If you watch TV or use social media, you’ve likely come across the ubiquitous Lemon Max ads or a TikToker performing the ad’s signature dance because, clearly, the brand’s PR worked overtime. These ads have become a staple of annoyance for many viewers, primarily due to the incessantly irritating music they feature. The latest ad is a prime example, featuring a song that is a blatant copy of “Item Number” from the movie Teefa in Trouble.
Original Song:
Lemon Max Ad:
With its grating tune and over-the-top dance routine, watching this ad often forces viewers to either mute their TVs or change the channel to escape the cacophony (at least I do it). This pattern has been a recurring theme in Lemon Max’s advertising strategy, two actors sing and dance around a bar of dish soap in a series of highly stylized but ultimately tacky ads.
Lemon Max has been following this formula for years, repurposing popular songs and giving them a dishwashing twist. For instance, the ad featuring Sajal Ali and Imran Abbas uses a version of “Subha Hone Na De” from Desi Boyz.
Original Song:
Lemon Max Ad:
Another one with Maya Ali and Fahad Mustafa is set to a remix of “Hookah Bar” from Khiladi 786.
Original Song:
Lemon Max Ad:
One more example of this is the Madiha Imam and Wahaj Ali ad, where they danced to a rendition of “Na Na Na Na.”
Original Song:
Lemon Max Ad:
These ads beg the question, “Is creativity dead?” The lyrics might be adjusted to match the product, but the lack of creativity in the music is obvious. There seems to be a lot of originality when it comes to changing lyrics, but all the creativity jumps right out the window when writing an original song. This lacklustre and recurring approach makes us question whether Lemon Max’s marketing team is more concerned with capitalising on an irritating jingle that people can’t avoid noticing than creating anything new and intriguing.
To all marketing professionals, we want to know whether this type of advertising is effective. Does it actually enhance brand image, or is it just riding on the wave of negative publicity? Annoying viewers to the point of muting or changing channels doesn’t seem like a successful strategy. It might get the brand noticed, but not necessarily in a positive light.
We think the Lemon Max ads, with their recycled music and flashy dance routines, do more to irritate than to engage. It’s high time for the brand to rethink its advertising strategy and perhaps invest in some original creativity rather than relying on borrowed tunes and tired tropes. But we don’t think anything will change because these kinds of ads are getting them the traction they want.
