A Few of My Favourite Things (Jul-Aug 2021)

Hamdard Rooh Afza – Zindagi Mubarak
Agency: Blitz Advertising
Categories: TV, Digital
A catchy, innocent, yet meaningful song with a beautifully crafted visual and a collection of stories, Zindagi Mubarak is a timeless greeting from a timeless brand. This attempt creates even more favourable associations, making Rooh Afza cool and youthful rather than just a traditional iftar staple. And we can’t help but sing along!

7Up – Sardi BBQ
Agency: BBDO Pakistan
Categories: TV, Digital
The beauty of this ad, apart from how appetising it looks with that feeling of sardi about it throughout, is how everything is in your face, making the food consumption experience so intimate. In a lot of food films, the shots are rather cliché; here they were creative and well executed. The edit and the overall approach worked well, and because it is a 30-second ad without any VO, it was the ad I never skipped.

Nescafé Chilled Mocha – Turn Up Your Chill
Agency: RED Communications Arts
Categories: TV, Digital
This is what modern looks like. The lighting, art, music, and the perfect marriage of coffee with the visual and the audio. This is a short and crisp journey to ‘Mocha Heaven Bliss’. The director is progressing further towards excellence in his work. Smartly done motion graphics and edits synched with music made it a masterpiece. The music enhanced the visual experience. Aced in all departments!

Lay’s Pakistan – Joy Hai Sharing Main!
Agency: BBDO Pakistan
Categories: TV, Digital
Keeping it simple is where the director takes the lead. Neat and clean, adequate in length and adaptable to every situation, with a clear message at the end. Such simple, relatable situations draw in audiences right from the start. Naseebo trading off her ‘groove’ in exchange for Lay’s is a smart move, using the equity of the PSL anthem in the brand’s favour. A good watch with a strong message.

Whistlez Crackers
Agency: Green Man’s Ark
Category: TV
This ad is a visual treat. The approach taken to establish the multiple uses crackers can be put to, along with the overall treatment, is very effective. A vibrant colour palette is used to set the mood and every shot is well-thought out. The consumption shot at the end of a product intensive film gives it the perfect ending. The director seems to know his table-tops pretty well.

Heineken – Home Gatherings
Agency: Publicis Italy
Category: TV
Many brands have recently tried to capitalise on the changing dynamics of social interaction. From ringing bells with elbows, spraying sanitizers, to losing track of their bottle, this is probably the most relevant ad in this genre. And what really works is the sign-off – “If you have drinks together, keep them apart” – which also holds true to the brand’s position of openness and creativity.

Doritos 3D – Flat Matthew Super Bowl LV
Agency: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
Category: TV
Do crazy so well that it becomes believable! Mostly such ideas get stuck in execution. A flat, 2D Mathew eating 3D Doritos to get back to normal and getting stuck in the vending machine is what a big idea is. The idea is built around the product variant and that is where this ad has won. Oh, and the VFX, of course!

Coca-Cola – Open Like Never Before
Agency: 72andSunny, Amsterdam
Category: TV
George the poet’s craft and Coca-Cola’s take on the new normal is what we all needed to hear. The narration is crafted with high attention to detail and hits all the right chords. Every ‘what if?’ statement takes us into a new dimension of thought that was there somewhere but not necessarily addressed. All those positive self-suggestions work as therapy every time we see it. It is like an oath, a pledge to ourselves to be the new us.