Coca Cola – Karachi is Love!
Agency: Ogilvy Pakistan – Soho Square
Categories: TV, Digital
Coca-Cola has, for years, pioneered some of the most innovative advertisements in the world. Their conscious ploy to bring music into the mix is a formula that is hard to crack (or replicate as effectively). During the torrential rains that hit Karachi, Coca-Cola released a song in solidarity with the denizens of Karachi in their efforts to rebuild their city. Not only did the ad manage to catch the attention of every Karachiite, it left us humming to it like an anthem and resulted in increased sales and positive sentiments for the brand via an omni-channel approach; integrating OOH, packaging changes and other media.

Colgate – Smiles Always Find a Way
Agency: VMLY&R
Category: Print
A mask may cover our faces, but it cannot hide our smile. With the pandemic wreaking havoc for over a year and masks having become akin to clothes, a large part of ourselves had started to believe they would impede people from seeing our reactions; particularly our smiles. This ad is a lovely reminder that although sometimes you can’t see a smile, you can definitely feel it. A reminder that did wonders for me!

Durex – Strings
Agency: Adcom Zenith
Category: Digital
As an assistant creative marketing manager, I can vouch that it is not always easy to use a trend and make it your own. It’s a risk because it can go terribly wrong and definitely requires some major out-of-the-box thinking. Strings is, undoubtedly, one of the most beloved Pakistani bands and when they split, hearts were broken. As a tribute, we dedicated an entire day to their music in our office, and it was on that day that I was incredibly amused to see this Durex ad making sounds on social media. I loved everything about it – especially the fact that it so cleverly used the trend to advertise their product’s functional benefit. Bravo!

Fevicol – Holi Campaign
Agency: Pidilite
Category: Digital
In its own distinctive and dexterous way, Fevicol took on a popular hand wash by playing on the brand’s most iconic campaign. This was creativity, wit and intellect at its best. The ingenious social media post was able to stir enough competition (and humour) around it to result in a mini battle of wits between brands. It exemplified how an intelligently crafted social media post could have the effect an entire campaign could not. And it was spot on in promoting the brand’s functional benefit.

McDonald’s – Late Night Cravings?
Agency: DDB
Category: OOH
We know that a picture is worth a thousand words and McDonald’s proved that a visual can play an important role in communicating a message. With their innovative OOH campaign, McDonald’s zoomed into ‘on-the-go’ drivers (an incredibly difficult feat) by sending them special deal notifications with directions in order to entice them to the nearest franchise. Digitally, the campaign made 6.4 million impressions and eugenically ignited McDonald’s cravings in each one of us!

Nike – The Toughest Athletes
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy
Categories: TV, Digital
One of the most transformative phases in a woman’s life is the one when she steps into motherhood – from her body morphing to constantly being on an emotional rollercoaster – life changes indubitably. Nike, an otherwise perceived ‘hardcore’ athlete brand, pays homage to the dynamic strength of a woman in this moving ad. For all the challenges she is made to face – especially during pregnancy – Nike crowns pregnant women as the ‘toughest athletes’ whilst subtly redefining what an ‘athlete’ means in this day and age.

Peek Freans Sooper – #ShukarKaAikPal
Agency: Adcom Leo Burnett
Category: TV
Khushi ko dhoonte ho kahan? (Where are you searching for happiness?) This Sooper ad inculcated a strong feeling of gratitude at a time when things looked less than dreary. Urging us to look around us, at our loved ones and our lives, the ad made us look at the happiness around us as opposed to the utopian idea of ‘happiness’ we have. It reignited hope and highlighted that silver lining and also reminded us to cherish the little things in life.

Tullo – Ooncha Naam Karna Hai!
Agency: Create Think Tank
Category: TV
Amma Tullo mein pakao, humein sehatmand banao; each one of us grew up listening to this iconic jingle. Tullo, in their most recent ad, revived the iconic brand and the jingle and in doing so they brilliantly played on the heartstrings of nostalgia – they also pushed the envelope by redefining what health could mean for the cognitive development of a child.

Raaj Kheraj is Assistant Creative Manager, Create Think Tank, Pakistan. raaj@ctt.agency