Every now and then an advert comes on that you just can’t get out of your mind. The reason for it can be the heart-touching message, the catchy background song or maybe the actors/models starring in it.
Every year, companies spend millions of dollars for just a few seconds of airtime in hopes of getting consumers attention—and then, maybe, their money. Here are some of the commercials that came out in the recent years that managed to capture our attention:
Shan Foods
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXMsSm3liQI
The message that this commercial tries to deliver is just beautiful and quite truthful. When someone is living in a foreign country – like the Chinese couple in this ad- it is hard to blend in because of the racial, cultural, and traditional differences. However, food is definitely an incredible ingredient to bond over. It is human nature to crave interaction, intimacy, friendship – as depicted by the Chinese wife- and she needs some common ground to be able to bond with her neighbours and get accepted into the new community she became a part of. In short, food acts an an icebreaker of sorts here! Also, doesn’t the Chinese actress look really cute in a dupatta?
Lemon Max Bar
The reason for the pick being – Biryani…and Sheharyar. Sheharyar Munawaar does an amazing job in this ad. The script too is great and brings a smile on the audience’s face (the first time they watch it at least). This ‘Lemon Max Bar’ commercial came out very recently and has managed to win people’s hearts if social media statistics are anything to go by. The couple sneaking food to enjoy their ‘date’ is just adorable. I love the fact that this advertisement showed our Eastern culture too, where parents are given utmost respect and have the most authority. The son and daughter-in-law don’t want to upset the mother by making her feel that home-made food isn’t much appreciated by her children or that they prefer to dine alone. These little acts of kindness capture people’s heart. The best part about the commercial is the end when the mother basically tells the couple that she is aware of their “biryani parties”. All in all, biryani + cute couple gets an A+ for the adorableness. It also imparts a very important lesson : if you ever sneak in Biryani to your house and want no one to call out for a share, eat it quietly and erase the evidence by the use of the magic dishwash bar- Lemon Max Bar!
Ariel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS0ftVwHnwI&t=38s
Straight up one of the best commercials to be ever made. This ad focuses on one of the biggest problems of our society; assuming before learning the facts, judging before understanding, hurting before feeling and speaking before thinking. We never know what someone is going through because we are not in their shoes. We tend to judge people on their outer appearances and behaviors without being aware of their inner struggles and problems; without being aware of their story. Exactly the same is depicted in this commercial when our girl is asked to retrieve some papers from the director of the company she works for by her boss. She portrays our general society’s behaviour as she takes in the house and comments that she (director) must be doing so well for being way too nice to the boss. Her impression is proven wrong when the mother of the director defends her daughter by telling her that she’s a very hard working girl who supports her disabled mother. This advertisement clearly says not to judge a book by its cover and we love it.
Dettol
Oh God, the sass! The sassy kids and the super catchy ‘dettol hath dho’ song is what makes this commercial special. Yes, having to listen to this song again and again can be annoying but look at the positive message it is delivering. It is a norm in our society to not say anything to what people older than you tell you and while that is really a commendable and respectable quality in an individual, our children need to be taught how to disagree with someone older than you without being disrespectful. The way children in this commercial spread the message of cleanliness to not only the elders but their peers is amazing! And the song replaying in your head definitely helps Dettol in their sales when you visit a grocery store!
Tapal
What do all women want? A loving and caring husband who loves tea like you, yet doesn’t ask you to make tea for him, cup after cup. In the span of 1 minute, Sanam Saeed and Adeel Hussain show you what an ideal family looks like. This ad triggers couple intimacy by encouraging men to play a role in developing their relationship with their wives by performing small acts such as making tea for the missus to strengthen their bond. Making tea is just an example as after making tea, Adeel goes to look after their on-screen, unseen child that tries to call his/her parents by crying to its fullest level. The smile on Sanam’s face as she witnesses this is just breathtaking. Take notes, hubbies! Learn how to share responsibilities with your spouse as the on-screen couple did in the ad!
Pepsi
Pepsi Liter of Light is Pepsi’s new international campaign that gives light using electricity by reusing cheap plastic bottles.The campaign is about providing light to remote and dark areas where there is little or no electricity.The story that is portrayed in this heart touching ad is of a little girl who doesn’t want her father to get lost in the darkness of the forest he has to cross everyday to get back to the little angel. The girl tries to illuminate the dark pathway by various techniques that her little mind comes up with but doesn’t find any success until people from Pepsi approach her with the litter of light bottles. The smile that graces her face is enough to even thaw a frozen heart. The magical vocals of Abida Parveen and Atif Aslam further make you fall in love with the advertisement. This ad features Naumaan Ijaz and Mansha Pasha along with an adorable little girl who managed to steal the hearts of every Pakistani by her charismatic innocence.
Jazz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI3jaeTm8jU
Indian cricket fans had been teasing the Pakistan cricket team and its fans on the basis of the ‘Mauka Mauka’ video ahead of every match between the arch-rivals since the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. After Pakistan thrashed an off-colour India by 180 runs to lift the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 title at the jam-packed Kennington Oval, Pakistani cricketers gave their fans a chance to have a go at the Indians. As a result, Jazz’s commercial, more commonly known as “No Issue, Lelo Tissue” was born. This advertisement resonated with the excited nation after their well awaited victory very well and made this ad one of the most viral ads on social media by making it one of the most shared commercials on facebook. #NoIssueLeloTissue trended on twitter the day Pakistan won the match and it made us smile whenever we visited the site.
Zameen.com
Few commercials have touched my heart as much as this one. This Fawad Khan starrer advertisement is a reminder to not forget your roots no matter what. Our parents provide us with their level best in the sectors of education, security, health and any other of our needs. Thanks to all of their love, care and support when we manage to become independent and able enough to survive on our own, we should not forget them. Monetary help is one thing but physical care and presence are very vital too. Infact, these are what our parents crave the most. This commercial portrays exactly this notion in a brilliant and heart-warming way. When Yusuf (Fawad Khan) ends the call of his family in favour of some other important call, our heart breaks. Only later to be mended when we find out that he was doing it all to give his family the gift of a new home and visiting them after a period of 5 years.
Surf Excel
Surf Excel is known to make really good, thought provoking, meaningful commercials. Their commercial for Ramadan 2017 didn’t disappoint either. The message was clear : spread kindness and encourage your children to do so too. Children are innocent beings with hearts pure as gold. The goodness in their hearts is either increased by the society they live in or dimmed by their environment. Sometimes we stop stop them from doing a good deed for our own convenience. This advertisement teaches us the opposite. When the boy returns after performing a good deed-waking up the hearing impaired uncle- he is covered in dirt and his white attire is turned to brown. The mom doesn’t discourage him from the act of kindness that he just performed on account of the mess he made, rather supports his decision and asks him to invite that uncle for iftaar!
Wall’s
There were tears in my eyes the first time I watched this advertisement. I believe most of us can relate to this commercial; whether to the mother’s role or the children’s. Social media has stolen our life, our family, our relations from us. We have become closer to the people far from us and far from the people in our vacinity. These days, appearances are everything.People are more concerned with proving to the rest of the world that they’re having the time of their lives than actually enjoying themselves. We are more concerned with what the world will think of the things we post than whether we personally like it or not. The same happens in this heart wrenching ad when a mother resorts to social media to interact with her kids because they no longer have time to have a ‘live conversation’ with her.
Which one of these is your favourite and why?
