Outlook Mixtape: Stories from the small print

You might flick through the ads in the back of the papers for a second-hand car or a job. But what if you stumbled on an advert looking for a parent? We’ve browsed the Outlook archives to bring you three surprising stories from the world of advertising.

Zarna Garg knows more than most, about the power of the ad. Born in Mumbai to a wealthy Indian family, she was kicked out by her controlling father when she refused an arranged marriage. Overnight, Zarna lost the home she knew and had to rely on the kindness of friends for a place to stay. After more than a year of instability, she succumbed to her father’s demands and agreed to be married. But just before the wedding, Zarna received a visa and arrived in the US – in pursuit of happiness and love, on her own terms. She decided to defy social norms and place a rather unconventional ad for a husband on an Indian classified website and waited to see who would respond…

When advertising executive Juan Carlos Ortiz  ran a campaign against the addictive qualities of cocaine it earned him a prestigious advertising award but also made him powerful enemies of the FARC guerilla group who relied on the drugs trade. A few years later, Juan Carlos (who was a whizz with radio jingles) was asked by a Colombian army chief to embed a secret message in a piece of music intended to be heard by hostages being held by FARC rebels in the middle of a jungle. But would he succeed?

Georgie Codd grew up in the UK with her mum and granny, both doting parents, but she always wondered what it would be like to have a dad. So one day she decided to advertise in newspapers and magazines for a father figure. Surely there would be men out there who had always longed to be fathers but thought they had missed their chance? Perhaps she could find these men? Georgie's numerous new pen pals uncover a tale of fathers, daughters and missing pieces.

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Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Hannah Dean

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707

(Photo: A transparent 60-minute cassette tape with a white label with the words: The Outlook Mixtape. Credit: Getty Images)