A few of my favourite things
1.Tide – It’s A Tide Ad
Category: TV (Super Bowl ad)
A series of short TV spots that really mess with you, and brilliantly so. Humorous and cheeky, they show viewers how every ad, for all intents and purposes, is a Tide ad; after all, look at how clean their clothes are? And just when you think you have finally started watching another ad, it turns out to be another Tide ad.
Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi New York
2.IIL PPRC Pipes and Fitting
Category: TV
When I watched this TVC, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I could really relate to Mianjee and his seepage issues. As someone who has been driven half mad with ‘tip tip tip’, I felt that the brand found a direct and relevant insight and then rolled with it. The fun jingle and the humorous scenes captured my heart, making me seriously reconsider the pipes and fittings in my house.
Agency: Manhattan International
3.Peak Freans Chocolicious – Dhak Dhak Goal
Category: TV
As a football fan, I loved it. Real kids, raw expressions, energetic football and dynamic shots. This TVC gave me some serious feels. And let’s not forget the inspiring anthem. It pumped up the adrenaline, making me want to jump off my office balcony and kick some ball around the beach, whilst chanting ‘Dhak dhak goal!’ In a cricket obsessed nation, this ad is the right inspiration for the young who march to their own beat.
Agency: Ogilvy Pakistan
4.Kenwood Invertor – Choti Moti Nok Jhok
Category: TV
My first reaction after watching this TVC was wow, I just saw a functional, yet very refreshing ad. The banter between husband and wife is funny, yet subdued, the acting real but with the right balance of drama. A compelling ad that cut through the others like the sharpest knife in the drawer.
Agency: Arey Wah
5.Ministry of Road Transport & Highways India – *Sadak Suraksha Jeevan Raksha
Category: TV
I love an ad that can make me laugh. Here, I laughed every time I saw Akshay Kumar take the mickey out of traffic violators. Witty dialogues, paired with simple yet relevant storylines, is usually all it takes. Surprisingly, most ads just can’t crack the formula, but this one did.
Agency: Helios Media
6.Qarshi La Cola – *Healthy Piyo, Khul Ke Jiyo
Category: TV
Another ad that found a brilliant insight: Pakistani parents and their endless lectures about how everything is bad for you. The ad, I feel, targets both younger and older audiences and ultimately, even gives a solution that pacifies both generations. There was room for improvement but this ad just goes to show how far a good insight can take you.
Agency: Adcom Leo Burnett
7.Stabilo Boss – Highlight The Remarkable
Category: Print
Stabilo Boss is ready to rewrite history with these simple, clever and punch-you-in-the-face impactful ads. This minimalistic print series highlights powerful, but forgotten women who played a part in changing the world.
Agency: DDB Group, Germany
8.Ufone – *Chham Chham
Category: TV
Ufone’s ‘Pakistaniyat’ ad is a joyous sensorial ride. Using everyday sounds, the ad takes the audience through a raw yet lustrous journey across Pakistan, evoking emotions of being part of something larger-than-life. The lens has managed to capture the essence of Pakistan without adding any fake glamour and galore.
Agency: JWT Pakistan
Vanessa Nabia Muzaffar is Creative Group Head, JWT Pakistan. nabiamuzaffar@gmail.com