What began as a casual ChatGPT prompt quickly turned into a list of things ChatGPT wishes brands would finally get right. Disclaimer: none of these reflect the views of the human who typed the prompt. At all.
It started with a prompt, and, if I’m being honest, a bit of a rant.
I asked ChatGPT how we can fix Pakistani advertising. Lately, watching ads has started to feel like déjà vu, with extra jingles. The same tired tropes. The same over-simplified storylines. And a strange obsession with guilt as a marketing strategy.
So I laid it all out: what’s not working, what audiences are ready for, and how ads here are constantly playing catch-up while viewers have already moved on.
ChatGPT took that and turned it into something refreshingly clear: ten ways to make our ads feel less like background noise and more like something people might actually care about.
1. Ditch the Tropes, Tell Real Stories
Clichés aren’t culture. Scrap the saas-bahu showdown and show real, relatable characters instead. Human-first storytelling? Yes, please.
2. Be Funny, But Smart About It
We have meme pages that deliver better punchlines than primetime ads. The fix: collaborate with actual comedians and digital creators. Your audience is witty — treat them like it.
3. Upgrade the Look
Bad lighting and clunky edits aren’t charming, they’re cheap. Today’s ads should look like short films, not glorified PowerPoints.
4. Drop the Guilt Trips
“Good mothers use X” is manipulative, not marketing. Inspire, don’t moralise. Sell empowerment, not shame.
5. Create with Insight, Not Assumptions
Your audience isn’t who you think they are. Use real data, test your ideas, and listen more. Especially to Gen Z, they’re not falling for surface-level fluff.
6. Have a Purpose (and Mean It)
Consumers care about values, but only if you do too. Align with real causes like sustainability or mental health, but make sure it’s authentic, not opportunistic.
7. Design for Digital, Not Just TV
Vertical videos, Reels, TikTok, Shorts, meet your audience where they are. And no, uploading your TVC to Instagram doesn’t count.
8. Smash Gender Stereotypes
Men do chores. Women buy tech. Reflect modern households instead of rewinding to the ‘90s.
9. Use Pop Culture Properly
We have iconic dramas, killer memes, and viral songs. Why aren’t ads using them well? Collaborate with culture creators and stay relevant (without trying too hard).
10. Build a Brand, Not Just a Campaign
One-off ads fade. Consistent branding, tone, visuals, voice, builds long-term love. Make people recognise you instantly, even before the logo shows up.
Final Thought:
Great advertising isn’t about yelling louder. It’s about understanding better, entertaining smarter, and respecting the audience more.
Stop chasing trends. Start telling better stories.
📍 Written for the brands that want to be remembered.
📍 And the audiences who deserve more.
