I love to look around and take in my surroundings instead of glueing my eyes to my mobile phone. That was how, on a recent visit with my wife to the Hamdard Hospital, I discovered a pleasant set of ads targeted at parents. At the OPD clinic, where we were that day, the hospital had erected a huge TV screen outside the children’s vaccination room, showing some good animated videos regarding what to do and not to do in order to raise healthy and well-regulated children. Aside from that, they were also airing ads by Hamdard that showcased various brands and informed parents. Mind you, I was watching the screen on mute, but the ads and animations still seemed informative and effective.

Hamdard Naunehal

The first ad was for Hamdard Naunehal gripe water. When my brother was a baby, we used Woodward’s; when my son was born, Naunehal gripe water was our go-to product. The ad is simple and focuses on how this brand is being used by generation after generation and remains a trusted company. Direct and to the point.

Hamdard Naunehal World Sight Day

A call-to-action ad requesting people to visit the Naunehal clinic rather than a generic brand reminder or reinforcer. This ad informs us that one out of every 10 children in our country have vision problems and that is an alarming figure. I like the use of the word tarey (stars) to describe children; the first pun is interesting and attention-grabbing.

World Dyslexia Awareness Week

Another simple ad asking people to be cognisant of the fact that 12 million children in our country have learning difficulties. The ad encourages parents and care givers to cultivate better awareness and recognise early signs in children. The call to action is to visit the Naunehal clinic for advice and help.

World Children’s Day

This simple ad focuses on sleep. A mother is teaching her daughter, and the daughter, being tired, falls asleep. Shockingly, the ad informs us that 75% of the children in our country are sleep deprived, which means they do not get a suitable amount of sleep. Again, the instruction provided is to be aware, identify the signs, and visit the Naunehal clinic for help.

I loved this series of ads because of the simple ideas and the clear messaging used. I am a father and very fond of children, especially babies and those under five, so the ads really touched me. I hope to see more brands in our country use simple, clear and to-the-point ads in the future.

Tyrone Tellis is Senior Manager, Corporate Sales and PR, Bogo. tyrone.tellis@gmail.com