EBM – Gluco Kahani

Agency: Symmetry Group

The charm of cassette Kahani customised for today. What do I love more than animal protagonists teaching children kindness? The fact that it got kids learning essential lessons in a language that is their own. Quality content for children is scarce, storytelling is an often neglected art, and Urdu content is usually underwhelming in comparison to English. This branded content solved all this with a master stroke.The kids loved it and sang along. So did I.

Khair Khwah – Brown Bag Syndrome

Agency: M&C Saatchi, Pakistan

What do I love about this campaign? One word: Fearlessness. Only those with courage and gumption could make this idea see the light of day. It is not easy to hold a mirror to society and unmask its hypocrisies. This campaign shines brightly and will remain a class act in grit and conviction. An idea whose time had come, deserving of all the awards it bagged.

KFC – Who Fried It Best

Agency: Backspace

It has been some time since a campaign came along that shook the category, took bold digs at the competition, and did not bow to the impulse of staying in its own lane. Love how many feathers this ruffled, the responses, and the attention it got. Even the responses by others reminded me of the original conversation starter that this campaign was. Full marks for boldly going where no one has been lately.

The Up Collection – 7Up x Sapphire West

Agencies: Alt Story & BBPR

Disruptive, an unlikely connection established, held my attention.

A collaboration that fell into place in an original and organic fashion.

EBM Purpose Campaign – Nourishing the Nation, Generation After Generation

Agency: BBDO Pakistan

Advertising done the old-fashioned way. Not gonna lie, I love a passionately written voiceover when I hear one. It might be the most traditional, expected, predictable, and a tried and tested method of telling a story, but it is also the most difficult one to get right for the same reason. So many of these kinds exist, but only a story that begins and ends the way this one does hits home.

Foodpanda – Can’t Miss It, featuring Fawad Khan

Agency: Ogilvy Pakistan

A great example of a powerful insight translated beautifully into a creative expression that one never tires of watching. Every group has one person who never speaks up while ordering but preys on everyone else’s meal. It’s fun, entertaining and the timing could not be more right. Cricket and food go so well together but only Fawad Khan’s acting chops could make this combination better. Who can make biting into fried chicken look this good in slow motion?

Burger King – Hangover Whopper

Agency: DM9, Brazil

Use of tech at its best. A New Year campaign for a New Year occasion no one had thought of. Burger King gives you a discount based on how you are feeling without you having to even utter a single word. Just scan your face and get a discount when you need it the most. Just brilliant.

Nike – Never Done Evolving (Serena Williams)

Agency: AKQA – Melbourne, Portland & São Paulo

A powerful message about continuing to evolve is brought to life in a way that is absolutely astounding. Bends and blurs the boundaries of imagination. Questions and also answers what can be achieved via AI, machine learning, human-readable data visualisation, and what it means for the future of sports analytics. This is more than a campaign. It is an era-defining piece of genius.

Sarah Moquim is Consultant for Content Excellence, Symmetry Digital.
sarah.moquim@symmetrygroup.biz