Representing AMIC

Having said goodbye to ‘active’ journalism when I left Lake House and joined Lever Brothers, I still continued my interest in writing. I helped in editing ‘Lever Pavula,’ the company’s house journal. As one of the brand managers I had to shift my interest to advertising as opposed to journalism. 

A few weeks after I started work in my new job, Director of Information Sarath Amunugama telephoned me and asked me whether I would like to go to Singapore. He said it was a fully-paid trip to attend to the inaugural meeting of the Asian Mass Communication Information & Research Centre (AMIC) in Singapore. When I told him I had moved out from journalism, he said in his opinion I was the most suitable to represent the country with my experience in media. 

That was the era when there were severe restrictions on foreign travel. Anyone going abroad was allowed exchange to the value of only fifty rupees (£3 shillings 10) only – that too for a specified period. 

The invitation was from Singapore sent through Shelton Gunaratne, one-time Lake House journalist then in the Philippines. He had been in contact with AMIC. Levers Marketing Director L.S. (Stanley) Jayawardena was willing to give me leave and I decided to go.  

The participants from Asian countries were to stay in Ming Court Hotel. We were also going to be paid a stipend per day – a very attractive offer indeed. 

The participants had to present the media scene in the respective countries and bring along any publications related to mass communications to start a library. There was hardly any such material except for a report released by Lever Brothers. The company sponsored a periodical media survey to check on the newspaper readership to determine the best newspapers for advertising purposes. 

I took the latest report which had been released just a few weeks earlier. The moment I gave them the three volumes, I was asked how much it cost and the payment was settled as soon as I submitted the receipt. The money came in handy to make a few purchases, mainly clothing.

I was appointed the AMIC representative in Sri Lanka and my immediate assignment was to arrange a regional conference in Colombo. It was held at the Galle Face Hotel and I invited Arthur C. Clarke to deliver the keynote address. He gladly accepted. The delegates who had heard of Clarke as a world-recognised figure were thrilled to listen to him. 

With my workload at Levers increasing, I had to gradually move out of the AMIC work. Thereafter I was involved with advertising and promotional work which gave me an opportunity to meet the country’s leading figures in advertising. 

The agency handling Lever Brothers work was J Walter Thompsons but they moved out when restrictions on business by foreign companies were introduced by the mid-1960s socialist government. They allowed the local team to continue using the name Thompsons Ltd. The new agency continues to this day.   Ceylon Tobacco Company (CTC) Advertising was handled by two main agencies, the different brands being given to Grants Advertising led by Reggie Candappa and De Alwis Advertising headed by Anandatissa de Alwis.  The two of them were the most senior in the local advertising and working with them was yet another fine experience.