Green Entertainment – #FarqTouPartaHai

Agency: In-house

Children are a product of their surroundings. It is not so much our words, but our actions that shape the world we live in. Children can only pick things we leave in our trail to carve out their emotional and social identity. ‘Farq Tou Parta Hai’ may be an execution we have seen before, making children play the part of adults, but it has never been this apt – from the casting to the acting, to the production – it’s heart-warming to see believable perfection in a home-grown production.

Amreli Steels – 50 Years Solid

Agency: Azadfilm Company

Celebrating 50 years with solid gold. You cannot skip this five-minute film, and you won’t even notice the length, because the insight is meaningful, the idea is well, big, the acting is impeccable and the production is real. What else can you expect from Jami, the ace director of real life TV/digital/films? Amreli Steels has come of age, and it showed in this brilliant communication – by a brand that has had good consistent communication that celebrates their 50 years of making ‘bunyaads’ matter stronger and indestructible. Every so often, an advertisement comes along that sets the bar for creativity. This is one of those ads – the kind that most creatives would dream of being associated with.

Dulux – Pehchaan Ka Rung

Agency: Stimulus Productions Worldwide

I’m never gonna not dance again. You must have noted by now that I have not included the ‘staple’ Pakistani ad in my review; the standard sing-song-dancing-in-the-street kind. I strongly believe that it is not the cultural energy relevant to Pakistan. We as the advertising faculty can, and have, made great, insightful and meaningful ads and this communication proves it. This ad strikes a chord with me. It captures the current trend of large numbers of Pakistanis leaving the country for better opportunities. The film conveys a sense of hope and optimism for Pakistan’s prosperity and progress, and it resonates with the resilience and tenacity of its people. Overall, the ad is a powerful and inspiring message that showcases creativity and the ability to capture the spirit of our time.

Indus Hospital – Chand Qadam Ka Fasla

Agency: RG Blue Communications

Stepping in for expansion of a worthy cause. Asking for donations doesn’t need to always be a sob story. It can be a matter of fact, one-to-one conversation that makes sense to the viewer. One that forces them to take the first step. This is one of my favourites from the many ads Indus Hospital and Health Network have done in the recent past.

SIUT – Kyon Ke Maa Baap Haar Nahi Mantay (Parents Never Give Up)

Agency: Azadfilm Company

This ad chills one to the bone. It’s as true and real as it gets. Every parent will empathise with this communication, vouch for it and say, “Yes, I would never give up on my children.” An insight that has been lying in plain sight of everyone from the first parents to roam the earth. An idea that doesn’t need peeling. Love this one the most.

DISCO – Law Better

Agency: BigSmall

Bringing justice to justice. Lady J has had enough of outdated, stuck-in-the-past legal technology – and she wants every legal team out there to know it. DISCO, the AI-powered legal app wants to help law firms do ‘Law Better’. With the help of Lady Justice (DISCO’s campaign icon) London-based creative agency BigSmall encourages lawyers to upgrade their legal-tech game. Lady J, a symbol of fairness and impartiality, takes matters into her own hands and urges lawyers to get with the times and use DISCO. This commanding character proves that brand mascots don’t always have to be pretty, smiling, do-gooders; they can be powerhouses and ‘push’ their weight around to get their point of view across, proving that brand ambassadors can be strong and persuasive while still being likeable.

McDonald’s France – New Colors

Agency: TBWA Paris

Bringing colour to winter and beyond. This campaign by McDonald’s France is an absolute masterpiece and which delighted me to the fullest; a campaign I wish I had done. The new vegetable fries, made with a blend of beetroot, parsnips and carrots, were the perfect ingredients to add colour to the end of winter in Paris. The ‘New Colors’ campaign, developed by the team at TBWA Paris, captured the vibrancy and joy of the new fries with a bold and visually stunning concept. Using iconic and intergenerational figures like Charlie Chaplin, Zorro and even a vampire, the campaign added in a creative and fun way unexpected colour to an already vivid brand. The transformation of these beloved figures with bold and bright colours is a stroke of creative genius that captured the attention of audiences of all ages, myself included.

Tesco – Howaya Dublin

Agency: BBH Dublin

Getting personal when you are removed from the crowd. The new Claremont Square store is open but the gem is a little tucked away and this outdoor campaign ensured nobody misses out on a hidden treasure. It became the epitome of what a good billboard used to be, capturing the essence of classic outdoors. A clever way of involving passers-by and guiding them to the store – and all done with authentic, feel-good, personal and ‘real-time’ copywriting. A tactical that is a testament to creativity in action.

Oswald Lucas is Chief Creative Officer at RG Blue Communications.