Vivad celebrates Valentine's

XOXOOH where love goes out-of-home. Geddit? OOH is out of home, and XOXO is well, much kissing. Oh bummer, I needed to explain a nice wink. So here we are. Vivad does it own Valentine, in a nicely designed advertising. Sometimes you know, not everything needs to be "award-worthy", on the contrary there are times where the cuter, nicer, subtler, goes a longer way. And this ad is truly one of those times. Maybe it could be blink and you'll miss it, but am one of the fans of this.

Valentine's Day in Lebanon - party like 2019

So Valentine's Day comping up and the best clubs and venues are competing at attracting the hottest and brightest stars to celebrate - on the one hand this is great news, people spending money and injecting a bit of energy in the economy considering the caliber of the stars in question. On the other hand, and I don't care what you see on social media, the economy is still in doldrums, people are still trying to find jobs, and no we have not had our money back from the banks and - yes, people are still rummaging in trash cans in broad daylight. 

Do note, this is not a judgement on people trying to live and attend concerts of their favorite stars, this is simply telling it as it is. A country still not just as the French say "a deux vitesses" (on two speeds) but rather on 100 speeds at the same time. 

Chateau Musar makes me want to be single this year

Just to be clear from the get-go. I am single. But that Chateau Musar atrocity for Valentine's was really a further proof I should be. I tried to look at it several times just to give it the benefit of a doubt, and every time I would, my dislike for it grew further. Everything from the horrible design, to the corny concept, to the overall feel, and no 100% pure love with the bottle included does not make me want to drop everything and buy that wine. Honestly, they are doing a disservice to the brand at large.

Exotica Valentine's - they're so back I could almost cry

Exotica is back.

I can almost cry.

Above is a mix of their best hits for Valentine's including this year's حب.

Honestly, it is so beautiful, so delicate, so mesmerizing I am almost out of superlatives.

A masterstroke!

Valentine's and further proof if needed of how strange we are as Lebanese

 

Image credit - Michel Elefteriades

The above comes from Michel Elefteriades' instagram story. There is little context but the gist of it seems... I am actually sure, there are characters wearing masks and two "creatures" which seem like an emoticon and one of the Mr. Men had a baby. Or two babies in this case. If these are ears or wings (as in Cupid?) I know not. Because the whole thing - with or without context - screams of the bizarre. But there is it, in the middle of the Jounieh Souk, for everyone to see, men and women with golden-painted faces and two red "thingies". Because, obviously, it is Valentine's and this should make a lot of sense. Or to quote Shirly Bassey, "when did common sense prevail for lovers when we know it never will".

Blanchor discovers the many facets of love

You might remember Blanchor from before (here). And so here they are again, smashing Valentine's Day for their clients. Here's the interesting part - there's even more from where this came from. So far my favorite is "love is in the hair" but all of them work for their respective clients (and the ones I did not post)... Indeed, love has many facets and Blanchor is exploring them! 

Chateau Ksara goes Valentine's Day!

Ah yes, what's with everything happening in Lebanon Valentine's Day is really not on the foreground. Still, here we are, the day that everyone used to throw their two cents in as advertisers (basically just adding a heart to their product!) is now as silent as - any other day mind you. Which makes the effort from Ksara even more worthy and visible considering it is - gasp - subtle... Yes, it's at the bottom of the bottles! OK, the copy could have been done without truth be told (to hear this from a copywriter is a lot I know, but even I know when to shut up - simply because the visual says it all!). Considering they earned the best ad of 2022 in my book (here) that's a good start for the brand for 2023.

Aishti - Valentine's Day

Photo credit: Bill Taha

Perhaps you do not remember these ads. When Aishti used to a huge fanfare for Valentine's day (I could not find them anywhere online, but I remember the trilogy of "Love is a game" (where a man and a woman would play games and keep score - like who bats the eye first or who pushes the highest floor on the elevator) or the one set to Frank and Nancy Sinatra's "Something Special Something Stupid". As I said, it was truly advertising galore. Until of course, it wasn't.

So this year, Aishti goes out with "Love is the answer". Interestingly, it is also marked with a strikethrough. Which could either mean they are renouncing that statement, or simply, like the Christmas campaign, it is a design gimmick. Of course, Aishti, which has downsized by closing stores, folding its magazine arm, among other measures.

So yes, even Aishti is not immune to the current crisis. At this point, aspirational shopping and retail therapy are too far gone to factor as measures to redress the balance.

Cosmaline - Valentine's Day

Intresting that this year brands have changed narrative from love as man-woman to family/friendship/brotherly thing. Cosmaline gets on board with a very efficient film, which is simple, well-done and warm - the triple braiding scene makes it worth the while alone. Oh and it ends with "with all pride and love, made in Lebanon". Watch the full film here. It flows easily, and makes it look as if easily done, but make no mistake it is complex to do simple!

Anthony Hamawi & IPT vs Coral - Valentine's Day

So Anthony Hamawi tweets a joke "no one fills your place in my heart" (a famous Majida el Roumi song) - signs it IPT (oil and gas supplier). Coral Oil picks up the ball running and does the - to be fair - cute visual. Now is this a copycat, an non-credited joke, an opportunistic maneuver.... I know not? But something is rotten in the kingdom of gas stations.

Twitter - Valentine's Day

Smart! The branding is almost imperceptible, but you'd know immediately what brand it is. And the layout super clean, and the message quite funny. Now, where's that "edit" button?

Burger King - Valentine's Day

Couple goals? Nope - this year Burger King is catering to the single! Bring a picture of your ex, they will grill it, and you get a free whopper on top! Bah, pity I made a bonfire of my ex's photos already! I mean revenge is a dish best served grilled!

Galerie Hanna - Valentine's Day

Well, not sure copies of "fifty shades of grey" are included in the sale, but they might as well be. In an ad that promises to be the hottest contender for "best ad" Galerie Hanna did make us feel like it was an earthquake, no pun. Hmmm, well, I do hope they have one bed in good condition - for practising you know!

Ksara - Valentine's Day

Well, they aced Independence Day and now are going for "open your heart" on this Valentine, with leaves proptruding from the stem - no thorns though. Romantic enough I guess! And subdued/intimate enough as they're not into flashy.

Spinney's - Valentine's Day

"Why is Valentine('s day) more beautiful this year?" asks Spinney's supermarket? Enter a plethora of answers which include Lebanese loving one another, or "we're too old for that", or "my kids", or what not.... Only to end with "no matter how hard the circumstances, love is always the base". Ah, this is what you get when you mix mercantilism and marketing.... Check the whole video here.

Lipton Ice Tea - Valentine's Day

Now here's a completely cheesy ad, that actually works. Don't ask me how though! You know those instagram photos where you double tap for the heart to appear? You see them everywhere, from photos of a girl with Down's syndrom, to small kittens to what not. Well, in this case and in anticipation for Valentine's day, Lipton Ice Tea did the same trick. How it works is beyond me, but it does. Kitsch springs eternal I suppose.