Chateau Musar has a new one for Independence Day (sadly it gives me an impression of deja vu - here). Still, on its own merit the ad is very good - it includes the product in the advertising. Still, a good one is a good one. Chateau Musar apparently wishes to greet every Lebanese (not just those in the army or anything).
Hallab 1881 just did "something" for Independence Day (here). I was hesitating to post the link because it must come with a warning "I saw this on behalf of humanity so you don't have to". The ad, is even an insult to cliche! It is this bad. A hodge-podge of imagery over an insufferable copy which ends with one of the worst lines I have come across. I have no idea if this was done in-house or by an agency, but approving such atrocity is simply beyond the level of logic and good taste. Hallab has had a string of flops as of late (here and here as examples) and with every new outing they sink lower.
Parazar just did Independence day (here). A proof if any is needed that one can do a lovely, strong, and well-meaning ad with a creative backbone without going totally overboard. Parazar specializes in shooting events - marriages mostly. So the images are from the in-house archive. Not bad considering they are pros at what they do. The copy is a bit soppy but nothing to complain about (it is independence day!) and - interestingly, the copy drives its way forward to the ending line "may every Independence Day finds us really well".
So let's recap, clean imagery, a copy that knows where it is heading, no over-doing patriotism and what not, but rather a way to integrate their product within the event. So honestly, there's nothing to complain about.
Take Maliks and his silly riddles (here), then take Halim (first here) now the above. Halim, truth be told is on fire. Now that Independence Day is approaching, Halim went with - the gratuitous but very smart hint - of the Lebanese National Anthem. The quizz is simple - or rather deceptively simple - what comes after the two words in the Halim ad which are taken from the anthem? Truth be told, our national anthem's lyrics (courtesy of Rashid Nakhle) are nothing but very - as in very - convoluted. So guessing the next two words is, a bit memory searching, a bit ChatGPT searching, a bit Google search as well. But still - the ad (which has a third installment I did not picture) is in White/Red/Green - the colours of the national flag (a nice gimmick!). Apparently you win something if you answer correctly. But beyond the gifts, Halim is on to something - without silly riddles.
One of my problems is that I react viscerally to ads. The new Hallab 1881 ad made me physically wince. Let's see - a grandson comes to his grandfather and asks "grandpa what happens to the world if there was no Lebanon?". Cue... The pseudo-patriotic diatribe about us inventing the alphabet, and our landmarks, and singers and doctors and inventors, and famous lunches. Maybe, just maybe (and this is a big ask) it sounded good on paper. In reality the ad borderline sucks. No, it fully sucks. It is badly acted, badly scripted, badly thought, badly executed, and - damn it, even as a diabetic - the last thing I want right now is baclava! Oh please spare me the "no matter what happens the country is the foundation of it all...". Stupidity called and wants its line back. Honest, I am usually much more reserved but this is totally beyond any logic. I saw the ad so that you don't have to, but if you insist please check here.
Sorry this one slipped through the cracks yesterday, but here it is - again, so very few brands did the effort to come up with anything so this is worth a mention. 1750 Water decided to reference the national anthem which believe it or not begins with the "given" "koulouna lil watan" (we are all for the nation). Yes, I know. Anyhow 1750 Water went "no matter how much we differ, we are all for the nation" - interestingly, they decided the reference the different water bottles present in the market. A well-thought ad which integrates what 1750 Water sells within the festivities.
File this under "I didn't get it but I am sure it means something and it comes from the right place" because honestly, I didn't get it. "We love you till the last piece" all this with the piece in question being baclava - a specialty that Hallab 1881 sells. I didn't get the cause to effect truth be told, and apart from the fact that as a diebetic now I want baclava and I can't have it, I am not sure how this leads me to Independence Day. Still, I guess this is a time where you take what you can advertising-wise.
No surprises here, Ksara did a wonderful Independence Day ad via the always reliable Mink. The trick? Ksara does wine. From what? Grapes. The copy? Our strength is in our unity. The visual? A grape with no space between the buds and done in the shape of the Lebanese map. Any questions? Maybe it is not as wonderful as their Army Day ad from 2020 (here) or their 2023 New Year ad (here), but a very solid showing nonetheless. Because after all, Mink set its own bar too high.
Now that's an unexpected - and good one. Based on the design of the ubiquitous coffee cup in Lebanon (here), IDM comes with this lovely ad merging the wi-fi signal with the design in question. An Independence Day ad you never knew you needed until you had it. The copy goes that it is "keeping us all united anywhere everywhere". One thing is sure, no two Lebanese ever argued over coffee.
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| Photo credit: Lorenzo Trombetta |
I know this is about 10 days too late, but the ad is still running in town, plus this is my blog and I can post whenever I want to!
Well, where's Alanis Morissette when you need her because this is exactly what would fit under the lyrics of her super hit "Ironic"... Imagine the new verse:
"Like your old Ottoman ruler
Wishing you a happy independence day
Because you took it from the French
So they win on a technicality
(Pre-Chorus)
And isn't it ironic
Don't you think?"
All apologies to Miss Morissette and Glen Ballard who co-wrote the monster hit... But seriously people, I know that "technically" the Lebanon who was under Ottoman rule was basically "mount Lebanon" not the current Lebanon we know, and that yes, we took our independence (sigh, what independence?) from the French not the Ottomans, and that our whole history is a bit of a blur (meaning depends whom you ask you get a different story!), and as Bill Farrell said about Beirut "there's no truth in Beirut, only versions" - you may easily apply this to Lebanon as a whole.
Still, we can all see the irony in this!
When Prada - yes, that Prada - did its "acronyms" campaign, basically everyone thought it was too basic for such a respected house and coming from such a luminaire as Miuccia Prada. Well, what do you know? RDCL has spelled Independence (Integrity/ Neutrality/ Decentralization/ Ethics/ Productivity/ Entrepreneurship/ Nature/ Dignity/ Energy/ Nationalism/ Coexistence/ Excellence) into separate words which are frankly too.... boring because basic and generic. The problem? It's that the denouement of the ad is actually quite decent: Independence is not a single word, independence is not a single day, independence is a constant journey giving justic to common values for a better future. Which is very good copy - except that it had to come after the less-than-interesting beginning sadly.
For a second my heart skipped a beat. My first reflex was "please, no, not another campaign of "I love Lebanon no matter what", I couldn't stand that". Thankfully Joe Fish delivered with a completely sarcastic copy-based campaign about - well, what's not functioning in Lebanon. Museums on every corner are supermarket shelves, after parties are trying to navigates staircases in buildings with a torch, winter group activities is trying to make it your home through the traffic jam on a rainy day, and the funny list continues. Thankfully this Independence Day came and went without the usual foray of brands dipping everything in flag colors. Which makes the Joe Fish campaign all the more refreshing.
So Spinneys supermarket released their independence day ad. I physically winced from pain (or perhaps was it embarrassment?) on behalf of whomever came up, approved, and otherwise broadcasted this piece that:
1- has no relation to truth whatsoever
2- brags about the lowest-common denominators
3- has a copy that is beyond appalling
4- targets some target audience which I have no clue who it is.
Honestly, the ad, the timing, the whole idea is beyond the pale. In French they say "vous avez manque une occasion de vous taire" - you missed an opportunity to shut up.
Dear Spinneys - or its advertising agency - please look around you. And someone tell whomever did this ad - this is no longer 1995. The atrocity can be watched here.
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| Artwork by Tarek Chemaly from the series "No truce in Beirut (only virgins") |
And so Independence Day came and went almost without a whimper. Apart from the ads I spoke of yesterday, I saw some posted here and there but nothing to write (home) about. The projected number that advertising will fall by 90% this year was obviously optimistic (Naji Boulos who came up with the number corrected it in July to 20 million, and that was before the August 4 explosion). The banking issues and the multitude of ways of presenting bills to clients only exacerbated the situation (this includes anyone who still takes contracts priced at 1500 to the Dollar, or those who accept Lebanese Pounds, or a mixture of Pounds and Lollars, or any combination thereof), without mentioning recruiters trying to snatch local creative talents for, literally, pennies under the guise of "fresh Dollars". Add to it the cost of reconstruction that fell on agencies following the Beirut explosion and you have the recipe of a total disaster.
Notice I did not even mention Corona, which, despite a major spike in cases, still does not factor in (though technically we are on lockdown). Agencies within international networks are managing pan-Gulf accounts, independent ones are hanging by a thread, some migrated to other countries, others are still here but still unable to reopen their offices. On average, I speak of 40 ads on my blog during events such as Independence Day (from a much bigger pool I archive), this year companies almost did not bother.
No one is to blame though. The public fed up, the economy imploded, the banks are laughing all the way to the bank (yes, I notice the irony of the expression), the mood is somber and morose. Beirut, even pre-lockdown (yet post-explosion) is a ghost town. Major shopping streets are empty, both from shops and shoppers.
All this, when Lebanese are even wondering what "independence" means. Log on to Twitter, follow the tag, and discover the schizophrenia of a country with multiple identities, affiliations, each antagonistic to the other. So here we are, a nation just like the puzzle above (made from two criss-cross puzzle maps of Lebanon found in a junk shop), we are unable to disengage, yet when the puzzle is put together it makes no sense.
All right, everyone can go home. I stand For Women just killed it with a superb showing for Independence Day communication (see the post here): "77 years since our independence! Lebanese women are still leading the way and are the backbone of our country. Never forget the important role played by Lebanese women in our Independence journey and the crucial part they are still playing today all over Lebanon and in all walks of life! Lebanese Women led by Zalfa Chamoun marching against the French Mandate calling for Lebanon’s independence in 1943. Zalfa Chamoun, Laure El Khoury, May Arida & Asmahan: 4 women who marked Lebanon’s independence."
Bakalian paints it optimistic... Well, good to know someone is. The ad though is thankfully not overdone - just goes to the point and says it as is. Somehow, we missed these lowkey ads.
And Lebanon's Independence Day ads are starting to trickle in! Via Roma and Roman World already set the template for what we will be seeing. Flags and maps dipped in the brand's area of expertise. Everyone will do it but few will succeed.