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Abdul Aleem Sheikh
Business Director, Oktopus360 Media
With a TV commercial that takes a lighter note insight based approach to the concept of wants left unfulfilled and how they occupy a significant part of our focus and struggle, the agency and brand took the challenge to move away from the conventional advertising approach used by banking institutions. Rather it is filled with audience-appropriate humor, relatable characters and situations, simple and upbeat story-line, and eventually building a strong emotional connect.
The features and product story which usually play lead in banking-related ads were kept in the background with a catchy jingle showing a developing storyline. Strong technical aspects like smooth frame transitions and camera movement and speed that captured emotions smartly support the ad. The linking of the product story and the features part is done very well.
However, it seems that the length of the ad has been trimmed. Maybe due to the heavy budget being utilized on media?
Younus Usmani
Manager – Brand & Advertising, KENWOOD
Who says banking can be boring?
Based on the basic concept of unsatisfied wishes of every person, UBL’s new TV commercial is a mixture of lighthearted fun and excitement with a slice of everyday life feel.
STRATEGY
What do you require from a bank? Solutions to financing challenges and this TVC does just that. Viewers can clearly create a special niche in their minds about UBL and the variety of services the bank is offering. The fact that this very bank was not very popular due to the quality of its services gets pretty much erased in the process.
Kudos to the advertising agency and brand team, great strategy!
BIG IDEA
Brilliant idea revolving around never ending human desires! It instantly leaves a mark.
The novelty surrounding this idea is the spectrum of audiences it caters to without making them feel distant. I feel this was necessary as the target market for UBL branch banking is quite wide and all had to be attracted in one go.
CREATIVE EXECUTION
This could have been done better.
The sequence breaks when switching from group of boys having food to young couple sitting in restaurant. Frere Hall is a much used location that can be recognized easily plus which restaurant has such long stair cases? The entrance, dining hall and restroom all differ so much that the whole feel of the restaurant gets distorted. Yet, the millionaire’s dressing when getting out of his luxury car justifies the wealth the TVC is trying to project. The music score could have been slower. It’s not too catchy and the lyrics are not impressive. Although the product story shots carry forward the mood of the story, which is very different from the usual banking ads.
Overall the TVC is quite good and refreshing, but it could have been done better had the director worked on the execution details.
Kaleem Kazmi
Creative Director, The Brand Partnership
I find the TVC something like a well cooked dish after putting together different ingredients, i.e. the jingle from the Indian movie PK, shots and concept from another Indian commercial and the brand from Pakistan.
I admit though that the frames have been shot really well and Frere Hall assumes the look of a restaurant quite nicely. The credit, I believe, goes to the director as the concept writer has only taken forward an Indian advert, which confuses me as to what it should be called, a copy or inspiration? For instance, the particular sequence in which the bald man looks yearningly at another man’s long tresses was put together in the Indian ad as a bald man not wanting to get out from his car as he watches a young boy with long hair walking down the street.
Regardless of all this, the TVC has everything that makes it a worth watch with a well delivered message.