7. 2.
When Salton Inc. wanted to launch a range of grills in 1995, it roped in
this person for associating with the brand and lending his name for the
products. This person was known for having two grilled hamburgers
before he entered the ____, and it made sense to associate him with
the brand. It also helped that he was enjoying a spurt in popularity for
a 1994 win, one that was unexpected as he was 45 at that time.
Who is this person?
11. 3.
When Japan suffered from the earthquake compounded by a tsunami in
2011, it resulted in the Fukushima plant going off the grid, leading to
blackouts in Tokyo which is in the East. However, it could not import
electricity from the West as Japan does not have a national grid.
This is a legacy of the 1800s when electricity started its growth in Japan. The
Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) which started in 1883 got its
Alternating Current generators from the Germany company X, which
produced electricity at Europe’s 50 Hz whereas the Osaka Electric Light
Company bought AC generators from the American company Y which
produced electricity at USA’s 60 Hz. Thus Eastern Japan operates with 50 Hz
and Western Japan with 60 Hz.
What are the two companies X and Y that led to this unique situation?
16. 4.
This word, meaning ‘uncoined gold or silver’, comes from an Anglo-
French root which also meant a mint. This was perhaps because these
were melted to make coins, as the Anglo-French word itself had its
roots in Latin which signified the process.
Which word?
20. 5.
The reason that this particular day was chosen may have to do with the
fact that most employers give the employees the day off as part of the
Thanksgiving weekend. The day's name originated in Philadelphia,
where it was originally used to describe the heavy and disruptive
pedestrian and vehicle traffic that would occur on the day after
Thanksgiving. The day consistently ranks as one of the busiest shopping
days in the US, although the violence that usually occurs during the day
for a few discounts has been widely criticised.
What day is this?
21. This name grew out of the observation that millions of otherwise
productive working Americans, fresh off a Thanksgiving weekend of
window shopping, were returning to high-speed Internet connections
at work at the beginning of the week and buying what they liked.
The long queues that accompany the other day puts off many shoppers
who prefer to shop from home, and this was much easier for them.
Since the moniker was coined in 2005, 2010 became the first year with
saw $1 billion in online sales.
What day is this?
29. 7.
Although not very active outside its country’s borders, this company’s worth
is, by some estimates, $10 trillion, which would make it the world’s most
valuable company.
Headquartered in Dhahran, it was initially started by foreign companies in
the area. However, findings of resources resulted in ownership of the
company slowly moving into the government’s hands leading to the
company being completely owned by the country’s government.
The company also owns one of the largest supercomputers in the region,
having deployed one with capacity exceeding one petabyte for its operations
in late 2009.
Which company is this?
38. 1.
When his first three ventures, Alli Arjuna, Ratnavali and Nandakumar
failed, he began analysing the reasons for the failure. He saw that one
of the most important components for the skyrocketing costs was the
travel to Calcutta and Pune for reasons related to his work. He realised
that if he were to reduce this cost, his only choice would be to do what
he did in Calcutta and Pune in Chennai itself.
Who is this, and what did he set up to do the work in Chennai?
42. 2.
When Chaim Weizmann was to be transported back to his country from
Geneva in the September of 1948, it turned out to be quite
complicated. An embargo had been imposed on the country and the
Swiss did not allow military aircraft to land in their country. As
Weizmann was urgently required back in the country, a solution was
eventually worked upon, which led to the creation of something that
was to take ‘to the skies’.
Who was Chaim Weizmann, and what was created to take ‘to the
skies’?
43.
44. Chaim Weizmann was the first President of Israel;
an Israeli military aircraft was converted into a civilian one
and the El-Al Israel Airlines was thus started
45.
46. 3.
The use that these two phrases have in the present day take their
origins from bookkeeping in accounting. In keeping the accounts, two
different pens were used with one being used for keeping accounts on
the Debit side and the other for the Credit side.
As double entry bookkeeping had two entries, it meant that it was
easier to know what shape the accounts were in when the entries were
closed, and the use of separate pens also denoted that.
Although the practise in bookkeeping is not widely followed these days,
the two phrases still carry over into modern parlance. Which two
phrases?
47.
48. In the black/In the red for a company running
at a profit or loss respectively
49.
50. 4.
His first experience in transporting people was in 1841, when he
arranged for the transportation from Leicester to Loughborough for
500 temperance supporters. This was not a commercial venture and it
would be 4 more years before he started on it as a business, when even
publishing a handbook for the first journey.
Although he was keen on expanding to other parts of the continent
after expanding in Britain, he was asked for help in 1851 by Sir Joseph
Paxton for an event which required great effort in transporting workers
and visitors, something which he agreed to.
Who is this? And what is the 1851 event that he put in his efforts for?
54. 5.
Two of the widely used trading classifications for this commodity are
the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and X. The main difference between
WTI and X is that WTI is lighter and ‘sweeter’ than X because of its
lower density and Sulphur content.
X is extracted from the North Sea and is the leading global price
benchmark for the Atlantic basin. The name X comes from the naming
policy employed by a British company which originally named many
other places after birds, such as Auk, X, Cormorant, Dunlin, Eider and
so on.
What is the commodity? What is X?
58. 6.
Although the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act of 2003 has a
blanket ban on the advertisement on tobacco products, it makes an
exception on products displayed ‘at the entrance or inside a warehouse or a
shop’ where such products are offered for distribution or sale. This meant
that if an establishment sold cigarettes, it could advertise them.
Taking advantage of this exemption, Philip Morris India tied up with
companies in this field and directed its ‘campus ambassadors’ to bring their
friends to these locations. These outlets then became point of sale for
cigarettes as well, apart from what they primarily sold.
Which retail outlets were used by Philip Morris to circumvent the ban, where
consuming cigarettes with this sounds like a 2003 movie?
62. 7.
Although he is most famous for his work as a copywriter, he did not
begin his career in the advertising industry. He started off as a chef in
Paris, before moving to Scotland where he sold AGA stoves. This
experience was to help him later on. He then went on to found X and
Mather, with the backing of his earlier employer Mather and Crowther
in 1948 in New York. Working in the field for many years, he wrote
‘Confessions of an Advertising man’ in 1963. Who is he?
Known for his many campaigns, what is this an ad for?
“At 60 miles an hour, the loudest noise in this new ______ comes from
the electric clock”
66. 8.
When the British got Bombay from the Portuguese as part of the dowry of
Princess Catherine, they thought little of it and leased it to the East India
company for £10 a year. However, the British East India company wanted to
develop the city and one industry in particular was of importance to them in
this endeavor. To do this, they invited Lowji Nusserwanji to the city in 1736,
who brought along with him ten workmen, including a brother.
Their undertaking in Bombay took off very well, so much so that the family
became associated with the business they were in. This was such an
influence on the family, that Nusserwanji took upon as his surname the
business he was engaged in.
Which business was he engaged in? What surname did he take up?
70. 9.
Born in 1859 in Rheydt, he was initially interested in manufacturing industrial
equipment, going along the path of his father. Having made many industrial
patents, he founded his eponymous company in 1895 to utilise them.
The patents that he had gained became useful when he expressed an interest in
aviation in his 50s. The company did very well with numerous firsts in the field.
However, he did not have full control of his company with the German government
involved in many decisions as it viewed the company as a strategic asset. His
pacifist views didn’t help as well, with the Nazis demanding his patents and the
company. He gave in under coercion and his company was taken over by the Nazis
in 1934 and used as a tool for rearmament. The many war planes which the
company manufactured did not have his involvement as he passed away in 1935.
Who is this/Which company did he found?
75. 10.
Created in 1875 by the founder of X, this laboratory was created to advance
biochemical knowledge, especially in the field that the company operated in. The
laboratory has part of the company’s foundation till 1972, whereupon it was
transferred to the company.
One of the problems that the lab studied was in the transportation of the
company’s products, as the products turned sour after a while. One of the
researchers in the lab, Emil Hansen, managed to separate the yeast that was to
become the basis for production later on. He then named the yeast after the
company. But the name has been interchangeably used with another name given
by Max Rees (even literature in the field uses the name interchangeably), who
named it in honour of a scientist who helped solve similar problems for wine
makers through a heat treatment process. This scientist also visited the lab in
1894 and supported Hansen’s findings.
Which laboratory did he work at? Who was the scientist after whom the yeast
was named?
79. 11.
The PowerBooks were a series of laptop computers that were sold by Apple
from 1991 to 2006. Although they were a successful enterprise, having their
own base, Apple discontinued them for the MacBook range of laptops from
2006 after Steve Jobs announced it at the WWDC.
The PowerBooks did not differ from the Macs in their external appearance,
as both were based on the same design language. The change in
nomenclature mainly had to do with Apple transitioning from its ventures
with Motorola and IBM to a company that supplied most of its competitors,
a transition that companies such as Atari and Commodore stumbled in.
What was Apple moving to?
83. 12.
Roxy is a female sports clothing brand that was founded in 1990 and is
headquartered in California. Which clothing brand is it the sister
organisation of?
The logo of Roxy may be of some help.
87. 13.
Sony Pictures recently appointed a new PR advisor, Judy Smith, to help
deal with the media attention in the aftermath of the hacking and the
drama surrounding the release of the movie The Interview. Smith came
with years of experience and had previously worked with the Bush Sr.
administration and Monica Lewinsky and is a self-appointed “crisis
guru”.
Smith, however, is more famous as the inspiration behind a well-known
T.V. character.
Give us the T.V. show and the name of the character.
91. 14.
Miracle on 34th Street is a 1947 movie that won multiple Oscars.
34th Street is the iconic destination for an annual event watched by
millions on television each year, while also containing the world’s
biggest version of an annual event. By 1947, the event had become so
popular that 34th street became synonymous with X and the event.
Give X and the event named after X.
92.
93. X – Macy’s; The annual event is the Macy’s Thanksgiving
Day Parade
94.
95. 15.
“Management certainly appeared to be distracted, for whatever
reasons,” said analyst Norman Young of Morningstar Inc. in Chicago.
Analyst Steve Koenig of Wedbush Securities in San Francisco agreed.
“There is ample evidence to say that Vivek was not minding the store,
at least not as well as he should have been…”
These were some of the expert comments after it was announced that
TIBCO was being sold to a PE firm, Vista Equity Partners.
Give us the “distraction” being cited above.
96.
97. The ownership of the Sacramento Kings and the Golden
State Warriors
98.
99. 16.
Doxa is a Swiss watch brand immortalized as the watch brand of choice
for Dirk Pitt in Clive Cussler’s books. However, it is a real company,
producing watches meant for divers.
The watch shown is iconic, and made specifically for members of a
certain family. Each watch is made for a specific mission and will be
sold at a later date to raise funds for Oceans Futures’ Society, a charity
set up by one member of the family.
Who was the watch made for, often known as the First Family of Diving.
104. 17.
GestiFute is a Portuguese company that began operations in 1996. The
main business lay in advising and facilitating trade in certain products
to companies. However, its activities were found to be illegal by an
international body which cited a conflict of interest as the point of
illegality. Thus, GestiFute’s holdings are now illegal, but it still provides
advisory services.
What is the ‘product’ that was deemed unlawful?
105.
106. Football players; GestiFute is Jorge Mendes’ company that held
third-party ownership rights over some football players.
107.
108. 18.
The Pullman Porter Service was an important milestone in services
offered to passengers on American trains. Started in the 1860s, the job
provided employment opportunities to African American men.
The service itself became necessary due to something Pullman had
introduced prior to this in 1858 that ensured that passengers would be
spending more time on trains with fewer stopovers.
What was the service that debuted in 1858 and continues to be in use
till today?
109.
110. Drop-down berths for sleeping on trains. Pullman Porters were
employed in making the beds and taking care of the passengers who did
not have to get off trains for the night anymore.
111.
112. Written Theme Round
5 questions written with a theme
+10 for each question. +10 for the theme
60 points overall
113. 1.
This product is not originally blue in colour. Indian safety regulations
require that it be easily identifiable, leading to the blue colour.
Similarly, the product is purple in some countries. It is used for cooking
and heating purposes.
115. 3.
In 1972, X tubes were modified with hidden microphones and were
used by G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt during the time of the
Watergate break-in. The operator would hold them in his hand with the
wires running up his sleeve and a push-to-talk button like on a walkie-
talkie.
Which commonplace item was used as an effective spying tool?
117. 5.
X is part of the iconic American cowboy look. The first one of its kind
was made in 1865, when the maker was out on a prospecting trip in
Colorado. X, which carried the name of the original maker, came to be
an indicator of prosperity among the American populace. The demand
for X meant that production soon became mechanised, making X a
pioneer in his field.
What is X?
119. 1.
This product is not originally blue in colour. Indian safety regulations
require that it be easily identifiable, leading to the blue colour.
Similarly, the product is purple in some countries. It is used for cooking
and heating purposes.
127. 3.
In 1972, X tubes were modified with hidden microphones and were
used by G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt during the time of the
Watergate break-in. The operator would hold them in his hand with the
wires running up his sleeve and a push-to-talk button like on a walkie-
talkie.
Which commonplace item was used as an effective spying tool?
135. X is part of the iconic American cowboy look. The first one of its kind
was made in 1865, when the maker was out on a prospecting trip in
Colorado. X, which carried the name of the original maker, came to be
an indicator of prosperity among the American populace. The demand
for X meant that production soon became mechanized, making X a
pioneer in his field.
What is X?
140. Special round - 3
3 sets of 2 questions
The answer for the second question is contained with the first answer
+10 for each question. 60 points in all.
141. 1 (A)
X recently commissioned a calendar by the photographer Steve
McCurry as part of its efforts to raise awareness about African
sovereignty over their food. It was a follow up to their “10000 Gardens
in Africa” project which sought to maintain traditional seed varieties in
the African continent.
X sources a lot of its products from Africa, particularly Ethiopia.
What is X?
142. 1 (B)
Y is derived from the Arabic word which meant “all good things in the
world”. It started off in the Sultanate of Oman but has its main
operations in southern India and is headquartered in Cochin. Y looked
to expand further when it started it’s second factory in DR Congo and
has a thriving African business now.
145. 3 (A)
Alfonso Cuarón is a director who became famous for directing movies
such as Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2001) and Gravity
(2013). His production company is named rather uniquely after a
constructed language.
What is his film company called?
146. 3 (B)
Despite advances is packaging technology, alcohol and spirits makers
refuse to use _____ to sell them. Initially, there was a fear that the
____ would be chemically compromised by the alcohol in them.
However, that has been disproved and the FDA approved them for
storing and sale of alcohol. One of the main reasons why people
continue to use glass bottles is the premium value associated to it,
especially when compared to ______.
148. 1 (A)
X recently commissioned a calendar by the photographer Steve
McCurry as part of its efforts to raise awareness about African
sovereignty over their food. It was a follow up to their “10000 Gardens
in Africa” project which sought to maintain traditional seed varieties in
the African continent.
X sources a lot of its products from Africa, particularly Ethiopia.
What is X?
149. 1 (B)
Y is derived from the Arabic word which meant “all good things in the
world”. It started off in the Sultanate of Oman but has it’s main
operations in southern India and is headquartered in Cochin. Y looked
to expand further when it started it’s second factory in DR Congo and
has a thriving African business now.
158. 3 (A)
Alfonso Cuarón is a director who became famous for directing movies
such as Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2001) and Gravity
(2013). His production company is named rather uniquely after a
constructed language.
What is his film company called?
159. 3 (B)
Despite advances is packaging technology, alcohol and spirits makers
refuse to use _____ to sell them. Initially, there was a fear that the
____ would be chemically compromised by the alcohol in them.
However, that has been disproved and the FDA approved them for
storing and sale of alcohol. One of the main reasons why people
continue to use glass bottles is the premium value associated to it,
especially when compared to ______.
164. The Ghanaian currency of Cedi was introduced in 1965, replacing the
pound that was in circulation after the independence of the country.
The word Cedi is the Fante word for this commodity that was formerly
used as currency in many parts of Africa. Although this commodity is
not native to West African waters, it is a common species in the Indian
ocean. They were brought to Ghana by Arab traders in the beginning of
the 14th century, who in turn may have traded it from Asia.
Which commodity, which has its common name as ‘Monetaria moneta’,
reflecting its relation for use as currency?
167. The geographical feature which gave the town, and in turn the
company, its name was not in fact one, but several broken hills.
Although the place started out with great prospects of deposits, the
initial stages did not lead to much success and many shareholders sold
their shares and left the company. When the company eventually
struck rich, there were just 9 shareholders left.
Nicknamed ‘The big Australian’, this is Australia’s largest company by
market capitalization and the world’s largest in its respective field.
Which company is this?
170. Although this has existed for centuries, the first modern instance of this
in the Arab world was in 1963 in the town of Mit Ghamr, Egypt. The
town is primarily known for its aluminum production and is the largest
centre of production for the same in Egypt.
The implementation of this is credited to Dr. Ahmad El Najjar. He saw
that there were many poor people who were outside the financial
system and were wary of state run companies. By circumventing this
traditional practise, he was able to attract a large number of poor
people who could not have otherwise come into the system.
What was this the first modern instance of? What did he circumvent,
something that attracted many poor people to the scheme?
173. It originally commenced operations as X Drive-Ins in 1954, when founder Roc
Kirby began running one of Australia's first drive-in cinemas in the
Melbourne suburb of Croydon. The drive-in was adjacent to a shopping strip
called ‘Croydon X’; hence the company adopted the ‘X’ name. The company
later expanded into traditional cinemas in major areas, though it still
operates the Coburg Drive-In in Coburg.
In 1988, XY took over De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, which brought on
a change of name: XY Limited.
The company is known in India mainly for its joint venture with Priya
Exhibitors, the JV having been in operation since 1997.
Which company?
181. With the recent thawing of relations between the USA and Cuba, the possibility of
lifting of the embargo on Cuba has many countries waiting to enter the new
market. However, this company differs from the others in that it wants to re-enter
the place of its birth.
Spaniard Facundo Massó along with his brother José set up the first plant in
Santiago de Cuba to manufacture the company’s products in 1862. The institution
of something in the USA in the 1920s made the company market Cuba as the home
of this and the company’s product as the king of this.
When the Cuban government began to nationalise properties of businesses, this
company moved its intangible assets out of the company and the company’s Cuban
assets were eventually confiscated in 1960 and the company is headquartered in
Bermuda today.
Which company is this, one that is the largest privately held in its field of
operation?
184. More than a decade after this incident, WTAS Llc, a San Francisco-based tax
consultancy founded out of this company’s ashes, was changing its name to
the company’s name last year.
“Our issues with _____were the mistake of a few,” said Mark Vorsatz, WTAS’s
chief executive officer, who started the company 12 years ago with 22 other
former partners. “Irrespective of ____, we thought we were the benchmark
in the industry.”
Although changing the name to this company’s name would’ve gained them
attention, it may not necessarily have been positive as many people still see
the company in a negative light and in association with ____.
Which company’s name did WTAS adopt? FITB.
187. Excerpt from a poem by a 1971 Nobel laureate. FITB, which is
also the name of the poem. Also name the laureate.
Their obese emperors from New York
are suave smiling assassins
who buy silk, nylon, cigars
petty tyrants and dictators.
They buy countries, people, seas, police, county
councils,
distant regions where the poor hoard their corn
like misers their gold:
_______ awakens them,
clothes them in uniforms, designates
which brother is the enemy.
the Paraguayan fights its war,
and the Bolivian wastes away
in the jungle with its machine gun.
A President assassinated for a drop of petroleum,
a million-acre mortgage,
a swift execution on a morning mortal with light,
petrified,
a new prison camp for subversives,
in Patagonia, a betrayal, scattered shots
beneath a petroliferous moon,
a subtle change of ministers
in the capital, a whisper
like an oil tide,
and zap, you’ll see
how ______’s letters shine above the clouds,
above the seas, in your home,
illuminating their dominions
192. This multinational food and shopping corporation was initially started in
Japan but expanded to South Korea, where it is now the country’s largest
confectionary maker and one of the largest Chaebols.
However, its name has no connection to either Korea or Japan. Founder Shin
Kyuk-Ho took inspiration from Goethe’s ‘The sorrows of young Werther’,
naming the company after the female protagonist Charlotte in the book.
The company is mostly known to us for a snack which is ubiquitous. This
product was originally sold by Tongyang confectionery in South Korea.
Imitators of the product followed, the first of which was this company.
However, a court ruling did not protect the brand as the court said that the
product had become a ‘common noun’.
Which company? What product?
196. The following picture shows the municipal stadium in Minami-ku,
Hiroshima, which is also the home of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. Opened
on April 10, 2009, the stadium has a seating capacity of 32,000.
Which company has the naming rights to the stadium from 2009-2014?
The company is also headquartered in Hiroshima prefecture.
202. This island has, since the 17th century, been associated with coffee. The
association is so strong that the name of the island itself stands for
coffee in a few countries.
The cultivation of coffee began here when the island was a Dutch
territory and the crop has since been grown here. The current coffee
production is centered on the Ijen plateau, with many famed varieties
of coffee originating here.
Which place is this?
206. This retail chain was started by M. A. Yousaf Ali, when its outlets were
opened in a comparatively smaller format in the 1990s. The chain
opened the first of its flagship entities in Dubai in 2000, and has since
gone on an aggressive expansion plan, with outlets being opened in the
neighbouring countries of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, etc.
Although the company has a very strong presence in the GCC region, it
is more well known for one of its stores outside the region.
Which retail chain is this? Where is the chain’s only store outside the
GCC region?
211. This is a traditional sweet from the areas of Palermo and Messina in
Sicily. It consists of a round sponge cake moistened with fruit juices or
liqueur and layered with ricotta cheese, candied peel, and a chocolate
or vanilla filling similar to cannoli cream.
Although there are different versions, its origin of Arabian making is
generally accepted. The Arabic word qas'ah from which the sweet
derives its name, means a bowl and is thought to refer to that which
gives it its shape.
However, most of us know of this through a Neapolitan ice cream of
the same name. What is this?
214. Though it is a small area, this square mile is the most important centre
for this commodity in the world. Within this area are four exchanges,
four banks and a Centre all for the purpose of transacting this item.
The majority of the traders used to belong to the Hasidic Jewish
community, with their practices spreading over into business as well,
such as no business being conducted on a Saturday. However, recent
years have seen a rise in Indians in the trade, mainly Jains. The rise of
India in the trading of this commodity has also helped the Jains gain a
foothold in the field.
Which city? Which item?
217. Seen as a vital asset in wars against Germany, then French Prime Minister
Raymond Poincaré rejected the idea of forming a partnership with Royal
Dutch Shell and formed the Compagnie française des pétroles.
It soon began producing oil from French territories in Africa from countries
such as Algeria. It introduced its famous brand of gasoline in Africa in 1954,
bringing it to Europe the same year.
Building on the popularity of the gasoline brand, it decided to rename itself
after the brand.
What did it rename itself as?
221. After England's crushing defeat by France, the dominant naval power,
in naval engagements culminating in the 1690 Battle of Beachy Head, it
was under a severe resource crunch and did not have many ways of
raising them. No public funds were available, and the credit of William
III's government was so low in London that it was impossible for it to
borrow the £1,200,000 that the government wanted.
To induce people to subscribe to the loan, under what name were the
subscribers to the loan incorporated under in 1694?
226. 1.
When this company raised $50 million in Venture Capital funding last year, it said
that it wanted to allocate about 10% of its overall equity to its active users. In
December, it announced that the equity would take the form of what it called X.
‘To celebrate all of you and your contributions, we plan to give away X in a random
lottery. As of this point, it looks like we’re going to have approximately 950,000 X to
divide among active user accounts. There aren’t as many X as there are accounts,
so if you get one, lucky you! Eligible recipients of X will be determined based on
activities before 9/30/14, and we plan to give them away in the fall of 2015.’
"In a lot of ways, it's not like a currency. It's something of value, like sugar or gold or
bacon. It can be transferred" said one of its founders.
What is X?
234. 3.
This word comes from Old French meaning ‘money bag or purse’, which
in turn comes from Medieval Latin for a bag. The term originated in 13
century in Bruges where the sign of a purse hung on the front of the
house where merchants met. The current sense of the word meaning
‘exchange for merchants’ was first recorded in 1845, from the name of
the Paris stock exchange.
Which word?
238. 4.
Last September, around two thousand people gathered on Dam Square in
Amsterdam. For €15 each they could participate in a food fight involving ten
thousand kilograms of tomatoes. Although it sounds like a festival, this food
fight had nothing to do with La Tomatina, and was a move by the organisers
to save the farmers who grew the tomatoes. They were hit by sanctions
imposed by the country for which the tomatoes were to be exported in
retaliation for earlier sanctions which were spearheaded by the Netherlands.
This country is one of the Netherlands’ largest trading partners with the
Netherlands being the second largest investor in this country. However, an
event which occurred on July 17, 2014 fiercely turned the Netherlands
against this country and the relations between the two have been hostile
ever since, with a large majority of the Dutch people holding this country
responsible for it.
Which country is this? What was the July 17, 2014 incident?
239.
240. Russia; the Malaysia Airlines crash in July.
Of the 298 who perished on flight MH17, 196 were Dutch nationals.
241.
242. 5.
The floods in Kashmir last year resulted in great damage for many
industries, of which this is one. The floods resulted in the raw material
used for the production of this either being submerged or affected by
moisture, making it of little use. Although the raw material from
Kashmir is not the only one which can be used for this, the other
variety is not preferred because of it being far too expensive.
What product is set to see an increase in prices this year? What is the
other variety that is much more expensive than the Kashmiri one?
246. 6.
When this company decided on its first global advertising campaign in
2003, it chose Justin Timberlake to record the song, which
subsequently appeared on its ads. He was chosen as the company
wanted to rekindle the flagging desire of consumers – particularly
younger ones.
Although the song has disappeared from public memory, the campaign
which the company started continues to this day and is globally
associated with the brand.
Which company? What was the global campaign?
250. 7.
Although known to us in a fictional universe, many companies did
actually have this as their name. This was mainly during the 1920s
when alphabetised business telephone directories such as Yellow Pages
began to be widespread. To have their business early among the
entries, many companies chose this as their name.
This made sense as people usually chose the entry which was at the
beginning of the book rather than flipping through pages and searching
for other ones.
Which name?
255. 8.
An ad agency created a campaign for the Immigration Council of Ireland
last year to highlight the issue of sex trafficking in the country, and the
plight of the victims. When they needed to connect with the public on
the issue, they choose to do it through something that was (and
continues to be) very popular in Ireland.
Users on this platform saw the profiles created as part of this
campaign, with each subsequent photo showing the women worse off
because of trafficking and ending with a message about the issue.
Which platform did they run this campaign on, something that a few of
us use regularly?
259. 9.
Prince Arthur was the third son of Queen Victoria and a member of the
British royal family. Having a private education for the early part of his
childhood, he entered the Royal Military Academy when he was 16 and
joined the British Army after his graduation. During his service in the British
Army, he was made the first Duke of one of the four provinces of Ireland.
Although his presence in India was minimal, he lent his name to a location
(through his title) which started construction in 1929 and was completed in
1933.
Which location did he lend his name to, a place that is said to be one of the
most expensive office destinations in the world?
263. 10
X is a media network under threat of a hostile takeover from the step-
brother and step- sister of the present owners. To save the whole
group, the news division of the company is sold off to a young buyer
who wants to revolutionize the way news content is created and
consumed. This ultimately leads to a continuous altercation between
the owners and staff and remains unresolved.
Give us X.
264.
265. Atlantis World Media; the news network is called Atlantis Cable
News from the HBO series The Newsroom.
266.
267. 11
During the Libyan Civil War, telephone connectivity to rebel-controlled areas
were cut off by Libyana (owned and operated by Gaddafi’s son). Recognising
the need for mobile telephony, the rebels hacked into the existing
infrastructure and routed the calls through a company in London. They cited
receiving help from X, and this was seen as a sign of the middle eastern
countries approving the rebel cause.
X is known to us for an unsuccessful attempt at the Indian market, where it
was claimed that their intentions were not so honorable. A partner of X was
eventually questioned for having ties with the underworld amid other
concerns, leading to X’s exit from India permanently in 2012.
Give X.
271. 12.
The Great Southern Rail in Australia has a rather unusual name and
logo for one of its trains. Connecting Adelaide to Darwin through Alice
Spring, the train is called The Ghan.
Why is it called so? What is the reason for the logo?
272.
273.
274. Ghan is derived from “Afghan”. During the early days of Australian
exploration, camels were imported from Afghanistan and other regions
along with their trainers as horses were not sturdy enough.
The train is called the Ghan because camels were used in building the
railroad.
275.
276. 13.
In 1998, X started an ad campaign with a plus-sized doll called Ruby.
Ruby was derived from the word rubenesque, and was called the anti-
Barbie. However, the campaign was short lived as Mattel forced X to
take down posters showing Ruby as the poster was supposed to have
traumatized American audiences.
X has, in the past, been associated with raising awareness on bulimia
and anorexia as well.
What is X?
281. 14.
In 1975, Sebring-Vanguard started making a single car model Citicar, in
response to an event. The event spurred sales in the car, making
Sebring-Vanguard the 6th most-selling carmaker in the USA in 1976.
However, the production run ended in 1977 when the demand for the
car petered out, when the relevance of the event reduced. The model
continues to be in demand with car collectors even today.
Give me the event, and why the car was so successful.
282.
283. OPEC oil crisis in 1973; Citicar was an electric car, and was the
highest selling electric car model till the Tesla Roadster S.
284.
285. 15.
Shown on the next slide is a Lithuanian 10 litas note. While the note is
no longer legal tender, the note has been trading for nearly 4 times its
erstwhile value on the back of strong demand from members of a
certain community who are able to use it.
What community?
286.
287.
288. Since the note shows two handsome men in uniform, it is accepted as
tender in a lot of gay clubs in Western Europe. This has led to demand
from a lot of foreigners to keep the note as a souvenir and raised the
price of the note.
289.
290. 16
Over the years, X has urged Y to stand down because he is "too old",
labelled him a "warmonger" for supporting the Iraq invasion, tried to
block him from buying the Los Angeles Dodgers and called for him to
quit over the phone hacking scandal. He even challenged him to a fist
fight in 2003 when a boat sponsored by Y ran into one of X’s during a
Sydney to Hobart race, causing it to sink.
X and Y are fierce rivals and run competing businesses. In 2014, Y’s
company proposed to buy out a company owned by X leading to
speculation about possible retaliation from X.
Who are X and Y?
294. 17.
“When my great-great-grandparents came here, they came with
nothing. They left then-Russia, Kiev, with nothing. Their story really is a
foundation of the views and values that we've carried through the
family for the last 130-plus years” .
The family referred to is today one of America’s foremost business
names and owns the Hyatt group of hotels and other businesses. A
foundation run by the family also initiated a prize which is highly
sought after in its field.
Identify the illustrious family.
298. 18. Excerpt from A suitable Boy by Vikram
Seth
The Czech officers, including their Managing Director, had not been
born to white collars. For them the Praha ____ company was their life
and Praha creed virtually their religion. Their branches and factories
and shops spread around the world…Whenever Young Mr Tomin visited
India from his world headquarters in London (not, alas, Prague any
longer), the entire Praha world would be abuzz with excitement.
Telephones rang all over Prahapore and urgent messages went back
and forth from the head office in Calcutta to announce his god-like
progress…
Which company has Seth modelled Praha after?