Pakistan Showreel: Do ‘stars’ shine there as well?
It is the “mukhtalif” style that defines Pakistan’s advertising scene. Advertisers, in fact, are taking the “story board” route to grab attention than merely using celebrities. Reason – they choose not to use celebs for the ads like the way it is being done with Big B and Shah Rukh Khan in India.
It’s the same message. It’s the same medium and it is more or less the same method. Yet, it is the “mukhtalif” style that defines Pakistan advertising scene, and although celebrities are “mashhoor” for dominating the promotional space on the tube, the advertising industry there is far more “muhtaat” (read cautious) about the vandalising effect that celebrities could have on brands than India is.
It’s strange and unique at the same time how cultural differences define decisions. Take a simple instance, while Amitabh Bachchan and the Khans of India – Shah Rukh, Aamir, Saif, Salman, Zayed, Fardeen – practically rule every little space amid television programmes, news, views, etc, in Pakistan, the scenario is different.
More than movie-mania, it is clearly cricket that gets the adrenaline rushing, and thereby leads to good “celebrity rub-off”.
Asked on who makes the best brand ambassador, Soofia Ishaque, Creative Director, JWT Pakistan, said, “Cricketers first and foremost, then follow the filmstars. Theatre doesn’t really figure in this category.”
Almost all advertisers unanimously agree that it is Pakistani cricketers who are the best bet for brands. Dawood Zoeb, Media Planner, Orient McCann Erickson Pakistan, explained why cricketers had an edge over others. “Since films in Pakistan target the C and D classes, film celebrities have not been able to create a positive perception amongst the A and B classes. Even theatre is targeted at a very niche lower class segment. So there is little options than to go in for the cricketers,” he said.
So who are the “hot-saleable” faces in Pakistan? Advertisers believe that in cricket it is Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhthar, in films it is Reema and Shan, among TV artists it is Anwar Maqsood, Busha Ansari, Atiqa Odho, Samina Peerzada, who have earned tremendous respect across classes with their endorsements.
However, unlike India, it’s the pop stars who “rock the show” in Pakistan. “Music bands like Junoon (for Coke and Walls), and pop stars like Abrar (for Coke), Ali Zafar (for Pepsi), Strings (for Walls) have been used extensively,” said Zoeb.
Lubna Jehangir, Director, Publicis-Pakistan, pointed out that celebrity endorsements were not used as frequently as they were in India. “In our country, life of a celebrity is very short. Even the cricketers are risky because it is all performance-based and one bad performance has adverse effects on the brand,” she added.
Even clients have mixed views on whether to invest on a celebrity or not. “The clients have different views when it comes to celebs. They are preferred by big companies like Unilever, Pepsi, Coke and P&G, but not to that large an extent because celebrity profile in Pakistan is not as big as it is in India, nor do these companies spend that heavily on commercials. Hence, usually some local models are hired,” explained Zoeb.
Jehangir pointed out that the way one used a celebrity was very important in Pakistan. “Clients prefer to feature film and TV stars in TVCs as a “character” in the story line rather than the personality as a gestalt,” she said.
On the commercials where the celebrities did leave a mark, Zoeb said, “Shan in the ad for Mobilink and Reema in the Pepsi ads had a positive impact.” According to Jehangir, the ads that used celebrity power not just to “capture eyeballs” but move them to join a cause, included, Imran Khan’s endorsement for Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital and Atiqa Odhu’s positive power on Green Star, a brand promoting contraception.
However, there are also instances where the ‘vandalising’ effect of the celebrities has worked against the brand. Ishaque illustrates this with the example of Bank AlFalah. “The most vandalising effect was when pop star Haroon endorsed Bank AlFalah in a concept that revolved around cricket. Completely pointless and damaging,” she stressed.
Interestingly, as in India, stars come with a big “price tag” in Pakistan as well. The cost of using a celebrity falls in the range of Pakistani Rs 0.1 million to Rs 2.5 million. “Annual contracts with cricketers and bands like Junoon and Abrar cost up to Rs 10-Rs 15 million,” said Zoeb.
And yes, a word of caution for all Indian advertisers. The excessive use of Shah Rukh Khan and Big B is being noticed in Pakistan, too. In fact, the neighbours aren’t really envious of the Indian ‘pride’ and feel that this has just led to “mere dilution of the brand”. The advertising counterparts in Pakistan are at the same time aware of the limitations that the industry faces.
“Indian celebrity market is huge. Just cannot compare even if the ads are good, plus vast cultural differences play a vital role when it comes to projection of celebrities, especially women. It has to be in limits, “ he said.
In fact, asked if at all there were some positive points they would like to adopt from India, Zoeb very candidly said, “Discourage using celebrities in ads like the way Shah Rukh and Amitabh are being used for anything and everything.”
Meanwhile, for Jehangir, capturing humour is the positive learning. “The ability to give a humorous twist to a situation making the audience laugh is essential in advertising,” she pointed out.
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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
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