11 August, 2009

Type KLPD and Send to 55*420

There is a contest where you need to SMS the answer to some random 5-digit number to win prizes. Well, you send the SMS... expect a prize... but all you get is a price... anything between Rs. 3 and 5 per SMS. This money you spent is profit for the contest holder. In the time left before you die, you will not get to know who won. Actually, no one won... except for the contest holder.
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Meet Babban Ltd; they sell insurance policies. Their second line of profit-making ventures is to hold SMS contests. Let's look at their strategy for earning through SMSes. Here is what they do in July (PS: Radio is where all this %$@^# happens).
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They start with a normal gk question.
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5th July, 3PM, Radio: Hello listeners. Babban Ltd. presents before you the Mast Mast Jhakaas contest. You need to tell us the capital of Australia. The options are:

- Trinidad and Tobago (A)
- Canberra (B)
- Spain (C)
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Type A/B/C and send you response to 50505. The winner will get a free air tickets from Babban Ltd.
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They did not even bother to describe the place the aeroplane was going to take the winners to. Anyways, so it happens that Babban gets an ok kind of response. Despite a number of correct responses, no one wins. No one was even supposed to.

Now, they want more SMS money. So, 5 days later, they put in a simpler question for the next contest.
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10th July, 4PM, Radio: Hi listeners. The air tickets of previous winners are well on their way. It's time for a new quiz... time for more people to get lucky. Babban Ltd. ka general knowledge of bollywood contest haazir hai. You need to tell us the word that has been replaced in the song by a beep. Here is your song - Chak de, BEEEEEEEP de Indiaaaa.... The options are:

- Chak (A)
- Chaak (B)
- Chaalaak (C)

Type A/B/C and send you response to 50505. Lucky participant will get a free head massage from Babban Ltd.

Ok. They get better response this time. However, still no winners. Who cares.

But, as expected, they want more SMS money now. So, they put in another absurd question. This time the number of responses expected is much higher. This is because in this question, other options may not even make sense.
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18th July, 6PM, Radio: Hello, hi to all the listeners. Hmmm, I am sure the winners of last contest are enjoying the head massage. All those who did not win, here is your chance. Babban Ltd, the great insurers, present to you the Angoolimaal Kaun contest. All you have to do is answer this simple question. Who is the relative of Rajesh Khanna:

- Dimple Kapadia (A)
- Simple Kapadia (B)
- Pimple Kapadia (C)
- Triple Kapadia (D)
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Type A/B/C/D and send you response to 50505. Lucky participant will get free movie tickets from the one and only, Babban Ltd.
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Ridiculous! As expected, people respond in good numbers. Babban makes good money of this deal too. I hate it; really.

Next, the month is drawing close, and as expected, Babban wants more money. Did you realize that in this entire post Babban keeps wanting more money? Their targets have to be met, you see. So, they are ready with the next and last contest for the month.
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25th July, 8PM, Radio: Hey all you lovely listeners. It's time you not only listen to radio but watch TV as well. Here is a contest that will help you win a free TV. The contest is sponsored by Babban Ltd, the only insurance company to have offices in all the 9 continents. All you need to do is answer this question. Which is the only insurance company in the world to have offices in all the 9 continents?

- Chaggan Ltd.
- Baingan Ltd.
- Babban Ltd.
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Type A/B/C and send you response to 50505. Lucky participant will get a TV from Babban Ltd, the only insurance company to have offices in all the 9 continents.
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This has really become disgusting now. People keep SMSing, and their money keeps flowing in. Babban has met its targets; we must be really crazy for that to happen.

8 comments:

  1. Brilliant! I just love ur posts/ideas. Where do you get such creative ideas from? They all are too gud.

    It's always fun to read ur writing pieces coz they are ekdum original and unique..sabse hatke. Plz do keep giving us more of them...an sure u have them in pimple...oh no..i mean in triple..oops sorry..i mean in ample quantity.

    U r immensely talented...am so proud of u boy!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dearest Jamu,

    It is for your lovely comments that I post. I thank you for appreciating the written format of the crazy thoughts that go on in my head. I will keep posting.

    -YB

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  3. I completely agree with Jaimala - this is absolutely brilliant, and you are immensely talented. Don't restrict yourself to blogging - you need to go way beyond this: more people need to laugh over this!

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  4. Thank you Madhulika. That makes me really happy. However, happiness gets doubled the moment I get a job... it's been too lonely sitting at home.

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  5. Hey Kshitij,

    Good post...!! It is intersting that Babban Ltd. keeps finding new Bakaras for there SMS contest, every time...Its like Rakhee Sawant keeps finding a new controversy....;)

    dynamic22.org

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  6. Ok..i have to share this one..can't control..yesterday on 9xm channel..i saw this ^%&%^$^& example of SMS contest..the contest was like..

    1. First, they were showing pictures of shahid kapoor and prinyanka chopra...stills from their upcoming flick Kaminey....and along with that they were showing the question..."Guess the name of the movie".

    2. Next thing they were showing was "K_MIN_Y".

    3. And then they had shown two options, which were (I almost died..coz i had difficult time guessing)... A. KAMINEY B. DHOL

    4. Type A or B and send to 56644.

    Why can't someone just %&^%&*^&**&^&%^$%^$%. Kisney banaya hoga yeh question? And am sure they must have made money out of this as well...coz people are crazy..

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  7. @ Amol - Thank you man. I am equally sick of Rakhee's flicks.

    @ Jamu - Precisely. This is exactly my point. Hadd hai Hadd hai. Nice stuff you shared... by the way.

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