Adnan Syed’s

Virals

1. What’s your plan: A hilariously brave attempt at a potentially viral music video which unfortunately did not get the eyeballs it could have. Could have been a bigger hit with a better integrated campaign around it.

2. Waderay ka beta: Probably more significant for the fact that it gained more popularity online forcing traditional media to reconsider it as content worth airing, than for its actual content, which is funny but nothing spectacularly original.

3. Not another Humsafar episode: Definitely one for the anti-Humsafar fan club, although the humour was definitely stretched at times.

4. Ghalib online: Who doesn’t like to see TV celebs ripped apart online?!

5. Sweetness: Kuch Khas is funny most of the time, although the humour can be forced at times. One of their funnier ones.

Adnan Syed is Chief Creative Officer, Adcom. adnans@adcompk.com

Adnan Yousuf’s

Design Ideas

1. Volkswagen – DDB, Australia: Volkswagen promoting their Park Assist technology, which helps you parallel park. The ad resonates because of two extremely delicate objects on both sides of the parking space.

2. Ray-Ban – Marcel, Paris: To celebrate their 75th anniversary Ray-Ban launched a campaign using their longtime tagline. ‘Never hide’. The ads showcase the real life stories ‘1942 lovers, 1956 dancing, 1965 miniskirt, 1992 rapper’ submitted by customers.

3. Jooze packaging – Designed by Yunyeen Yong, Australia: The shape of the Jooze packaging is a hypothetical project to target kindergarten kids. The shape of a sliced fruit is used to portray a sense of fun, hands-on personality and characteristics that appeal to kids.

4. Mercedes-Benz – BBDO: Leveraging the brand recognition to the maximum, by putting their logos on other luxury cars showing them how good it looks and inviting them for a test drive in a Mercedes Benz.

5. Pilot water resistant pens – Unknown: Pilot water resistant pens use the simplest of executions to get the point across, leaving the reader with a lasting impression.

Adnan Yousuf is CEO, Shiftt (Content and Creative Consultants). say@shiftt.com

Kiran Murad’s

Brand Ambassadors

1. Wasim Akram like wine keeps getting better with age. His Ufone cricket song reminded me all over again why I love him so much. He is a huge presence who adds credibility to every message from Lifebuoy to Kurleez. Barring the Ariel ad, which I must say was a huge disappointment… why, oh why?!

2. Shaan is just so darn sexy that I run to the TV the second I hear his voice. It’s simple, when Shaan sells something, I open my wallet.

3. Aamina Sheikh has the style, sophistication and sex appeal that other leading ladies lack sorely. She also stands apart as the beauty with brains and that makes me respect her opinion.

4. Nargis Fakhri was just so unexpected that she made that ad stand out. Thank God not Katrina again!

5. Fawad Afzal Khan has the unique ability to make me feel like he is talking to me directly. He makes a connection that is invaluable and therein lies his value as a brand ambassador.

Kiran Murad is Creative Director, Lowe & Rauf. kiranmurad@gmail.com

Julian Saunders’

Marketing Trends

1. Business for good: 10 years ago companies started to get CSR departments – but was it just a fig leaf whilst the company carried on before? Then Unilever closed its CSR department and said that ethical behaviour was its whole business (see their Five levers of change). Last year, Jim Stengel (ex-P&G top marketer) said, “ The business case for brand ideals is not about altruism or corporate social responsibility. It is about expressing a business’ fundamental reason for being and powering its growth.” (I have myself become an associate of The Social Kinetic – which shares this vision.)

2. Volunteering: It was the surprise hit of the London 2012 Olympics; proof that great customer experience is the best form of marketing and the most effective way to build reputation. We are all now interested in how we can keep all that goodwill and energy going and apply it to other big challenges, especially as the State is in retreat. How can it help in other areas? The health service and social care for example? Volunteering is how the justice system has run in the UK since time immemorial in the form of (unpaid) Justices of the Peace. Can the model be applied to other areas of civic society?

3. Authentic cultural experiences: All trends have countertrends and many have become isolated slaves to a flood of emails and tweets, so we want to get back into the real world. Music festivals have grown fast over the past decade and now cultural festivals and book fairs are growing too. The Hay Book Festival has gone international.

I expect Karachi’s young book festival to be as big as Jaipur soon; it will be an authentic expression of Pakistan’s vibrant literature and art.

4. The mobile personal screen: The mobile is no longer a communications device; it is turning into another screen that we carry around and by which we navigate the world. The drivers of this are device innovation, a dynamic app economy and lower costs. Huawei (Chinese) smartphones will make smartphones available to more people soon – not only to those who can afford iPhones. To call this mobile marketing is to miss the more radical nature of the mobile revolution. This will collapse the separation between the real and virtual worlds. The mobile – as last supported by high speed internet access – will be a tool for adding a whole other dimension to your experiences in shops, streets, sports stadia and at events.

5. Food prices and poverty: Food prices are going up as the harvest has been poor in the USA. Expect protectionism to grow as countries like Russia seek to hold onto more of their food to feed their own people. This is understandable but misguided and a bad idea for everyone. These rises will hit the poor hardest as they spend a much greater proportion of their money than the middle classes on keeping body and soul together. The so-called developed nations will have to get used to more and more soup kitchens in their poorer cities (the Northern ones in the UK). And for the big food and retail brands it will represent a challenge. The best will seize the opportunity to demonstrate that business is for good and not only for profit.

Julian Saunders is Managing Partner, The Joined Up Company. julian@joinedupcompany.com

Neil Christy’s

TVCs

1. Jubilee Insurance: The mine is bigger than yours (budget) mentality was given a befitting reply by a low cost, high recall ad. Just what the doctor ordered, simple execution and an idea that can be applied across the board. Jubilee’s ads are worth every penny they promise – pun intended.

2. Ufone jail break: Ufone continues its winning streak with most of the ads hitting the mark. The cowboy and the jail break are my favourites, I chose the jail break because of message clarity (freedom) and the way they used Wasim Akram. As far as consistently good TVCs are concerned – Ufone tum hi tau ho.

3. Brite – nahi bachay ga: Although the ad may not be as flamboyant as the Ufone ones, good jingles are usually a sure sell. The insight picked up by the agency was great and the execution is impeccable. Saw a flashmob activation with girls enacting laundry-wash on the same jingle, it almost made me buy Brite instead of my Marlboro pack. Almost.

4. Return of Dr Aamir Liaquat: Not strictly in the TVC category, ‘Kaun aa raha hai’ relaunching Dr Aamir Liaquat by Geo was a very effective use of building hype and building a brand in 30 seconds. Although I am not a Dr Aamir Liaquat fan, the results were phenomenal and that is what matters the most in the end.

5. Omung Lassi: Probably the most talked about TVC of 2012 and became a trend on Twitter. In a few days Omung Lassi created the brand awareness that would normally take weeks if not months. The risk of portraying lassi as a modern drink paid off as massive trial was generated and the Guru ho ja shuru tagline caught on in daily conversation.

Neil Christy is CEO, Headlion. neil@headliongroup.com

Sara Amjad Qureshi’s

Food Trends

1. Customized cupcakes: A fashion statement, appropriate for kiddie birthdays and hi-teas. Usually made-to-order by gifted, stylish housewives.

2. Food courts: Thanks to franchises like Fatburger and Manhattan Pizza, food courts are cool again!

3. Organic: N’eco’s started it and others are sure to follow. Should we expect a Whole Foods outlet soon?

4. Burmese cuisine: Khow Suey was never more popular, thanks to Simple Dimple, Khow Suey Palace and a host of other outlets. Asian food is delicious in all its variations.

5. Cooking’s an art: MasterChef’s inculcated a new appreciation for, and love of creative cooking in us. Expect local imitations to follow.

Sara Amjad Qureshi is Senior Planner, JWT Pakistan.

sara.qureshi@jwt.com

Oswald Lucas’

Ad Slogans

1. Khamoshi ka boycott: Having worked on two telcos (Ufone and Zong) for over four years each, this is one line (for Telenor’s Djuice) that I wish I had written. Great line, consistently great campaigns. Agency: Adcom

2. 11 flamous years: I like many Nandos’ lines and follow the ads from all over the world. The ones done for our local market are equally witty and most times even more ‘punny’. It was hard to pick any one line for Nando’s but I love the way ‘famous’ and ‘flame’ have come together here to make it a memorable caption. Agency: Adcom

3. Made for cricket: This one is a sixer! A fresh line and campaign after a long time of rehashed campaigns for Pepsi. And since Pepsi has been endorsing cricket for years, this line finally ‘drives’ the point home. Agency: Walter

4. Switch to 0% mark-up: The brand differentiator, the brand promise and the call to action, summed up in one hard hitting line for Silkbank’s credit cards. Worked extremely well and showed fantastic results for a short, limited budget campaign. Agency: Wizard of Oz

5. Guru ho ja shuru: I love the freshness of the line compared to the ‘un-freshness’ of the product inside (Engro’s Omung Lassi). Similarly, the line is great; sadly, the ad doesn’t live up to it. Agency: Headlion

Oswald Lucas is CEO and CD, Wizard of Oz. oswaldlucas@gmail.com

Umair Mohsin’s

Marketing Resources

1. Ofcom (http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk): The Office of Communication in the UK has detailed reports on people’s adoption of digital media including data on smartphones, changing TV habits, social networking sites, radio and generally everything you would want to know about how people use digital media and communications and what the future of the world looks like.

2. eMarketer (www.emarketer.com): eMarketer is the global authority on digital marketing, media and commerce and offers insights on internet market research, statistics and objective analysis. It’s a source of rich data and happenings worldwide. Subscribing to the mailing lists guarantees you a wealth of data at your fingertips.

3. Econsultancy (econsultancy.com/pk): What eMarketer is to data, Econsultancy is to market research and guides for digital marketing. Includes advice on internet marketing strategy and best practice. The blog is fantastic and you will discover why some marketers have such an unfair advantage.

4. IAB US & UK (www.iab.net & www.iabuk.net): The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) comprises more than 500 leading media and technology companies and is dedicated to the growth of the interactive advertising marketplace. The IAB educates marketers, agencies, media companies and the wider business community about the value of interactive advertising. Topics range from ad formats of mobile screens to online behavioural advertising and the most popular email newsletter ensures that you are always updated on latest trends.

5. SlideShare (www.slideshare.net): SlideShare is the world’s largest community for presentations and for getting it straight from the horse’s mouth regarding what leaders in the field are thinking or doing. It is also a large resource for all things digital and marketing.

Other favourite resources include Hitwise Blog: Experian (http://www.experian.com/blogs/hitwise/) and ComScore (www.comscore.com); and don’t forget to subscribe to all these channels’ Twitter feeds.

Umair Mohsin is Director, Digital Media, Media Idee. umair.mohsin@mediaidee.com

Sabeen Mahmud’s

iPad Apps

1. iTeleport: Previously known as Jaadu, because it really is magical, iTeleport enables me to control my Mac from anywhere in the world. It’s useful when I’m feeling lazy and mission critical when I have forgotten an important file at home. 

2. Tweetbot: As we live in times where one’s hopes, fears, and aspirations are realised on Twitter, the only client I can bear to use is Tweetbot, an app that really flaunts its personality. It’s tactile, has fun sound effects, and a great user interface with a tonne of time saving gestures. 

3. Gourmet Live: I’m no foodie but I love Gourmet Live for its beautifully written essays about the culture of food, eating, and chefs. The app features stunning photography and content based rewards based on articles you have read. 

4. Paper: Of the dozens of drawing apps I have tried, nothing comes close to Paper. It’s a gorgeous app with hardly any features, and therein lies its beauty. Paper inspired me to start learning how to draw and it somehow makes even crappy stuff look good. 

5. Instapaper: The original ‘Read Later’ app, Instapaper lets me save articles for offline reading. A bevy of apps that do the same thing have now appeared but Instapaper remains my favourite for its no-frills, simple, spot-on user experience.

Sabeen Mahmud is Director, PeaceNiche. sabeen@peaceniche.org