It’s true, trash TV sells
I entered the world of television in Pakistan aiming to inform and educate people through this powerful medium of expression. I took immense pride in my job but the comfort bubble burst soon enough. Not so long ago, I realised that everyone on TV is like a salesman, trying hard to sell a product. Sometimes the salesman goes to any length to make a living out of the product being sold. When you go to buy a product, every salesman tries to get your attention and aims to convince you that his product is the best (even if that product can ...
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Ads that tell us we are ugly
I was at Madihas, a convenience store near my house. We were out of cat food, and I knew better than to waste a second with mewing felines. After stacking up on cans of Whiskas, I walked to the checkout, where I noticed a curious looking product sitting on the counter. On its packaging, the product proudly sported an unequivocally grotesque picture. It was the face of some dude, with one exact half significantly lighter skinned than the other. It eerily reminded me of a poster of the Incredible Hulk, where one half of the face is Dr Bruce Banner, ...
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Pakistan’s ‘ad-woman’ stuck in a time warp
Most ads in Pakistan show women as maids. Their major worries seem to be their family’s health, their complexion, hair and aging skin. All they do is cook, wash and their whole lives revolve around their family. But is this a true reflection of Pakistani women today? Gone are the days when men were capricious and women servile. Today, Pakistani women are empowered and active in every arena including government, military and sports. The concept of a joint family is fading in our society and women are (or aspire to be) as independent as men. But our ads continue to remain ...
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TV commercials: Inform, remind and persuade!
While I was watching the news the other night, a newscaster said, “Stay tuned, we’ll be right back after a short commercial break,” making me immediately think, “Oh god! Not again.” The musical rollercoaster of advertisements began – a five minute ride that I seriously did not enjoy. What I learnt in my O-level commerce class was that there are three categories of advertisements – ‘reminder advertisement’ that reminds consumers of the products available in the market; ‘informative advertisement’ that keeps the consumer informed and ‘persuasive advertisement’ which persuades consumers through various techniques to buy the product. And these apply ...
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TV ads: Is all the dancing really selling?
Products in Pakistan have not always been sold by armies of men and women dancing to uncoordinated perfection. However, recently advertising ‘charts’ have been hit by four choreographed entries: Tarang, Sooper, Warid and Chaika, which are running on all major TV channels night and day. Does dancing sell? Does this mean that singing and dance routines are what grip the Pakistani people and make them go buy brands? Or, does this simply mean that this is an idea that can be easily sold to clients by agencies? Agencies have developed a stereotypical solution for all marketing communication needs and forgotten the essence of ...
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