Omo, quick wash, again

Omo - first this then this (2024 and 2026 respectively). Two very solid campaigns that made total creative sense but also - held their own with a campaign execution (meaning three or more derivatives of the same concept). Which brings us to the ads above, the new Omo campaign. The idea is simple, you are ready to go to your meeting, your party, your gym session but your clothes aren't. 15 mins and off you go. Now here's the rub the models feel too AI (yes, I know, everyone is cutting budgets and all). Then there's the heart-motif underwear. To their credit when they said pants/top/socks, they took off the pants and the socks but not the top - after all we are in a conservative society. I am not against the campaign but I surely did not fall in love with it like I did with the previous ones, specifically the 2024 one which was so relatable and believable.

Rexona is playing its cards right

Rexona, well, let's admit it - something is cooking there and cooking correctly. Yes, you can look at the details of the operation orchestrated by Pimo here. Am I in love with using "influencers" no, but they did a fully integrated campaign across the board, in Lebanon, Iraq and Libya. And those mini lockers were totally cute to be honest. All this of course on the backdrop of the FIFA World Cup. Sure, Rexona was one of the sponsors and I love, love, that the brand executed a viral "pit-vertising" marketing campaign by placing its logo directly under the armpits of match officials' jerseys across all 104 matches. Because duh, this is where there is sweat and you'd see that when officials raised their arms to announce the time left and what not. Still, to give credit where credit is due, the campaign was tightly managed on all fronts and doing in in 3 countries is no mean feat as it required very strategic and local coordination. The line "squirt, play, and bust some moves" is directly aimed at the target audience.

Rexona - the copy that never lets you down

Yes, this is mainly for Iraq and Lybia, but honestly I couldn't skip talking about the copy. Majestic. Well, how come? Because it focuses on the negative, which is mostly avoided in ads. No, no, the ad spends more than 2/3 of it on the art of falling face down, but does it with such nobility, compassion and determination - "because you need to prove yourself to yourself". Sure, the visuals are a little common but that was expected because the ad needs to touch everyone (bonus points for the shot that says "anyone who believed in you"). Also I loved how the packshot arrived gradually, bit by bit, then "Rexona never lets you down". A very good, solid and single-minded effort for the brand from Pimo. Watch it here. 

Vaseline: Winter glow? For spring? Groundbreaking!

So who knew the wrong timing would be right bang on time? Vaseline - with its "own your winter glow" in May could have been a misfire. But considering the freezing weather we had in Lebanon, including 8 meters of condensed snow in Ainata-El Arz where snow ploughs could barely open a pedestrian road, and rain galore and people regretting taking out their carpets already, suddenly "own your winter glow" (here) from Pimo does not seem too farfetched! And so voila, you could still apres-ski at this time of year I suppose, just put on some Vaseline with it.

Jif, one night, five triumphs

Jif comes winning out of the gate: The break up, The makeover, Mr Laz2a, Let's Tex Mex, Wen Sobatteh?

For a campaign entitled "One night: Five disasters" or rather "One night: Five triumphs". So let's recap how bad can one night go? Apparently quite bad between Nadine breaking up over a man she just met an hour ago, two girls going a make over a bit more like a 4 year old applies lipstick, the one guest who never leaves, the two boys trying to Tex Mex, and the hilarious - hilarious - gag of the guy who lost his shoe running in several of the disasters (wait till you see what happens when he finds it). Side note - the gag reminded me of Emir Kusturica's "White Cat Black Cat" but that's a different discussion for a different day.

Still, I am still laughing at Nadine, the guy with the shoe, and - ahem - my own misadventures in terms of Tex Mex-ing. I had promised Pimo - the agency behind it - that whenever they do a misstep they will hear it from me. But guess what? They did not!! 

Libano-Suisse Insurance: Making molehills out of mountains

Well, there's nothing wrong with a bit of fun in the face of drama. Lebanese are kind of experts at this mind you. So introducing the new trilogy of films from Pimo for Lebano-Suisse Insurance. "Sarlak Chi?" "Wa law!" and "Chou Sar?" - the idea is the same transposed in three different situations: accident, flood, and fall. Note that Salim who has fallen literally into a ditch while hiking is worried about the menu at home for lunch, the mother-in-law is asking "what happened?" referring to the television series as opposed to the house filled with water, and the man who had his car smashed goes "no issue!" - considering he is well-covered. Well, who says you can't be funny with insurance? The films suggest otherwise indeed.

Pikasso d'Or, 2025 edition

The Pikasso d'Or is among us again. 2024 edition was a rather good one, 2023 edition was a disaster. This year, there are the bright spots and the meh. How Omo was not Pikasso d'Or rather than a Pikasso d'Argent is literally robbing them of what was rightfully theirs - with all due respect to the jury this year. Pimo pulled a masterstroke, and I for one congratulate them on the output. Which brings us to the Pikasso d'Or itself for Almaza - not a disastrous campaign but not sure it merited the top award. Still, Massaya Lebanon (by the department) was beautiful and a total swoon, and Joe Fish went out with a lovely one for Abed Tahan. Mink as always excels with L'Orient Le Jour (again robbed of a better award in my opinion). Please see all the winners here.

 

About that Pimo end of year card

And that's a cool one! The end of year card by Pimo is indeed a nice one. I mean... Hey, they did not "stick to the script" and they write their own "blockbuster", and well, their alternate reality is certainly not real but I really really want to see Mondays being practically extinct, politicians riding on unicorns, flying drones raining good vibes, peace and love being the new world order, a (Lebanese) president generated by AI, where calories don't count (can we make that sugar instead, am diabetic :) ), drama being reserved to Netflix marathons and free speech being genuinely free. OK that's some tall order we all know if one is to dream might as well dream big. And get this whereas Pimo usually signs "welcome to the age of the real" the video's signature is "welcome to the alternate age of the real"... What's there not to like? So voila, this indeed was a rollercoaster of a year as the video says, but hey if Pimo is "embracing the chaos with open arms", why can't I? Vivement 2024!

Lux - copywriting at its finest (via Pimo)

So let me toot my horn - I told you so. Here. So here are my words "Lux hits the mark here and major props to the copy which suavely integrates "tamiyiz" (differentiation/discrimination) with "tamayoz" (brilliance/excellence)." And what does the billboard campaign do? It focuses on "tamayoz" and "tamiyiz" all while eclipsing "against" with flowers" the hashtag which only drives the point home translates as #my_strength_is_being_a_woman - all right, all right, now is the customary hats off to Pimo for what they are doing with Lux!

Lux goes to the therapist with Yara Bou Monsef and Pimo

Lux goes to the therapist with the help of  Yara Bou Monsef. Bou Monsef is telling her therapist about how she thinks of "him" (eventually "it") all day long, how he makes her feel strong, confident etc... The therapist seems to take note and agree, until Bou Monsef goes to the bit about "essential oils". This is when the therapist is bewildered and asks who exactly her "patient" is speaking of. This is when the revealer shows Lux. Actually the most interesting part of the ad is that as Bou Monsef is leaving her appointment she meets with another woman in the hallway and they both are transported by each other's scent, only for the other woman to have a Lux in her bag - all to the therapist's dismay. Watch the ad here. And yes, it does work. I liked more the second twist in the hallway than the one inside the therapist's room but the ad is quite nice. Hot on the heels of their much deserved Pikasso D'or win, Pimo seem to be on a roll.

Pimo does a great job with Milton tablets

To add to Lebanon growing woes, please meet Cholera. Which is why Milton tablets are on to the rescue. 

I said that prior but would repeat it - in 2005 you needed about 600 billboards to make your campaign visible among the clutter. Today barely a dozen make you seen. Which is why seeing how Pimo went above and beyond in their OOH for Milton tablets is a great surprise indeed. They could have established their client's presence on the down-low and still managed to remain visible. But indeed, they actually tried to really be creative - and it worked! Not a mean feat when the medium is already tried and tested. But as I said, the effort is rewarding indeed. And did you notice they did the effort to treat the wall too?

Truly, nice touches everywhere.

Pimo & MTV support Lebanese industry

Pimo and MTV have a new initiative to support the suffocating Lebanese industry (watch the film here), without delving into the mechanics - the ad is actually straightforward (and thanfully avoids the pitfalls of the early trial - see here - and they got rid of that non-functioning line "بالوطني بدعم وطني" which was replaced with "الصناعة بتصنع وطن"). On all accounts, with thousands (literally!) of small, medium and large industries shutting down - without even mentionning the half a thousand HORECA (hotels, restaurants and cafes) which shuttered down - any initiative to support the economy is welcome. Hard times indeed these are!