Johnnie Walker – The Man Who Walked Around the World

Category: TVC
For the past 150 years, Johnnie Walker has stuck to the single and sustainable mantra of ‘keep walking’. This TVC, featuring Scottish actor Robert Carlyle, is my favourite in the series. Set in Scotland, where it all began in the 18th century, Carlyle’s effortless one-take monologue is a masterpiece of storytelling that keeps you glued to the screen. A great example of a brand walking like it’s talking!
Agency: Bartle Bogle Hegarty, London

Beats by Dr Dre – The Game Before the Game
Category: TVC
Athletes go through a lot of inner wars and mental pressure prior to big games. Dr Dre picked up this particular moment and urged them to keep calm, block the voices and focus on the game. The best part is the product insertion, which plays the biggest role in allowing you to focus on something big… a great pair of headphones.
Agency: R/GA London and R/GA Los Angeles

Standard Chartered Bank – The Coolest Movie You’ll Never See
Category: TVC
Mobile banking commercials are often predictable and boring, so it’s nice to see a message that is not only captivating, but puts a smile on your face. Imagine being in a movie theatre and just before the movie starts, you are confronted by a fake movie trailer that slips in all the info about the product before you even realise what you are watching.
Agency: Manhattan International, Pakistan

Blue Band – #AchayiBarhnayDo
Category: TVC, Digital
Although the message is not unique, it certainly took on a new life when it came from Blue Band. I particularly like the simplicity and emotion in the execution. The hashtag is seamlessly linked to the protagonist as well as to the product. It’s refreshing when brands take a step forward to show special individuals as normal and productive members of society – even if it is just a single step.
Agency: MullenLowe India and MullenLowe Rauf, Pakistan

Zameen.com – Har Pata Humain Pata Hai
Category: TVC In Pakistan, Fawad Khan sells; there is no doubt about it. However, the idea behind the ad should be strong enough to stand on its own. This is one instance where both come together to produce an insightful communication with a healthy dose of emotion. I am sure this ad will resonate with Pakistanis who dream of owning their own home.
Agency: Starcrest Communications, Pakistan

Ufone – Super Minutes
Category: TVC
After a long and successful stint with humour, this was a good flavour for the brand to add to its personality. The insight they picked is widely relatable and well-realised in the execution. Enough of the flowery scripts and random slow motion shots. This is a great example of how brands should talk to their consumers – real messages for real people.
Agency: JWT, Pakistan

UN Women – The Autocomplete Truth
Category: TVC, Print, Digital, OOH This is probably one of the most powerful and relevant print campaigns for women’s rights I have ever seen. An idea like this really hits home in places like the Middle East, where basic women’s rights are overlooked on a daily basis. I loved the simplicity along with the unlimited possibilities to campaign it further. Hats off to the creative team for creating such a simple and impactful concept.
Agency: Memac Ogilvy & Mather, UAE

Ariel – #WashTheLabel
Category: TVC, Digital
The two things I liked the most about this idea was the way the concept was weaved into the category and how they used a different tone to speak to the women. Although I am not a big fan of the execution, I would argue that these films are good enough to break the mould of hard-selling and comparison-based communications.
Agency: Adcom Leo Burnett, Pakistan

Asrar Alam is Associate Creative Director, Manhattan International. asrar@manhattan.com.pk