Once, brands fought for billboards. Now, they want blackboards. From cereal-sponsored hygiene lessons to coding classes powered by banks, companies are slipping into classrooms with surprising ease. In a country where schools need all the help they can get, should we welcome this support or question the motives behind the logo? This piece unpacks the curious, clever, and sometimes questionable ways brands are reshaping what and how our children learn.
Once upon a time, all you needed in a classroom was chalk, a stern teacher, and a prayer that you would be called last. Today, it is a coding class that might be powered by a bank. Or a hygiene lesson brought to you by a cereal brand. A digital safety workshop led by a mobile network.
Yes, you read that right, brands are not just selling to us anymore. They are teaching our kids. Welcome to the unexpected, yet clever alliance between classrooms and corporates in Pakistan, where social good and smart branding share the same desk.
Why Brands Are Ditching Billboards for Blackboards
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is not just charity anymore; it is a strategy. Brands want to be there, where the real conversations are happening, and nothing is more long-term (or reputation-building) than education.
Telenor’s Safe Internet Programme, launched in 2021, is a standout example. It was not just a campaign; it was a full-scale rollout across schools, teaching students how to stay safe online. Through animated videos, interactive sessions and trained facilitators, the programme reached over 500,000 students and involved parents and teachers to extend the impact beyond classrooms.
The result is smarter digital habits, safer students and a brand that earned serious credibility in the education space. Similarly, The Citizens Foundation (TCF) works with brands to co-develop learning solutions and infrastructure for underserved communities, from classroom technology to teacher training.
Spoiler alert: It is not just working. It is redefining how brands engage with education in Pakistan.
What’s in it for the Brands? (Hint: A Lot)
Let’s not pretend this is pure altruism.
Brands are doing this for two big reasons: trust and relevance. When your logo drives a life-changing education initiative, it does more than look good; it builds emotional equity. You are not selling anymore. You are shaping futures.
That kind of brand loyalty? It does not come from a TVC. It comes from a child who remembers that your brand made it possible for her to learn to code.
Classroom Collabs
These are not your typical branded notebooks and school bags. Today’s partnerships are immersive.
Think mobile STEM labs, cartoon-based curriculum apps, nutrition programmes designed by food brands or banks creating gamified financial literacy tools. Some even co-author textbooks. Yes, really.
The point is, this is not surface-level stuff anymore. It is deep, design-led, and often backed by research. And yes, some brands go too far (do we really need multiplication lessons sponsored by a chocolate wafer?), but at their best, these collabs are reshaping access to learning.
Schools Need Help. Brands Can Help. Deal?
Pakistan’s education sector is under-resourced, overstretched, and unevenly managed. If a brand can come in with smart tools, better infrastructure, or teacher training, schools are welcoming it. And why shouldn’t they?
From digital whiteboards to better washrooms, everything counts when you are working on a shoestring budget and a big dream.
But… Is This Just a PR Parade?
Not all that glitters is gold, and not every partnership is meaningful. Some are photo ops in disguise. Others miss the mark on educational value. And sometimes, the branding is so loud you forget it is a school, not a product launch.
The golden rule should be that brands support the classroom, not hijack it. It is not a sales pitch or a playground to push products. Just real impact. Or don’t bother showing up.
The Future Is Co-Branded (And That’s Not a Bad Thing)
Here’s the thing: not one single institution, or the government, or some NGOs, or the donors, can fix Pakistan’s education system alone. But when you bring in brands with purpose, budgets, and brains, that is when we are talking scale.
Education may not be glamorous, but it is strategic. For brands willing to play the long game, the classroom is the new frontier. Not just for reach, but for real change.
So, the next time a shampoo brand is teaching a self-confidence workshop in a girls’ school, don’t scoff. That might just be the smartest thing they have ever done.
