Sea, Sunsilk, and sun... (update)

The Sunsilk summer is in full swing it seems (here)! So Nourie Flayhan (illustrator), Elsa Kahwaji (content creator) and Rita Samaha (dancer) get together on a beach. And actually, they seemed to be having a lot of fun doing beachy things. But what set the ad apart is that - blimey - they actually seemed to like one another. As in sincerely like one another. I am not sure how Joe Fish the agency behind the ad did the casting for these three women but it worked. And even their "antics" - trying to balance the Sunsilk on on the head or listening to a seashell seemed... natural. Long story short, sometimes you don't need an ad that would offer an unheard of creative breakthrough - sometimes just a genuine one does the trick! 

Small update:

The film is sort of the introduction of the collaboration of these 3 artists which resulted in a limited edition pouch that is truly a piece of art. A limited edition summer pouch, especially illustrated for the season by Nourie Flayhan, in collaboration with Elsa Kahwaji and Rita Samaha. Sunsilk will be present on beaches (Lazy B, Almaza Beach etc...) with the specially designed booth where girls can have braiding and glitter and get a chance to win these pouches through a claw machine game. The campaign apparently does not have any outdoors, it will be only digital and on ground activations.

961Beer is relaunching

So 961 is relaunching apparently (unless it was always there and I never noticed). But here we are - with the mainstream positioning already taken by Almaza, with Beirut Beer on a hit-and-miss mission, 961 had the "anti" positioning left for it for the taking. I mean, being "alternative" is nothing wrong as a positioning especially that 961 Beer prides itself as the original craft beer in Lebanon since 2006 (here). 

961 Beer is relaunching with "do you have the code?" (obviously as a wink to the 961 - in case you did not know that is Lebanon's international phone code). Oddly it does remind me very much of the Carolina Herrera 212 VIP ads "are you on the list?" (212 being NY's phone code as well!). Now, the ads obviously target "rebels", but also "passionates" (no, that is not a word but heck it's advertising so anything is allowed), "lovers", "clubbers", "believers"... Look, let me be honest, every time there is an ad that talks to the "alt" category of people I cannot but feel they were inspired by the original ad that started it all in Lebanon - Aizone "Vote" ad (here).

Still, the campaign stands on its own two feet. Knows what part of the market it wants to conquer, so for this alone, it merits respect.

On the Bella Hadid and the Adidas SL 72 debacle

I am not inventing gunpowder here, but "terrace shoes" (Samba, Gazelle and the like) are having a major moment worldwide. Adidas, knowing that the Samba craze cannot go on indefinitely is trying to ride the wave launching (or rather solidifying) the next "it" shoe from its archives - the sleek SL 72 which was designed for the 1972 Munich Olympics. Yes, the same Olympics where 11 Israeli athletes lost their lives in a Palestinian operation. 

As usual, a hoard of celebrities were used in the campaign - rapper A$AP Nast, footballer Jules Kounde, Chinese model Sabrina Lan, and... Bella Hadid. Hadid, one of the world's literal supermodels (and I admit I much prefer her to her sister Gigi, owing to Bella's charisma), is also a barometer of taste for a whole generation. Sites like hypebeast and highsnobiety have articles dedicated to what Bella Hadid wore for a milkshake stroll in New York - whatever she endorses is bound to be a hit.

But Hadid are also of of Palestinian descent and are very vocal - Bella more than Gigi - about their support of the Palestinian cause. If you link that to a shoe designed for "that" Olympics, and living in a world where everyone and anyone has an opinion, the mismatch is a bit obvious. So Adidas pulled the Hadid ads related to the SL 72.

My opinion? That was a genius move!

No ad - and ergo product - gets more coverage than one that was pulled. When Benetton wanted to exhibit it very sensitive ad for naked crotches in London it hired a gigantic space only for the permission to exhibit it was withdrawn - so everyone kept asking "who was supposed to exhibit here?" and more than ever the ad (which never ran) got more and more people talking about Benetton. Another instance? Zodiac, the pneumatic boat manufacturer wanted to run an ad with the French president Giscard d'Estaing on his Zodiac. The Elysee Palace who gets early editions of Le Monde vetoed the ad. So the space ran blank. Same question "who was supposed to exhibit here?"

Here's a third local story (originally published here):

In 2010, the country woke up to the ads of lingerie and pantyhose brand Marie France being ripped. The first reflex was that a Muslim fundamentalist did so, a while later a person I know told me "did you see what I did to the Marie France ads?" - the man in question was married, educated in Lebanon and Europe and still found it logical for him to to rip the panels for what he called "anti-Christian values". The same day he did what he did, the Marie France agent called Voix du Liban and said "I wish to thank that person what he did, now even men are aware of the brand, so thank you for the free publicity".

Now, in many instances banning an ad is not always positive for the brand. But, Adidas got more ink about pulling the Hadid ads than the original campaign featuring her. SL 72 is bound to be a hit - anyone sympathizing with the Palestinian plight will buy it, those who don't care will too (Adidas is selling its restock of Yeezy - designed by Kanye West and his very public antisemitic views - by the bucket load, and people are buying them not caring for the association).

In Arabic there is a proverb "everything that is banned is desired". And let it be known, Adidas got a tonne of free advertising in the process.

Kipling buy one, give one - CSR at its most logical

Don't believe Instagram, Lebanon is still in the doldrums. Situation is incredibly dire still and the real statistics on the ground are as alarming as ever. Enter Kipling - in this very very challenging ambiance to parents who will be faced with exorbitant back to school fees (yes, even in governmental schools) Kipling is launching its "buy one donate one". Sure there is a bit of incentive for the donating party as well (15% off and a change to win a Kipling bag) but it has been proven that all altruistic acts have a kernel of selfish element in them. Still, the campaign - co-signed by Holdal (the company that has the Kipling franchise in Lebanon) and Teach For Lebanon - is truly worthy of interest. On the ground, I do hope that many needy students will benefit from this. It is a timely initiative and, as I said, with logical and palpable implications. Do check the link here.

Potatoes are more expensive than OOH prices in Lebanon!

Photo credit: Geoana Hobeiche Massabni

"I was told that the price of booking a campaign outdoors is now potatoes" I say.

My friend - who basically runs an agency - answers with "no, potatoes are more expensive! We have booked campaigns that cover the Jounieh-Beirut highway for X". My jaw dropped, I knew the prices were low, very low, but X is unheard of. No wonder agencies are going for their scrapping of the barrel creatively in order to just put anything outdoors. But as I said recently, is this win-win when you are damaging the brand?

The answer is: I don't know. By this I mean - I feel the consumer does not care about the ad to begin with. Stuck in traffic jams people look at their social media messages on their phones, rarely does anyone look up and observe around them. Also, as I said recently about Rifai - as soon as people see the logo, they don't care about the rest of the design. "It's Rifai, I know it, I used to buy it, I can afford the price of this entry-level item from their many products, I am going to buy it again". Will anyone really scrutinize the bag? I sincerely doubt.

All of this seems to be me shooting myself in the foot considering I write about communication at large and advertising specifically. But compare this, to this. Beirut Beer "bil chamset bass mich bil beit" (in the sun but not at home) to Magnum "Find your summer". I have nothing against Beirut Beer, on the contrary, when they found their footing I was really cheerleading for them (here and here), but one thing is sure - that TVC they did does not translate into a billboard. And yet, what do you find on the streets?

Exactly.

With such low prices most brands are throwing creativity out the window, long term consumer investment, anything resembling a strategy, for the sake of these half-baked ads we are seeing. Somehow, I still feel that in the back of the minds of people, they will remember brands that stood out. Right now, in Lebanon though, I am not seeing much of it.

But I still have to buy potatoes for food.

Of Beirut Beer, the end of Euro Cup and summer

Beirut Beer went Euro Cup (here), followed by Almaza (here - in a more complicated effort) and now that the Euro Cup is about to finish, Beirut Beer is at it again. "Euro Cup is about to finish but summer is just starting". Well, I could say "OK, there's a strategy there" but am told Beirut Beer has an ad on Dora which basically means nothing and is not corelated to this effort. Without forgetting this oddity (here). Do note I am trying with all my might to disregard the sexual innuendo in the ad above.

 For some reason I feel many brands just lost the plot and are advertising for the sake of booking panels (and am told OOH companies are more than happy to offer steep discounts just to fill their empty spaces - I do know the prices and they are exceptionally cheap). I don't know if you can call this a win-win situation considering the brands are tanking at making solid impressions.

Rifai Nuts - not just brand extension new packaging too!

I hate it when I am right. A few months ago an agency launched a teaser, I immediately wrote them back saying "so at 1 minute 28 seconds is your concept, a good one" - few days later when the revealer came guess what was the concept?... Another story a friend showed me an ad and told me "this is influenced by this ad", and I said "no, this is influence by this other ad" - when the friend saw my reference he was gob smacked! You see my reasoning was simple the creative director behind the ad worked at a specific agency which did the reference ad so he simply copied it. And so on and so forth, so yesterday when I spoke about Rifai having a brand extension (here) I was waiting for the other shoe to drop... The new packaging.

And here we are, 8 new varieties and mixes in a new packaging. Note that the logo was revamped when the business was sold (the Swedish arm was sold long ago, and now came the Lebanese one about 2 years ago). Anyhow, the packaging is nice and clean. Not sure consumers even look at the bags as long as the logo is there. But still, an effort was made to present a unified look for everything - a bit more "new" than the older bags. Now, all that silly copy on the ad could have been left out, because seriously, who cares?

Rifai Nuts goes for brand extension with butters

My first reflex was... What? Then I thought - wait a minute they could be on to something here. Rifai known "passion for nuts since 1948" (apparently this is their signature) is going brand extension with nut butter. As I said, it took me a bit aback but then again there is logic to it. After all, Rifai stores do not only sell their inhouse brand (you can go from regular to ultra upscale), but also majors "gourmet" accoutrements - sweets of many kinds, etc... So going for nut butter, especially when it is claimed to be associated with such a renowned brand is not too far of a stretch (available in almond, pistachio and peanut butter). Also "no additives, plastic free, reusable jar, 20 gram protein per 100 grams, no oil" or so says the small animated ad online (here). Interestingly these come with a line "spread summer joy" - mind you the "spread" (for butter as a double-entendre has been done before) but interesting these are labelled as "summer products" (whereas peanut butter is an all-year long thing in the United States).

Almaza stresses Lebanese identity

Photo credit Nibal Hadchiti Dfouni

So Almaza is pulling on up! Their newest efforts center around their identity. Mind you the trick has been played long ago when Almaza was with a different agency (لبنانيه وشايفة حالها - Lebanese and proud of it). But that was probably in the mid 1990s. Anyhow, Almaza played the trick of how words are said in different language - which is common on Instagram, in English (Beer) in French (Biere) in Lebanon (Almaza). As I said this is current on Instagram where Lebanese always have a different way of saying words. And yes, Almaza could be the first name to come to mind in Lebanon when mentioning beer.

Now the second ad is a bit less obvious - "despite is all, Lebanon is Almaza" (Almaza means diamond in case you did not know in Arabic). 

Elevate - Mall ad on a higher level

So Elevate is not joking. Apparently they have a mall campaign that prepares you for the USJ medical entrance exam. The idea - which apparently comes from Puffer Studios which has just been established and comes out swinging - is simple "when in doubt count on us". Remember what I said recently about Massaya? (Here). Once you have a strong original concept all else falls in line. So now that "when in doubt" was found, the rest - a pixelized tooth, pen, camera, apple (there is one about a bag as well) just came out naturally. See? It i snot difficult to make a good campaign when the backbone is there.

Epica Awards announces its yearly early bird with bold BETC campaign

David Droga, Greg Hahn, Susan Credle and Chaka Sobhani are just four of the iconic creatives who don’t stand a chance of being on the Epica Awards jury, as a new call for entries campaign by BETC explains. The campaign, devised by BETC creatives Abi Stephenson, Matt Jones and Anthony Tavares, and creatively directed by Nicholas Bakshi, takes a cheeky jab at revered industry figures to underline the fact that the Epica Awards are judged by journalists – not creatives. Epica has just opened for 2024 entries.
Mark Tungate, editorial director of the Epica Awards added that Epica often receives calls from creatives who’d like to serve on its jury. But the jury is composed of editors and senior reporters from leading trade titles around the world, as well as specialist publications in categories like automotive, luxury and visual effects. This enables it to remain objective and free of industry politics.

Recently an industry creative heavyweight contacted me and asked how to be part of the Epica jury, I had the glee of telling him he does not make the cut due to his background. The Epica Awards are open for Early Bird entries until September 1, with a discount of 200 euros. The regular entry period is from September 2 until October 11.

Parallel by Parazar - this is how to do it

Considering am seeing too much idiocy as of late (if Crepaway was not the bottom, then Bar Tartine could be) please meet - belatedly - Parallel by Parazar (see their introductory reel here, influenced by some Bauhaus principles). First the name - Parazar (by Azar) is one of the leading regional and by extenso international wedding and event photographers. And at this point they have too much experience and material not to delve into advertising and film production ergo the "Parallel" (compare to Parazar and label this under names-I-wish-I-came-up-with). The logo? Pure minimalist perfection. Again people, one does not need to be a Cannes award-winning ad (and you know I came to disdain those - here).

But here's a plot twist! We have a name, positioning, introductory reel all geared to serve the original brand and its derivative. We have some calm and collected communication, which goes beyond "hype" (a diplomatic name for idiocy) and which centers around a clear and focused concept. To be honest, I am not even sure I want more from a communication campaign.

Massaya - a solid concept for a lovely ad

Dear brands doing idiotic work that makes no sense. Please look at Massaya! All it takes is a solid concept and the rest takes care of itself. The concept you ask? 1/3 Arak 2/3 water - which is the ideal glass calibration. Once you have this product-related concept all else falls into place. 1/3 blaming, 2/3 kissing. 1/3 lunch 2/3 farniente. 1/3 land 2/3 know-how. Then the line "kesna" (salute!). Again, it does not take much to do a wonderful product-related ad instead of dipping everything into idiotic "creativity". Please see the ad here.

Bar Tartine - the new usual

I said it before and will say it again - either ads are getting very smart or am getting dumb (or both). Take Bar Tartine - they have a new ad (here).  Now, try as I might I couldn't make "creative" sense of it. Apparently it is for the new menu. But things get south with the ad itself - meet Steph, the snoozer. She needs three different alarms to wake up, when she does, she arranges her hair, and applies lipstick, applies lipstick, applies lipstick, applies lipstick (am not inventing this, applying lipstick take like 4 shots) the last time being in front of a fruit dish. That's her "new usual". "Break the routine, try something new" is the caption near the ad. As I said, I am trying to get my head around it - not that the model is not beautiful (she is), but, would that entice me to go try the new menu?

IAA-Ipsos: Millennials and Gen Z - Insights from Lebanon's Next Generation

IAA and Ipsos have delved into Lebanon's new generations in an exhaustive, very detailed, methodologically-flawless, and well designed and presented study which sweeps across the needs, wants, and behaviors of the millennials (born between 1981-1996) and Gen Z (1997-2012). The study covers many elements - from their work, education, sources of entertainment, salaries, online behavior (hours spent online, methods of shopping, etc...). 

The final output, is actually very believable. I say so because too many studies and statistics are obviously tainted in make-believe and the IAA-Ipsos seems to get results which truly make sense for their prospective audience which eventually are actually advertising/marketing agencies and anyone working in communication.

69% of the sample whose average age was 25.5 are still single, 38% are secondary educated, followed closely with 35% who have a bachelor's degree (logical, Lebanon still enjoys a university-aspirational education despite the drop in level of said universities), half are paid in USD, also almost half chose their careers based on financial considerations, however 72% are not working in the field they majored in which in extenso means that also half of them would change the careers they work in (interestingly, based on financial considerations as a motive). 73% are not interested in studying abroad (however among the 27% interested only 18% are working on it) with France leading the pack as a potential destination for studying.

51% would want to work abroad (obviously more in the Gen Z than millenials) with UAE being the choice (much more than any other destination) with respondents being swayed with higher salaries and benefits. 

The study extensively covers AI, internet access and use, favorite apps, social media notifications, impact of social media on wellbeing, communication choices and technology's influence on relations, television viewing habits and multi-screen usage habits, radio listening trends and shifting habits, entertainment preferences and frequency, online shopping habits and preferences (with some major findings in there), drivers of online shopping and preferred methods of payment (again, ad agencies might really look closely into these sections) in addition to features/issues, online security and grocery shopping preferences, delivery apps and user experience (again, ad agencies might look into all these, the whole let's-drop-a-bucket-to-the-vendor-downstairs no longer works!) and app choices (for food delivery).

Any communication, marketing, advertising agency should run to buy a copy of the study. And yes, some results are predictable but other are so totally "Lebanese" they would make any international executive/creative worth their salt stop dead in their track if handing any advertising or marketing in Lebanon.

Almaza is now on board of the UEFA Euro train

Beirut Beer did it (here). Now it is the turn of Almaza. Both went with local expressions - albeit on two different routes. Almaza additionally collaborated with Farixtube - whose instagram (here) labels him as "7th runner up Mr. Ghazir 2023". Among the expressions "Lebanon is playing!" "I only watch the finals" "I do not watch football" "I do not let a match pass me by" - all these on limited edition bottles adorned with special caps - so this is not only an advertising but also a marketing/production joint venture. This is the second heavy push from Almaza (here) and somehow puts it back on the track where it used to be - well, almost.

Ksara - Father's Day

There hasn't been much creative buzz around Father's Day this year (IPT being an exception here). Sure there has been the usual greetings with some brand logo attached. In comes Ksara with a very low key but quite smart iteration. "Raised to be your favorite" - OK, we all agree parents have a favorite child (any parent who does not concede to this is lying!) and what do you do with a child? (OK, no smarty pants answers!). You "raise" it. Now, what do you do with a glass of wine? You... Raise it as well. How smart is this? Very indeed. Happy Father's Day to one and all (yes, even from non-favorite kids who'll be brooding on a wine glass this evening after gifting their father a tie!). 

Doozy from Arope - pay as you drive

Well, here's a solution to but-I-only-had-salad-why-should-I-pay-equally-to-someone-who-had-a-steak-at-the-table when the restaurant bill comes. Simple - Doozy, from Arope insurance, made it a point that you pay as much as you drive. Simple, "il fallait y penser" as they say in French. All right, I am not familiar with the nitty gritty details of the offer or if there are any hidden or extra or flat fees. But the whole idea is very palatable actually and it does make sense.

Beirut Beer - UEFA Euro

So Beirut Beer just went full UEFA Euro football.... The angle is this, "the game is European, the cheering is Lebanese" and the concept is extended towards local expressions - with explanation in tow. Purely slang, only understood by the Lebanese, which make little or no sense to other - specifically European - nations. Now, let's be honest this is not like "earth-shattering" but the ad is nice in its own perspective, and yes, people do drink beer extensively while cheering their favorite football team (and in case you are not aware, Germany, Brazil (which of course have no team playing in the UEFA Euro games), Italy, and even France have very sizable fans among the Lebanese population leading to some very ugly scenes). You can enjoy the ad here.

Chateau Ksara - plot twist: Screw caps

File under - why-didn't-they-think-about-it-sooner... Ksara is now offering screw cap opening! Granted Gris de Gris is not their top of line or anything, but when you are on the beach, do you really want a top-notch wine as the taste mingles with either sea salt or pool chlore additives? But still, the idea is not without merit because honestly, do you go to the sea with a wine-bottle opener? I guess not - so voila, full marks....