Ufone’s launched “Data Bohhaaat Hai” ad featuring Babar Azam AGAIN! It seems like their marketing department has discovered the ‘secret’ success formula “Babar + Data = Profit.” It’s not exactly groundbreaking or out-of-the-box, but, if it’s working out for them, why change it? Their latest ad has all the ingredients for a viral hit: a beloved national icon – Babar Azam, a relatable scenario – losing your phone, and finally a catchy slogan, one that has worked for them before: “Data Bohhaaat Hai.” Despite all these elements, in my opinion, the ad feels strangely hollow – a missed opportunity to truly connect with the Gen Z audience. Cashing Babar Azam’s popularity is a great idea as the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy is just days away but the ad, the concept just doesn’t seem to do much.
I think they could have done so much better than the “lost phone scenario.”
They’re trying to sell data, naturally, the slogan would consist of something with data, it’s catchy, I’ll give them that. You’ll remember it even if you wish it wouldn’t. Let’s be real, everyone in the world wants more data for less money- there’s no rocket science there.
But the visuals; they’re fast-paced, exhilarating and fun. Babar lost his phone, and it’s become a nationwide affair. But isn’t it a cliché topic? How many ads have you seen where someone loses something and it becomes a huge drama? Marketers think we’re all going to fall apart if we’re disconnected for five minutes. Plus, the biggest problem: how is it related to cellular data?
Babar Azam, is a great man, an amazing cricketer but he really needs to work on his acting. I understand that acting is not his forté but if you’re doing an ad, it simply cannot be relied only on stardom. An advert needs to consist of acting, relatability, production quality and concept all in perfect harmony in order to be successful.
I guess, he makes it look like losing his phone is the worst thing that’s ever happened to him. But it feels a bit… much. Clearly, worse things can happen. Like, come on, you can probably get a new phone in, like, two seconds.
It just feels kind of predictable, almost feels like repurposing an old idea – but this time with the current hero of Pakistan. Is it suddenly supposed to be amazing? It’s not. Recycling an old idea isn’t the problem. The execution is.
The most captivating part is the visuals. Beautiful, aesthetically pleasing ads are an attention grabber but they will not create much of an impact. I chuckled a bit, but I don’t know if it was supposed to be funny, relatable or just cashing the hype of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy by adding Babar Azam to it. It’s more like… “Oh, look, Babar lost his phone.” That’s the joke, I guess.
And the message is pretty simple: Ufone has data. Buy it. Because, you know, what if you lose your phone? You’ll need data to…find it? How will you use the “Data Bohhaaat Hai” if your phone is lost? I don’t know. The logic is a bit fuzzy, but hey, it’s advertising.
So, is the ad good? It’s okay, not terrible, nothing great either. It’s just an ad with Babar Azam, a catchy slogan, sort of thrilling and quite vibrant. It gets you excited by watching everyone in the ad get excited. But it’s also kind of boring and predictable. It’s as if they didn’t try that hard. They just threw some stuff together and hoped it would work. And it kind of… did.
The campaign itself has a lot of potential and I think it’s doing its job. People are talking about it, certainly I am. The slogan is catchy. Babar’s involved. It’s probably boosting data sales. But creatively? It’s lacking. It’s the same old formula, just repackaged and re-released. This is not the worst ad on TV, but it’s not exactly inspiring either. It’s just… there. Existing. Like a slightly annoying notification, you can’t seem to dismiss. But it’s just my opinion on the ad. We’ve seen such amazing work by Ufone that it feels slightly underwhelming, the storyline not the visuals.
Long story short, it’s Ufone. They sell data. Babar loses his phone. You know the drill.