengal came back to Kerala as the commodity and its then popular brands of swan, blackbird etc. became cheaper and more people started using them.

Nazar has had his own fifteen minutes of fame when former president Abdul Kalam visited Ernakulam for an event. The incident occured when Kalam was placing the sapling in the pit that was dug and Nazar’s shop was recommended by Kalam’s secretary.

What does Nazar’s shop repair?

Nazar runs a Pen HospitalKalam’s pen fell out of his pocket while

planting the sapling

12 This was created by Ocean Spray in the Fifties to promote

the consumption of something by naming it in direct reference to celebrate a 1939 launch.

Oddly enough, the first taste to assail your palate is more like strawberry. This is followed by a sour blast of lime, then the zing of sweet red-fruit returns. After succumbing to two or three of these southern charmers, you couldn’t care less.

The name has the right connotation of headstrong passion and the colour is seductive.

What am I talking about?

Scarlett O’ Hara

13•This is an item from a 1930 catalogue by the Paidar Company Chicago-Ltd, a company that served as a pioneer and the leading supplier to a certain industry for a good deal of time.

•What industry did Paidar cater to?

Barber Industry

14 Why am I always the bridesmaid, never the blushing bride?

Ding, dong, wedding bells only ring for other girls.One fine day—oh, let it be soon!—I shall wake up in the morning on my own honeymoon.

Fred W. Leigh’s tune which came to prominence in 1924 through a series of ads by this company managed to raise revenues from $100,000 to over $4,000,000 in 1927. The ad talked about Edna’s impediment to success which her friends knew but would never mouth because it was an embarrassing subject.

Which company came out with these ads, which finally managed to clear the air on a very touchy topic?

Listerine

15. Ray Rude started Arcadia Air Products in 1957 in southern California, as a

subsidiary of Productioneering, his own aircraft tooling manufacturing company. On October 1, 1985, he changed the name to Duraflex International.

He made the first aluminum version in 1949 out of an aircraft wing panel for a friend who needed one for an outdoor party.

These objects are usually operated in a linear regime where they approximately obey Hooke's law. When loaded, the combination of the load’s approximately constant mass, and the constant stiffness of the object result in a resonance frequency that is adjustable by way of the spring constant (set by the fulcrum position).

After an incident in 1993, most builders are reluctant to equip residences with these because of 14-year-old Shawn Meneely, who’s playfully suicidal attempt left him tetraplegic.

What am I talking about?

Diving boards

Round 2- Written Round The following 6 texas hold’em starting hands are

nicknamed after companies/business terminologies/products.

Name them

5 for each, 20 bonus for all

Examples:

AJ-Armani Jeans 98 and 88-Oldsmobile

A-A : Travel A-3 : Food J-7 10-9 7-5 : Food 7-4

Answers

Exchange Sheets

A-A : Travel – American Airlines A-3 : Food – Baskin Robbins J-7 – Jack Daniels 10-9 – T9 in mobile phones 7-5 : Food – Heinz Ketchup 7-4 - Kalashnikov

Round 3- Dry

15 questions Infinite bounce +10 Pounce +10, -10 No part pouncing Blanks are indicative of the length Look out for italics, ‘inverted

commas’ and emboldened statements for potential clues

QMs’ mean business All the best

16 This is an item

from the page which sells official merchandise for a popular 1862 novel, depicted recently in a 2012 film.

Give funda, or has been asterisked behind the second yellow blank?

Les MiserablesMy cell was next to Jean Valjean’s

17 To outdo aggressive German competition in the first decade

of the 20th century, a company named Cunard responded by launching 2 models with revolutionary mechanics, equipped with lifts, wireless telegraph and electric light while being sumptuously furnished.

9 years later, an incident which violated the Cruiser Rules helped shift public opinion in favour of a historic declaration which was on the cards, but was made 2 years after.

Name the 2 models.

Or

Name the more famous model and the historic declaration.

Lusitania and MauretaniaLusitania and the declaration of USA’s

entry into the war

18. In 2013, Johnnie Walker Blue Label’s Chinese

division released an ad in Mandarin featuring X, close to his 40th death anniversary, by recreating a CGI version of him.

In the ad, X advises us to “Follow your instincts. They are honest”, and to “be like water, my friend”

The ad created controversy in China as well as internationally- especially among fans and admirers of X- for 2 main reasons, one being that X did not speak Mandarin. What was the other?

Bruce Lee abstained from drinking

19. In October 1997 ___ _______ took part in a

march against the use of sweatshop labor by the company _____ in Santa Monica when he was arrested and put behind bars.

Shortly after, he was involved in the production of some billboard advertisements in Las Vegas and New York that read “Rage Against Sweatshops: We Don’t Wear _____? ”

FITB for both black and red blanks.

Tom MorelloGuess

20 Drishti Bomma(Tamil) or Muneshwara (Kannada)

are hung on buildings during construction. They are intended to protect the builders and the future occupants, by warding off the Evil Eye.

A certain entity in the news uses the Drishti Bommai as well as a suffix ___ which is similar to the apostrophe ‘s’ in English, differentiating it from the others in its category.

What entity?

Chennaiyin FC

21 Throughout most of the company's history, they employed the

slogan "Yeah, we've got that.", signifying their wide selection of products. This slogan was retired in 2003, to be replaced with “____ ___ ____."

The television ad campaign of the tagline was aired in 2005 using a prop which was only intended to be fictitious with 'magical' properties. However, when the ads appeared, customers began contacting the company to inquire how they could buy one. The company responded by making it a real product (available in English, French and Spanish "fácil" ). The only purpose it served was to respond in the auditory to tactile stimuli.

FITB.

What prop/product?

That was easy; StaplesEasy button

22 A tenacious perfectionist, this player had once been

criticized by a coach for overtraining. When his tendency to wear out practice partners turned out to be quite frustrating, what did this player, who was aptly nicknamed ___(1)___ ___(2)___ for his methodical game and ability to avoid errors, come up with?

Upon his death, when the advertising agency Publicis, who had been managing his account for decades, published a print ad of a motif associated with him along with the phrase ‘See you later…’, what debate regarding the identity of a particular reptile did it re-ignite?

Tennis ball pitching machineWhether the Lacoste logo is an alligator or

a crocodile

Round 4- Major Differential 8 questions Scoring: 25 – 1 team 20- 2 or 3 teams 15- 4 or 5 teams 10 – 6 or 7 teams 5- all teams

If a question has 2 parts, both answers are required

All the best

1 In 2010, the Harvard Business School published a case

study on ‘Customer-Centric Leadership’. The learning point of the study was the incredible customer-centricity of all the employees in the 2008 example studied, which according to Rohit Deshpande, the Professor of Marketing and Branding at HBS, exceeded the best cases documented, like even the famed Singapore Airlines service. Even the top managers of the company in question could not explain the reaction of the employees. The study noted that nothing in the employees’ training could have prepared them for the situation. It went on to receive an excellent response and most students termed it ‘inspirational.’

Who/What was the subject of the study?

2 The Millennium Dome project was conceived by

John Major's Conservative government, as a showcase to celebrate the Third millennium. These sentiments were echoed by the incoming Labour Government that expanded the size and scope of the project. However, the government was unable to raise the necessary private capital for the project and hence had to rely public money. The project quickly became a subject of public ridicule, resulting in an opportunistic advertising campaign that said: ‘Not all domes lack support.’

Who came out with this ad campaign?

3 Around the 1971 Indo-Pak war, the Indian government

faced threats from many foreign governments on a particular issue. This prompted India to seek Russian help and the two countries began combined operations far out in the Arabian sea. But, the Russians, according to Sunjoy Joshi, director of the think-tank Observer Research Foundation, had to justify coming to the shore often, so that they could frequent the many brothels in Kamathipura. Ultimately, their operations moved closer to land, and this resulted in something significant.

What, thus, owes it origins to prostitutes at Kamathipura?

4 Currys is a UK based chain established in 1884 and

specializes in home appliances, running close to 550 stores worldwide.

In May 2013, the retailer announced discounts of up to 20% on a specific product, and managed to sell quite a few of these items. The sale was prompted by a landmark announcement on May 8 that also got Nando’s to close their shops 5 minutes later than usual.

What was the product? What did Nando’s call their response to the announcement?

The Priyadarshini-class consists of a series of 8 mid-shore fast patrol boats, built for the Indian Coast Guard between 1991 and 1998. All vessels in this class are named after women who have made their mark on Indian history. One of these, with pennant number 225, is named after a Christian, the first woman/Asian to be elected the president of WHO in 1950. She was also responsible for setting in motion a chain of events that resulted in a grant from the Government of New Zealand. When this grant was offered to the then CM of West Bengal, he turned it down in what has been termed a ‘historic blunder’.

Who is this lady? What was done with this amount?

5

Jens Hoyer Hansen was a Danish-born jeweller, one of a number of European-trained jewellers who moved to New Zealand in the 1960s and transformed contemporary jewellery business in the country.

He did most of his work in Nelson on the South Island. His fame attracted a client named Dan Hennah in 1999, and Hansen made 15 models to match his requirements. One of these was selected and a total of 40 replicas were created, in different sizes, for the intended use over the next few years.

What exactly did Hansen design?

6

7 The Casio F-91 W digital watch, launched in 1991, has

been a huge seller for the company ever since its introduction.

Factors that have helped make it a global icon include its low cost ($12), water resistance and long battery life (7 years). Its reliability, ease of modification and wide availability have made it a favorite of a group of people, who’ve been commonly using it for a specific purpose. Its ownership, however, has had the effect of prolonging their stay at certain locations around the world (including one in the Caribbean).

Who are these people? OR What is this utility of the watch? Image follows.

8 Zeldox (chemically Ziprasidone) is an antipsychotic

drug that is marketed by Pfizer and is primarily used for the treatment of Schizophrenia. In 2007, Pfizer collaborated with the Finnish ad agency TBWA to promote the drug in a unique manner. They used an 1888 incident (wherein a package was delivered to a brothel) to highlight the fact that Zeldox would most certainly have prevented the series of the events which culminated in this delivery.

What was the subject of this advertisement?

Answers

Exchange Sheets

1 In 2010, the Harvard Business School published a case

study on ‘Customer-Centric Leadership’. The learning point of the study was the incredible customer-centricity of all the employees in the 2008 example studied, which according to Rohit Deshpande, the Professor of Marketing and Branding at HBS, exceeded the best cases documented, like even the famed Singapore Airlines service. Even the top managers of the company in question could not explain the reaction of the employees. The study noted that nothing in the employees’ training could have prepared them for the situation. It went on to receive an excellent response and most students termed it ‘inspirational.’

Who/What was the subject of the study?

The staff at Taj Mahal Hotel who chose to stay back and ensure the safety of the guests despite having access to all the back exits

2 The Millennium Dome project was conceived by

John Major's Conservative government, as a showcase to celebrate the Third millennium. These sentiments were echoed by the incoming Labour Government that expanded the size and scope of the project. However, the government was unable to raise the necessary private capital for the project and hence had to rely public money. The project quickly became a subject of public ridicule, resulting in an opportunistic advertising campaign that said: ‘Not all domes lack support.’

Who came out with this ad campaign?

wonderbra

3 Around the 1971 Indo-Pak war, the Indian government

faced threats from many foreign governments on a particular issue. This prompted India to seek Russian help and the two countries began combined operations far out in the Arabian sea. But, the Russians, according to Sunjoy Joshi, director of the think-tank Observer Research Foundation, had to justify coming to the shore often, so that they could frequent the many brothels in Kamathipura. Ultimately, their operations moved closer to land, and this resulted in something significant.

What, thus, owes it origins to prostitutes at Kamathipura?

Discovery of Bombay High, India’s richest oil field

4 Currys is a UK based chain established in 1884 and

specializes in home appliances, running close to 550 stores worldwide.

In May 2013, the retailer announced discounts of up to 20% on a specific product, and managed to sell quite a few of these items. The sale was prompted by a landmark announcement on May 8 that also got Nando’s to close their shops 5 minutes later than usual.

What was the product? What did Nando’s call their response to the announcement?

HairdryersFergie Time

In honor of Sir Alex Ferguson who announced his retirement

The Priyadarshini-class consists of a series of 8 mid-shore fast patrol boats, built for the Indian Coast Guard between 1991 and 1998. All vessels in this class are named after women who have made their mark on Indian history. One of these, with pennant number 225, is named after a Christian, the first woman/Asian to be elected the president of WHO in 1950. She was also responsible for setting in motion a chain of events that resulted in a grant from the Government of New Zealand. When this grant was offered to the then CM of West Bengal, he turned it down in what has been termed a ‘historic blunder’.

Who is this lady? What was done with this amount?

5

Rajkumari Amrit KaurEstablished AIIMS in New Delhi, instead of

Calcutta

Jens Hoyer Hansen was a Danish-born jeweller, one of a number of European-trained jewellers who moved to New Zealand in the 1960s and transformed contemporary jewellery business in the country.

He did most of his work in Nelson on the South Island. His fame attracted a client named Dan Hennah in 1999, and Hansen made 15 models to match his requirements. One of these was selected and a total of 40 replicas were created, in different sizes, for the intended use over the next few years.

What exactly did Hansen design?

6

The One Ring in the The Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit series

Dan Hennah was the Art director for the movies

7 The Casio F-91 W digital watch, launched in 1991, has

been a huge seller for the company ever since its introduction.

Factors that have helped make it a global icon include its low cost ($12), water resistance and long battery life (7 years). Its reliability, ease of modification and wide availability have made it a favorite of a group of people, who’ve been commonly using it for a specific purpose. Its ownership, however, has had the effect of prolonging their stay at certain locations around the world (including one in the Caribbean).

Who are these people? OR What is this utility of the watch? Image follows.

8 Zeldox (chemically Ziprasidone) is an antipsychotic

drug that is marketed by Pfizer and is primarily used for the treatment of Schizophrenia. In 2007, Pfizer collaborated with the Finnish ad agency TBWA to promote the drug in a unique manner. They used an 1888 incident (wherein a package was delivered to a brothel) to highlight the fact that Zeldox would most certainly have prevented the series of the events which culminated in this delivery.

What was the subject of this advertisement?

Vincent van Gogh chopping off his own ear