Lipton Pakistan kicked off 2020 with the launch of a new thematic campaign called Jagain Unke Liye Jo Waqai Ahem Hain (Be Awake To What Really Matters) which encourages people to pause and reflect on what is more important in their lives – human connections – and put them at the forefront.

Unlike campaigns that aim to increase sales, Qawi Naseer, Marketing Manager, Beverages, Unilever Pakistan, says the objective here was to induce the realisation that there are more important things in life we need to give attention to other than work.

“The increasing chaos and stress in our lives have caused us to become more disengaged with our emotions than ever before. We are so caught up in our routine issues, big or small, that we forget to stop and think about what is really important: the people around us.”

The campaign began with a silent one-minute promo video called ‘Lipton Minute of Silence’, which put a Lipton Yellow Label pack in focus, with the message: “Zindagi ki halchal main itnay masroof hain, kabhi ruk ke socha hai waqai ahem kya hai?” (You are so caught up in the busy-ness of life, have you ever stopped to think what is really important?) with a family spending time together in the background.

According to Naseer, ‘Minute of Silence’ became a trending topic on Twitter for five hours after it went on air. “This one-line message made people pause and reflect on what was more important in their lives and to reprioritise their relationships with their loved ones.”

Soon afterwards, the message in the video was amplified by a TVC which showed a father and daughter playing together. Their playtime is interrupted by a call from work which the father has to attend to, after which he opens his laptop and begins working. Disappointed by the sudden interruption, the girl picks up a TV remote and uses it as a telephone to mimic her father, telling her teddy to play alone as she needs to work. Observing this while sipping his tea, the father realises what he has done (though inadvertently) and right away switches off his phone and laptop and resumes playing with his daughter.

Naseer believes the insight behind the campaign is something everyone in today’s world can relate to as it happens frequently in our families or elsewhere and “this is where the brand wants to bring a change… A sip of Lipton brings the father back into the moment where he actively prioritises his daughter over his other tasks.” According to Naseer, the current campaign is a natural progression of Lipton’s positioning of ‘Live Awake’ (an international Lipton initiative which has taken different forms in different countries, depending on their most pressing social problems).

Under this initiative Lipton Pakistan launched their ‘Lipton Chotu’ campaign last year in collaboration with The Citizens Foundation (TCF) aimed at improving the lives of children (referred to as chotus) working in chai dhabas (tea houses) across Pakistan. “A sip of Lipton is the catalyst that makes us stop and focus on the people who truly matter. The tagline ‘Jaagein Unke Liye Jo Waqai Ahem Hain’ has evolved from this thought” says Naseer.

The campaign, which was implemented on digital, OOH and through on-ground activation, garnered a positive response. According to the brand, people have been sharing their own stories and how they can relate to the message through organic conversations that reached roughly 10 million people and still growing. Yet, despite the praise the campaign received, along with a lot of talkability, it was also critiqued by people who thought the concept of the TVC was lifted from an Vivo India TVC #SwitchOff (your phone for a day), starring Aamir Khan.

Clarifying this misconception, Naseer says, the Lipton TVC might appear similar to the Vivo one on the surface, the fundamental message is different.“Firstly, in the Vivo ad, the father’s realisation that he is neglecting his child comes when the child articulates his disappointment. In Lipton’s case, the realisation is internal, triggered by a moment of reflection after taking a sip of Lipton.” He adds that the Vivo ad is specific in terms of mobile and technology being a barrier to connection; in Lipton’s case, the brand is looking at the bigger picture and highlighting how increasingly busy lifestyles and never ending to-do lists have made it almost second nature to put our relationships in the background. “We want people to refresh and reset their priorities in life.”

Reiterating Unilever’s purpose to play a bigger role in improving the lives of their consumers, Naseer says the aim of the message was to provoke audiences to ask of themselves: “Am I prioritising my relationships and connections?” and that “the volume of organic conversations around this new message is a strong indication that Lipton is making an impact with this campaign.”

Going forward, Lipton will be continuing ‘Jaagein Un Ke Liye Jo Waqai Ahem Hain' and is planning several brand activities to encourage consumers to prioritise and enhance their human connections. “Lipton does not want to talk the talk. We want to walk the walk. In the forthcoming months, keep watching and see how our idea comes to life further,” concludes Naseer.