MAM
Ad agencies take creativity to the loo
MUMBAI: It’s time to take creativity to the loo! Well, at least for some ad men abroad. To demonstrate the importance of the restroom to office workers, Kimberly-Clark Professional has made an offer that two advertising agencies couldn’t refuse.
The agencies were asked to use their creativity and flair to redecorate each other’s private spaces (read restrooms) with the help of an interior designer.
Explaining the rationale behind the makeovers Kimberly-Clark product manager Jackie B Martin was quoted in a media report saying, “The average office building worker spends more than three workdays a year in the restroom. For all that time, shouldn’t office workers have a restroom that’s as clean and attractive as possible, with high quality bath tissue and towels?”
In what could be described as a battle of the sexes, an all-female team from the Star Group in Cherry Hill, NJ, and an all-male team from The Hal Lewis Group in Philadelphia took command of each other’s restrooms and transformed them from standard sinks and stalls into fanciful, colorful versions of their former selves. The women redid the men’s restroom using an African jungle motif and the men turned the women’s restroom into a tropical paradise. In an effort worthy of reality TV, they threw throw rugs, draped fabrics, hung hooks and undertook the makeover in roughly two hours time said a media report.
Loo before the revamp
The new look loo
(Pic courtesy: www.newscom.com)
The competing design teams featured: Star Group senior vice president and creative director Tracy Donofry, and Star/Rosen Public Relations senior vice president Karen Cutler, versus The Hal Lewis Group executive vice president and COO Jim Boland, creative director/art Marvin Bowe and creative director/copy Peter Villucci.
Maggie Javna, an interior designer who has designed homes and offices for New York-area celebrities, assisted the teams with the makeovers. The two office building management companies – Manhattan Management Company, Cherry Hill, NJ, and Equity Office, Philadelphia – threw their support behind the project, giving the teams and Kimberly-Clark Professional carte blanche to redecorate the formerly corporate restrooms.
The restroom makeovers, which included the company’s new high class capacity dispensing systems, were designed to be temporary, and were done without altering any structures or putting anything permanent in place. It’s up to the advertising agencies and property management firms to decide whether the restrooms stay this way or return to their previous states. Either way, for the occupants of these bathrooms, the restroom experience will likely be forever changed.
If you are actively investing to grow your money month after month, you already understand the value of planning ahead. SIPs, long-term portfolios, retirement planning and goal-based investing all point to one thing. You are building a future with intent.
What often gets missed in this process is one foundational question. How well is the income that funds all these plans protected?
Term life insurance fits naturally into this stage of financial planning. It does not compete with investments. It supports them by protecting the income that makes long-term growth possible.
Why Income Protection Is a Core Part of Financial Planning
Every financial plan begins with income. Before money is invested or saved, it is earned.
Over time, this income is allocated across multiple needs:
● monthly household expenses
● EMIs and long-term loans
● savings and emergency funds
● investments aimed at future goals
As responsibilities increase, financial planning becomes layered. Each layer assumes income continuity. Term life insurance exists to ensure that this structure does not become fragile due to overdependence on a single income source.
It adds stability to plans already in motion rather than introducing a new objective.
What does term life insurance do?
Term life insurance provides a fixed payout to your nominee if you pass away during the policy term. The purpose of this payout is practical and clearly defined.
It is intended to:
● replace lost income for a defined period
● help manage outstanding liabilities
● support ongoing household and goal-based expenses
There is no investment or savings component. This keeps the product focused and cost-efficient, allowing individuals to opt for meaningful coverage without diverting funds meant for growth-oriented investments.
Why Term Life Insurance Complements Investing?
Investments and insurance play different roles in a financial plan.
Investments are designed to:
● grow wealth over time
● compound with consistency
● be adjusted as goals and risk appetite change
Term life insurance is designed to:
● provide financial continuity
● protect existing plans from disruption
● remain stable once put in place
Keeping these roles separate improves clarity. Investments are allowed to perform without being forced to double up as protection, while insurance quietly supports the overall structure.
Who Should Consider Term Life Insurance?
Term life insurance becomes relevant when financial planning extends beyond individual needs. This typically includes:
a) Working professionals
When income supports shared expenses or long-term plans, protection becomes essential.
b) Individuals with long-term liabilities
Home loans, education loans and other EMIs often extend over decades. Term insurance ensures these obligations remain manageable.
c) Parents planning future milestones
Education, healthcare and lifestyle goals require continuity over many years.
d) Early planners with rising incomes
Starting earlier allows coverage to align smoothly with career progression and evolving responsibilities.
How Much Coverage Should Be Considered?
Coverage should be guided by financial reality rather than affordability alone.
A well-rounded evaluation typically considers:
● number of years income needs to be replaced
● existing and future liabilities
● long-term goals already planned
● inflation and rising living costs
Many insurance companies offer options starting from 50 lakhs, 1 crore term insurance and higher. It allows individuals to choose coverage based on their income, liabilities and future plans.
How Term Life Insurance Fits Into a Long-Term Plan
Once set up, term life insurance does not demand frequent attention.
It does not require active monitoring, market tracking or performance reviews. Its role is structural rather than dynamic.
By ensuring financial continuity, it allows families to:
● stay aligned with long-term plans
● avoid rushed financial decisions
● focus on execution rather than damage control
When aligned correctly, term insurance strengthens the foundation on which investments, savings and retirement plans are built.
Choose the Right Insurance Partner
Once the need, coverage amount and role of term life insurance are clear, the final and most important step is choosing the right partner.
This decision should be based on:
● clarity and transparency in policy terms
● a strong claim settlement track record
● consistency in servicing and communication
● the ability to support long-term financial planning rather than just selling a product
Term life insurance is a long-term commitment. The partner you choose today will be the one your family relies on years down the line.
When protection is aligned with purpose and backed by a dependable insurer, term life insurance becomes a quiet but powerful part of a well-built financial plan.
