TV ads: Is all the dancing really selling?

Agencies need to look at what actually makes a good advertising campaign for a product instead of dancing around.

Products in Pakistan have not always been sold by armies of men and women dancing to uncoordinated perfection.

However, recently advertising 'charts' have been hit by four choreographed entries: Tarang, Sooper, Warid and Chaika, which are running on all major TV channels night and day.

Does dancing sell?

Does this mean that singing and dance routines are what grip the Pakistani people and make them go buy brands? Or, does this simply mean that this is an idea that can be easily sold to clients by agencies?

Agencies have developed a stereotypical solution for all marketing communication needs and forgotten the essence of their business - to be different and not to do the same old thing.

I can go on dissecting and looking for further reasons for the use of such an advertising approach but the point I want to make here is that the clients and the agencies should think afresh on this issue.

A key point for the fraternity

When we look at Tarang and Sooper, which are both market leaders in their respective categories, we must remember that they did not launch with a song and dance execution.

Tarang, for instance, launched its advertising with the “Yeh koi jor nahi” - a filmi dialougue based on highly a dramatic scene between a hero, heroine and the heroine’s father!

Sooper's advertising campaign was based on the line, “Yeh to hai he Sooper.” The television commercial was all about a mother and daughter talking over a phone!

Both these brands were initially built on a great advertising idea. However, over time they moved away from that critical success factor and now find solace in only good advertising execution (minus the idea).

Great advertising always is and always will be about a great idea that is executed differently from the same old thing that we are accustomed to seeing all around us.

My advice: Get yourself out of the execution trap and think about things before it’s too late. Or, you can choose to still do the same singing and dancing routines and believe that they are what convince Pakistani people to buy!