People want to watch content, be it on TV, digital or any other media, uninterrupted and actively try to avoid advertising messages. The challenge for us creatives is to get on the audience’s radar and deliver the brand message. There are different arguments about the sort of ads that work; should they be entertaining, humorous or something else? My stand is that we are not in the business of entertainment; we are in the business of selling our clients’ products and services. People should remember the ad for the right reasons. Having said this, advertising that works is insightful and connects with the consumers’ sweet spot. So, the hook can be entertaining, humorous, dramatic or emotional, it is a choice based on many things (at times the brand manager’s whim), but it needs to get the consumer’s attention in the first few seconds and hold it until the message is delivered. At the end of the day, consumer reaction to seeing the ad and the journey to the cash register depends on: “What’s in it for me?” Let’s see what’s on review and how it qualifies.

Brand: Kia Sportage

Message: Different is Good

Agency: MullenLowe Rauf

Effectiveness: I am always a little sceptical about ads based on analogies; they take up too much time establishing the analogy and thereby compromise the brand. Having said this, being different is a good idea and this ad had an engaging beginning by establishing a different kind of dad. The kind you would love to have, so it had me hooked and I watched it to the end. However, the ad did not go on to convince me why Sportage was so different that I would love to own it. There were a few flashes of product features, but none were established clearly. Overall the production values, the location and the casting were good; the kid was cute and the dad nice. It was a pleasant watch but it did not establish how Kia Sportage is different and why it is special. It fell short of convincing me to find out more about the car or own it.

Verdict: A good idea; scored some good points but failed to follow through.

Brand: Jazz

Message: Dunya Ko Bataa Do!

Agency: IAL Saatchi & Saatchi

Effectiveness: TV is an audio-visual medium, yet concept writers often seem to forget this. For a TV campaign, it is best to start with a visual idea. This TVC seems like a typical case of writing an audio narration and then trying to make a TVC out of it. The Silver Jubilee celebration script sounds great on radio; it says all the right things about Jazz’s 25-year journey, its leadership and innovative products, with engaging sound that makes you listen to the whole spot without switching stations. I cannot say the same for the TVC because it lacked a big visual idea. It seems the team was hoping that the director would create some magic in the execution. Jazz keeps depending on a beautiful girl to create the hook – starting with a very risqué (for the times) billboard about 20 years ago, right up to the current campaign. These days, most ads are shot at beautiful locations, with celebrities and grand scale productions… so they don’t make much impact anymore.

Verdict: A well-executed celebration ad that would have stood out a decade ago.

Brand: Surf Excel

Message: Ziyada Tez

Agency: MullenLowe Lintas Group/MullenLowe Rauf Group

Effectiveness: Another ad from Surf Excel’s long running campaign ‘dagh tou achay hain’. It’s been a while since Surf has been using this message in their communication, yet they manage to come up with new executions every time. The ad speaks of the brand’s attributes of speed and effectiveness in removing stains, but does so in the cutest way. It starts with an adorable little girl, who typically wants what she wants, practicality be damned. An elder sibling who tries to help their mother make biryani by quickly mixing rice and curry to make it look like biryani but in the process badly stains his clothes. This well-executed ad effortlessly communicates the brand’s strengths and connects with their target audience (mothers of young children). I don’t think there is a single parent who has not had to clean unspeakable things from their children’s clothes and seeing this ad will connect ‘cute’ aspects of their own children.

Verdict: Building a connection with your audience is an integral part of building a brand and this TVC does it successfully.

Brand: Lifebuoy Shampoo

Message: Ziyada Mazbooti

Agency: Sandpaper

Effectiveness: The promise of mazboot (strong) hair with Lifebuoy Shampoo is subtly incorporated in this CSR initiative, promoting education for girls that will make them mazboot. A very emotional message, the campaign covers all the reasons why Pakistan needs to educate its girls. Emotional, heart-breaking and heart-warming stories, told through the voice of an empathetic woman. She speaks with determination about not letting her daughter have the same deal she had. A very insightful message beautifully executed. A smart part is the actionable aspect it provides (by simply watching the video on YouTube, you donate to the cause) which further helps connect the brand with the audience. It makes people watching the video feel as if they are helping to move women’s rights forward. Overall, Lifebuoy succeeded in creating a caring brand image.

Verdict: An insightful campaign that touches the heart strings establishing Lifebuoy as a brand that cares for the women of Pakistan.

Brand: Brite

Message: Brite Sab Right Kardega

Agency: Spectrum VMLY&R

Effectiveness: A well-executed TVC with tongue-in-cheek humour making it very watchable. A strong emphasis on the brand promise and product quality. This fun and quirky ad makes a mundane product like a detergent stand out and lets you know from the get go what kind of product is being sold – and in an engaging manner. Every interaction moves the story along in an amusing way until we reach the end, when the story closes on another fun note and a memorable tagline – my favourite kind where the brand name is part of it. Overall, the TVC did exactly what it was supposed to do; it provided the benefits of the product in an easy to understand, creative way, while ensuring the audience stays focused on the screen. No unnecessary filler material.

Verdict: A well done ad that accomplishes its purpose and the team behind it deserves praise for their effort.

Adeeba Khan is Chief Creative Officer and Head Strategic Planning, Manhattan Communications. adeeba@manhattan-mcl.com