UN Women Pakistan – #BeatMe

Category: TVC
With an unconventional twist to advocacy on women’s rights, this UN campaign showcases strong women from various walks of life inviting men to beat them at things they excel in; wit, skill, hard work and determination. It is an inspiring piece of communication that shatters the ‘weaker sex’ perception by reaffirming that Pakistani women are stronger than they are made to look. I feel however, that this ad could have been more inclusive had they opted for a better balance of Urdu.
Agency: BBDO, Pakistan

Telenor – Infinity 4G

Category: TVC
Smartphone ads are not usually smart these days, but this Telenor ad is outstanding. They picked up simple and relevant insights to create a compelling argument for their new range of smartphones. This ad builds on the compromises people have to make to use 4G on their not-so-smart phones. The product features are very neatly weaved into the promise of a superior 4G internet experience by the service provider.
Agency: Adcom Leo Burnett, Pakistan

Allied Bank – Ap kay dil mein hamara account

Category: TVC
With a simple message of positivity, this ad features a cute little girl in the classroom teaching us about the different ways to open an account. It is a rare sight to see a child as the lead protagonist in a bank’s corporate ad. The concept does justice to their rather unique tagline Ap kay dil mein hamara account by spelling out how to do just that.
Agency: Fourays Advertising, Pakistan

Rooh Afza – Fun recipes

Category: TVC
How do you make the oldest, most iconic local brand look cool to a younger audience? Make a series of short, creative and fun to watch recipe videos using stop-motion pencil-drawing style and then add a ‘lift your spirits’ track, and creatively used sound effects. Every recipe video is a treat to watch and one keeps hitting repeat just to enjoy it.
Agency: Blitz Advertising, Pakistan

Globe and Disney: Rogue One – A Star Wars story

Category: Video
No, I am not a big Star Wars fan, but definitely a fan of the beautiful storytelling in this cross promotion ad for Disney’s Star Wars and Globe Telecom Philippines. The ad captures the tale of two siblings going through their day normally except for the fact that the younger sibling goes everywhere wearing her Stormtrooper helmet; from the classroom to holding dance-offs at home, eating breakfast, brushing her teeth to riding her bike, while her brother stands by loyally despite all the stares and remarks his sister attracts. Then one day, when she enters the classroom, it is filled with fellow Stormtroopers. Overawed by this warm welcome, she removes her mask. Beautifully thought, shot and edited!
Agency: Publicis JimenezBasic, Philippines

Coke & TCF – The Book Bank

Category: PR/Activation
Taking old visi coolers and turning them into bookshelves or book banks was a simple, yet genius, idea. These book banks were first seen at the Karachi Literature Festival and then at the Arts Council, theatres and malls in Karachi and Lahore. The activity earned Coke a lot of positive word of mouth while enabling TCF to educate underprivileged children.
Agency: APR Hill+Knowlton, Pakistan

Godivas – The box that keeps giving

Category: Packaging
If you could package the joy of giving, this would be it! Simply put, it is the nesting doll version of the signature gold Godiva chocolate packaging. The box has two different boxes inside, one to keep for yourself and the other to give to a loved one. Even the box you give has two boxes inside, and it goes on until two boxes containing one chocolate each are left. The best part about this innovation is that Godiva is leading the message of generosity by example. This special edition was only available at 20 key stores across the US for the holiday season, where it was given away by the staff to their customers.
Agency: McCann New York, USA

Ariel – #WashTheLabel

Category: Video
Finally something from Ariel that connects with the audience the way Ariel’s Maa did. The ad features a conversation between two female executives as they crib over a third, more successful colleague who is the boss’s favourite. They go on and label her ‘Boss ki chamchee’, only to discover how wrong their perception was and how hurtful their labelling words are. In an emotionally supercharged manner, the commercial closes on “Labels are Tougher than Stains”, connecting the brand in a simple yet memorable way, while challenging their key competitor by taking Ariel a notch above stains.
Agency: Adcom Leo Burnett, Pakistan

Umair Saeed is COO, Blitz Advertising. umair.saeed@blitz.pk