It's that time again when we take stock of what
happened throughout the past year in the world of television ads.In any
field there are those who deserve special mention for their exemplary
accomplishments while others lets just say their work betrays them.I'm
overjoyed since I Wrote about Emotional Marketing
it has already started gaining a foothold on the Kenyan scene as
evidenced by the past year's ads.They might not be the best yet but
it's a good start nonetheless.Here goes my best three and worst three.
#1.Twende Game
In an effort to get folks back to the stadiums and raise the profile of local games super stars from the yester years from both football and rugby were used during the shooting of the ads .They narrated their stories with nostalgia of how the stadiums used to be filled back then and how we can make it happen again.They preyed on the patriotic emotions of Kenyans.They make you feel guilty of watching the English premier league.It worked and the stadiums now record better turn outs of fans for games.
#2 Faiba
2014 was a phenomenal year for the faiba bug that bit every one and had people forget that Zuku exists for a moment.The animation and the concept behind it was spot on.The ease with which the audience could relate to the ad and the the timeless humour in it still sends people into fits of laughter.Fat Boy Animations out did themselves on that one.It's going to take a while before we forget this one.
#3 Safaricom Sevens Circuit
The build up to the safaricom sevens was preceded by the sevens circuit where each leg was highly hyped with ads.The ads featured fans urging the rest of the people to join them at the respective venues to support local talent as well as have fun.Safaricom as we all know invests heavily on their advertising and this paid off as evidenced by the many fans headed to the host hosts of the different legs.
It's my unsolicited opinion that the first victims of the contentious security bill should be those intellectual terrorists who hold millions of Kenyans hostage and then bombard them mercilessly with stupendous TV adverts.These adverts leave permanent mental scars.The brains or lack of behind the following ads should report to the nearest police station and hand themselves over before the public executes a citizens arrest.
#1.Amaco Insurance
- These guys came to the ad party too late.Musical ads are out of
style.The last guys who pulled it off successfully were safaricom
/Safaricon (depends on who you ask).This is the era of emotional
marketing.If you can't connect emotionally with your audience you're
better off engaging in some CSR project.Leave the singing to choirs.
#2.Ken Sauce - Its about time these agency guys stopped insulting the intelligence of Kenyans.Some things are not fathomable.A clear cut line between reality and fiction needs to be drawn.I get the implied humour bit but seriously who would fight for tomato sauce.If I was confronted by a bunch of thugs who want my tomato sauce I'd buy them a box.Resisting is just plain silly.
#3.Aromat - This will raise eyebrows considering it won an award at the 2014 OLX social media awards.I don't know who's crazier the creatives or the guys who voted for them.That the advert created quite a buzz is not in contention.It however didn't tag at the emotional heart strings of audiences. It was infamous with concerned parents who had an issue with use of the word 'Jinga' which they felt children would add to the growing list of their vocabulary. I forgot about the ad after two weeks.I still use aromat though but not because of the ad.
Which Kenyan Ads stood out for you ?
END
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#1.Twende Game
In an effort to get folks back to the stadiums and raise the profile of local games super stars from the yester years from both football and rugby were used during the shooting of the ads .They narrated their stories with nostalgia of how the stadiums used to be filled back then and how we can make it happen again.They preyed on the patriotic emotions of Kenyans.They make you feel guilty of watching the English premier league.It worked and the stadiums now record better turn outs of fans for games.
#2 Faiba
2014 was a phenomenal year for the faiba bug that bit every one and had people forget that Zuku exists for a moment.The animation and the concept behind it was spot on.The ease with which the audience could relate to the ad and the the timeless humour in it still sends people into fits of laughter.Fat Boy Animations out did themselves on that one.It's going to take a while before we forget this one.
#3 Safaricom Sevens Circuit
The build up to the safaricom sevens was preceded by the sevens circuit where each leg was highly hyped with ads.The ads featured fans urging the rest of the people to join them at the respective venues to support local talent as well as have fun.Safaricom as we all know invests heavily on their advertising and this paid off as evidenced by the many fans headed to the host hosts of the different legs.
It's my unsolicited opinion that the first victims of the contentious security bill should be those intellectual terrorists who hold millions of Kenyans hostage and then bombard them mercilessly with stupendous TV adverts.These adverts leave permanent mental scars.The brains or lack of behind the following ads should report to the nearest police station and hand themselves over before the public executes a citizens arrest.
#2.Ken Sauce - Its about time these agency guys stopped insulting the intelligence of Kenyans.Some things are not fathomable.A clear cut line between reality and fiction needs to be drawn.I get the implied humour bit but seriously who would fight for tomato sauce.If I was confronted by a bunch of thugs who want my tomato sauce I'd buy them a box.Resisting is just plain silly.
#3.Aromat - This will raise eyebrows considering it won an award at the 2014 OLX social media awards.I don't know who's crazier the creatives or the guys who voted for them.That the advert created quite a buzz is not in contention.It however didn't tag at the emotional heart strings of audiences. It was infamous with concerned parents who had an issue with use of the word 'Jinga' which they felt children would add to the growing list of their vocabulary. I forgot about the ad after two weeks.I still use aromat though but not because of the ad.
Which Kenyan Ads stood out for you ?
END
If you would like to read my regular posts then please Subscribe and feel free to connect via Twitter and Facebook.
Here are other recent articles I've written ;
Mina Reeve
2.Where do you currently work?
NamiAfrica – Founder and Director, CEO
3. Did you always want to become a marketer?
Nope – I actually studied Biomedical Sciences in Uni and I thought that is what I was going to do. I still want to do something in the health industry though but the marketing and business side of it
4.What makes you passionate about marketing?
The challenge. You know where you want to get to, and you know
where you are at now. The journey on how to get there is what makes it fun.
When you strategize, implement, and see your ideas come to life and you see
results, that’s what keeps me going. Self satisfaction. Passion comes from
within – and I got all the fire in the world.
5.In which field of marketing do you feel at home?
I specialize in a certain type of marketing – Experiential
Marketing. Funny thing is that Experiential Marketing is not even marketing at
all. It is all about the experience your customers go through to interact with
your brand, service or product. At the end of the day, its never about the
clients, but the customers because those are the people who are going to wither
make you or break you. Give customers an AWESOME experience, and they will be a
loyal customer.
My first and only job after
graduating before starting my own experiential marketing firm was as a PR and
Events executive at one of the advertising agencies here in Kenya. I got an
insight into the industry in Kenya, and I was able to make a lot of connections
in both the events and PR departments. They say your network is your net-worth
and I keep on getting well connected. Other than that, I learnt a bit about
what the other departments do – finance, client service, media buying and
booking, so as much as I do not work in
those areas, I know enough to be able to be versatile in my approaches.
You need to be sociable and
never take anything too personally. All criticism is positive, and no matter if
a campaign was a success or a fail, you learn, tweak and adjust. Know who your
targeting and how your going to target them – once you understand the basics,
the rest is easy. Oh – and do not forget, business etiquette is very important.
8. What advice would you give to anyone who wants
to pursue a career in Marketing?
Know what you are getting
yourself into and be prepared to do all the hard work. Whoever said that if you
work smart, you do not have to work as hard lied. Hard work ALWAYS pays off in
one way or another, so make sure you have the drive, ambition and enthusiasm
throughout. NEVER lose hope, and always make sure you see the various projects
to the very end – you will be remembered for it.
9. Best moment of your marketing career so far?
Starting
my own company and bringing a twist to the way events and PR are
executed. That and being the woman who implemented and executed the
National Youth Service Re-Launch during the Passing Out Parade earlier
this year - now that was an experience!