“Can I kill myself now, please” is what I am thinking after trying to select five campaigns to include in this Campaign Watch. For sure you have heard, read and said that Pakistani ads are this and that and Indian ads are so much better. Yes, that is true.

Yet why is that? There is no lack of creativity. Look at the sheer number of highly creative memes and parodies that some recent ads have garnered. This proves their popularity and the fact that they can generate lots of free media and attention. So what happens when really good work is produced? Answer: Clients and agencies collaborate to create amazing work.

BRAND: Ufone

Campaign: Sachay yaar ki talaash
Message: Ufone is better than Telenor. Beautifully told. This story of a friend looking for his sacha yaar ends with the typical, yet always welcome Ufone twist. More than the scenic beauty, it was the casting, which warmed my heart. For once the Pakistani public was not shown as anxious and repressed but as fun loving pranksters. Overall taking a shot at Telenor tells me as a marketer that Ufone perceives them to be the ones to watch out for among the competition. The shares and comments on the campaign tell you clearly that the audience understood the pun. Next time a client says people won’t get the idea, throw this ad at them.
Verdict: Scenic, smart with substance.

BRAND: Homage Inverter

Campaign: Crying over the mobile phone.
Message: The quality of your inverter has a direct impact on your life.
Simple story told beautifully. I had the honour of meeting Ogilvy’s Piyush Panday and his words of wisdom were, “make the ads that your chowkidaar talks about” and this is one such ad. I have sat through so many conversations with my maid, driver and other friends where they have mentioned this ad as one which they enjoyed and understood. My driver said that he knows his current UPS will break down soon and then he will buy Homage only. Now that’s an ad.
Verdict: Simple and effective.

BRAND: Sunsip

Campaign: Sub ka sip
Message: If you want to please your father-in-law, serve Sunsip (I can’t believe I just wrote that).
This ad also has a story but unfortunately it is a clichéd one. Retelling an old story is never the problem; look at the remakes that come out every year of stories like the Wizard of Oz and The Lord of the Rings; they are all based on the hero’s journey. Yet they are all different in their characterisation, plot twists and execution. Sadly and depressingly this is a copy of a copy of a copy. The brand idea is the very safe one which all brands want to push – we are for everyone... Service – Shoes for Everyone, Mobilink – Har dil, Har din, Bake Parlour – Sab hi khaatay hain etc.
Verdict: Cookie cutter, clichéd and clumsy.

BRAND: 7Up

Campaign: Ramazan
Message: Love of food brings people together.
A step forward from the now lacklustre jingle of Mano lo food ka love. To start off, congratulations to the team who sold this to the client; I am sure that with time the executions will become more realistic and believable. The stories are relatable and I am so glad that they are not hackneyed, yet the actors were poorly cast and the director didn’t push them enough.
Verdict: Wish you were real.

BRAND: Meezan chai

Campaign: Launch campaign
Message: Hum ko chahiye sirf Meezan chai.
This is a confusing one. The setting is unreal, where are these people, is this chand raat? Someone’s wedding or something else? Why are the kids running with the cotton candy, why does the main model snatch the tea from the other girl when there was enough Meezan chai available at the dhaaba? Why is the look and feel of the teapot and cups Arab? As a fighter brand, Meezan did a pretty okay job challenging the cooking oil industry. Much more was expected from them in the tea category, yet much to the relief of other tea players, Meezan lost the plot on this one.
Verdict: Never start without a ‘why’.

Atiya Zaidi is ECD, Ogilvy & Mather Pakistan. atiya.zaidi@ogilvy.com