Adil Najam
The Ads (commercials) we watch while growing up can sometimes have an amazingly profound an impact on us. When I look back at all my years of growing up with PTV (Pakistan Television) I remember as many ads as I do any other form of programming. The memories of some still bring back a smile on my face. This blog post shares a few of those ads which I was able to find on YouTube.
This first one (above) is the famous Binaca Ad with the, then, child singer Afshaan who used to appear in the Sohail Rana children music programs and later, when all grown up, also appeared often on PTV.
This famous Naurus Ad (Naurus, by the way, is the other Red Bull of Pakistan) was equally popular and the cute little girl featured here was a national sensation of her time. I wonder where she is now.
We have written aboutsome very striking old PIA Ads, print Ads from the 1950s, and also about credit card and bank advertising and telecom company advertising. But old PTV ads have a quality and power all their own (see some new TV ads here).
I am not sure if these ads are necessarily better than the ones we have now. Indeed, some of the new ads are truly amazing – programming quality or better. For example, the Tapal Tea Ads/songs that Shoaib Mansoor produced. And also many more. Mayb, I was younger then and the memories of those days seem more glorious in retrospect. Or, maybe, we only had one channel and much fewer ads and, therefore, whatever was on TV seemed more memorable.
But whatever the reason, for me at least, these ads and the memories of some others from the same era have a particular and special quality to them. I have enjoyed seeing them again, and I hope you will too.
I should confess that I always found this next Ad – of State Life Insurance – rather funny. I still do. The very cute child is praying for her father’s long life and celebrating the fact that he has bought a Life Insurance policy. I wonder why buying – or cashing – a Life Insurance Policy bring such happiness to any child? Anyhow, the ad was catchy and very very popular. In fact, I think it was remade twice or thrice.
By the way, in the realm of the funny were the old Metromillan Billi Marka Agarbatti Ads.
One of my all-time favorite Ads was the old Peek Freens biscuit Ad with the Pied Piper luring all the kids away with Peek Freens biscuits. This is the one filmed on a beautiful hill-station location and produced, I believe, by Javed Jabbar.
Another memorable one was this Ad for Kiwi Show polish. Again, the theme is school children and the classroom.
Do share with us what might be some of your favorite ads from the old PTV days. And why?
there was an ad of A1 karak chai … i just love the line aa gaya hai te cha gaya hai thaa karke from that ad….it was so funny
also the ad of gogo pan masala was quite annoying
dadi ji ke paandan se khatai thai hum paan
naya zamana aya apnai sath gogo laya
gogo paan maslai ki kya baat
but if i compare these ads from what we currently have i think the previous lot was much better in terms of contents and concept…. i never get the idea why there always has to be a female model in shaving creams / razors ads … but love the gillete ad with cha cha cha
Hi Najam, I dont think you would remember me, but this is usman from UET 84 elec. Talking of adds the ones I distinctly recall is GAYE SOAP (laundry soap), i think this add is most unique in the sense that you saw a cow firing a cannon, and that too in a detergent add. But i think the add recall was excellent as it almost bordered on being ridiculously funny.
Another add which I think was popular was a powder milk add, in which Rani (a buffalo) was asked “Rani tumhara kia khiyal hai?” and the reply was Moooooooo….
I think 50-50 the shoaib mansoor funny skit programme also played a role in making some of these adds almost ever green by creating a hilarious skit around the add story line.
I still feel Mobilinks of today (Hi Farid) :)) should try to learn from the adds from India which predominantly focus on a humourous story line. The present day grim environment in Pakistan which gives few reasons for people to smile, i think lends itself for the advertising companies to really focus on making people laugh and in this way make the brands to be heard. Honestly I dont know how effective Muammar Rana in selling Jazz by dancing 24 hours a day on our screens. Just a thought Farid.
Excellent post, my fav was the state life insurance..
Aye khuda meray abbu salamat rehain…
Nayab Banaspati Ad:
Beta Kisi k Bato mey Na ana.. Ghee Hamesha Nayab he Lana kion k Nayab Dekha Bhala Hay.
Tea Ad:
Karak Cha jo mazo Ruby Dust!
and famous Pakola Ad:
Hara Hara Pakoka,Ice Cream Soda
Mujhe Lagay ye mazay mazay ka
Mujhe lagay ye Thanda Thanda
Icre Cream Soda!
thats an awesome post adil bhai .. it brings back so many fond memories …. my favourite one was the morven gold unity ad .. me and my siblings used to leave all our work whenever that ad came …. i also kind a like the don carlos ad by service shoes … and the most annoying gayee soap… and life buoy and dentonic was real funny metro milan agarbatti ad the one with that bridal theme that was so funny