Dairy dilemmas

Ten years in this field of creating stories out of thin air and I still haven’t quite figured out the ‘magic formula’ for a ‘great ad’. The reason is simple: there is none. Arriving at that one simple idea that will change the world (so to speak) is a tenuous journey that begins with ‘unlearning’. Look at all the references you want, all those amazing ads that have won awards, visuals that make your heart swoon and then ‘do the exact opposite’. Sift through gazillions of borrowed images, rooting them out one by one, slowly, consciously, until you are once again left with a blank canvas. And this is your start. The beginning of a story told.

All great stories come from understanding what makes people human. Not restricted by religion or geography, but as beings who think, love, believe and bleed in the same way. And once we get to the heart of understanding who they are, we then strive to tell their tale, chipping away at our own biases until we are just the medium for an idea. I wish I could say that reaching this stage comes with experience. Actually it does, but not through the accumulation of years. Rather, it comes from having heard a million ‘nos’, failed at a thousand things you thought you were great at, of never being happy with the work others have thought to be good, of being restless and stupid for more. More than anything, telling a great story means taking a chance – and cautious beings that we are, this is one thing we try to steer clear of. The most important barrier to break is the one within. This issue focuses on the dairy segment and I was asked to concentrate on some of the most recent campaigns in the category.

BRAND: Omung Lassi

Campaign: Guru ho ja shuru

Message: Lassi = Love 101?

Effectiveness: Minus four. My issue (one of many): what I get from this is, ‘drink lassi to learn a few hardcore lessons on love’ and/or ‘love is like some of the attributes of this amazing drink: sweet or sour or pure, blah blah.’ What on earth does lassi have to do with falling in love and relationships, etc.? That’s right: nothing. What is the product’s role then? Yes, full marks again: nothing. What does it say about lassi? Umm… nothing. I don’t like campaigns where the big idea is nothing. The campaign seems to be about the epitome of manliness, which in this case is this man disco dancing on a stage, singing pop and then qawwali, at all times flocked by girls fluttering, swaying and intoxicated by his words of wisdom about lassi being the key to unlocking love’s great secrets. Throw in loud music, gaudy sets and an explosion of colours to make up for the lack of an idea, put in crazy amounts of money and viola! You have a campaign.

Verdict: Trash. Why are we subjected to this nonsense that challenges even the most basic dictums of advertising?

BRAND: Nestlé EveryDay

Campaign: Tum mein hai kuch khaas

Message: A tribute to the self-sacrificing women of Pakistan.

Effectiveness: It would have been a good campaign for an NGO or for women fighting against abuse, but the link to a dairy whitener remains sketchy at best.

I understand targeting ‘homemakers of the traditional variety’ in a music video that says ‘tum mein hai kuch khaas’ 15 times in five seconds might have some commercial appeal, but I actually liked the storytelling EveryDay had begun to be associated with. At least there was a brand link that came out strongly: unique women with a unique approach to everyday life choose EveryDay, which in itself is a unique solution to tea whitening. And that made sense. This music video seems like a desperate attempt to talk to women of all ages everywhere in Pakistan, hoping someone, somewhere will pick up a pack.

Verdict: Could have been worse. At least it has the target audience pinned right. Maybe the message will grow to address specific emotional states that are unique to EveryDay. Or, more likely, they will go on to churn out more such heart wrenching (not) music videos. Please God, no.

BRAND: Olper’s Milk

Campaign: Mera intikhab

Message: Power to women!

Effectiveness: Imagine a woman (in stop-motion) flying like a butterfly, landing in a fashion studio, stepping into a world of daisies (and many other such adventures) until she finds herself on top of a milk pack with her daughter/sister/neighbour’s kid enjoying a glass of milk. Key message: I am the captain of my fate and although I didn’t choose to be a woman I still choose Olper’s! Humm. I don’t know what to make of this except that it ‘still’ doesn’t differentiate this brand from the five others on the shelf. Stop-motion notwithstanding it still does ‘not’ make up for the lack of brand connection and ahem, if I may say, is quite absurd.

Verdict: Yawn in stop-motion. Give me a story! Excite me, intrigue me, if nothing else entertain me, but don’t insult my intelligence, and that too using bad animation!

BRAND: Nestlé MilkPak

Campaign: Banaye muzboot gharana

Message: Every time you find yourself in the scenic outdoors (almost never when it comes to most Pakistanis) a dabba of MilkPak goes a long way in helping you hike, row, bungee jump, skate, canoe, etc.

Effectiveness: Arrrrgghhh! Sorry, just expressing my frustration at the lack of relevance! Let me get this straight: you want more people to have packaged milk while at home by showing them enjoying it outdoors in locations they have only seen in pictures? Where is the sense? Who is the brand manager? Which is the agency? Where is my gun? I have nothing more to say. Honestly.

Verdict: Strategically, creatively… okay I’m going to say it… mentally challenged.

BRAND: Tarang

Campaign: Chai ka sahee jor

Message: Learn to sing like grandma? So… the granddaughter is not at her musical best, but then having had Tarang waalee chai she is spurred into spontaneous action which ends up in dancing vicariously in various costumes supported by a bevy of other Tarang drinkers who, I’m assuming, are all high on life.

Effectiveness: Idea is umm… Tarang helps you get back in touch with grandma who can channel her artistic talents from beyond.

Verdict: Kill me now. Supernatural stuff doesn’t really cut it for me when it comes to dairy whiteners, especially those that end in a flashy dance routine with an irritating score that grates on my nerves.

Madeeha Noor is Executive Creative Director,
BBDO Pakistan.
madeehanoor@gmail.com