First published in the Leadership newspaper in December 2020
There is likely to be no dissenting opinion to the notion that this is one Christmas that is in dire need of a cheer. It has been a roller-coaster of dark emotions and unsettling developments across the world since the first quarter of this year.
What with the
Covid-19 pandemic that has seized the world by its jugular, among many other
serious challenges that have threatened to put a damper on this year’s end of
year festivities.
But then, winners
are defined by their strength in times of adversity, and their capacity to find
a silver lining in the darkest of clouds. The world needs hope and inspiration
to trudge on. Characteristic of a brand that has established itself as a giver
of hope, a bastion of empowerment and an oasis of inspiration, Globacom has
come out with a set of television commercials devoted to giving the world the
right kind of positive vibes it needs at this time.
The television commercial (or online video commercial, depending on
where you see it), The Christmas Dream, by Globacom is a
brilliant offering aimed at cheering a world that is in dire need of it.
The one minute TVC
opens with a boy walking onto a gleaming stage to perform a tap dance. He
wastes no time and gets right to it, as the popular Christmas tune, Feliz Navidad, plays in the background.
This young performer
displays his dexterity, tapping accurately to the beat of the Christmas tune as
the scene gives way to another with more tap dancers of both sexes and in
different colourful attires on stage, performing synchronised dance steps.
This fuses into an
even livelier set up of people dancing in the street and generally having fun.
The atmosphere is electric; the fun is palpable and infectious. Fireworks light
up the atmosphere as the music comes to a crescendo. The scene morphs into a
shot of the initial boy dancer, smiling and looking fulfilled. The TVC ends
with a baritoned voice-over artist expressing a profound Christmas wish to
viewers: “May all your dreams come true this Christmas.”
This is a TVC that
millions of viewers will connect with, as it provides the necessary inspiration
for people to carry on with their lives with a hopeful spirit. There are better
things ahead if people do not allow themselves to be bogged down by the
challenges of the times.
This is a master
stroke from a brand that has etched its name in gold in the area of promoting
excellence and greatness in Africa by stimulating the internal sense of
accomplishment in its audience. It is consistent with the thematic thread of
empowerment that runs through most of its TVCs.
Empowerment is not
limited to providing telecommunications services that enables people to realise
their dreams. It also entails fuelling their thirst for greatness, cheering
them on and stimulating their appetite to achieve their dreams regardless of
what is happening around them.
This comes out
strongly in the next TVC christened “The Heart of Champions”, featuring the world
heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Joshua and popular music producer, Don
Jazzy, both ambassadors of Globacom.
This TVC showcases a
marriage of two distinct talents, boxing and music production. These two stars
play to their respective strengths in this commercial. Anthony Joshua plays his
role as a professional boxer, while Don Jazzy plays the role of a music producer.
The scene opens with
Anthony Joshua walking into what looks like a music recording studio. Don Jazzy
is behind the music producing console in the production compartment. AJ
approaches the microphone like one who is ready to sing, taps it and asks Don
Jazzy: “Are you ready for this?” Don Jazzy responds with “Let me hear you, AJ”.
Instead of singing,
AJ launches into his boxing training regimen, starting with brisk rope
skipping. The sound of the skipping rope cutting through the air and slamming
the training floor formed a rhythm. Don Jazzy belts out an instruction: “Give
me some base”. In response, AJ begins to hit his punch bag, producing another
rhythm that is laid on top of the existing beat from his rope-skipping.
Don Jazzy issues one
more command: “Double it”. AJ gets busy. More training activities produce their
own beats which Don Jazzy blends together, and pronto, music is ready.
AJ’s voice rings out
amidst it all: “I was born for success. It’s the Nigerian way”. Quick shots of
AJ in training give way to a shot of him on the ring, ready to take on his
opponent. He says: “Glo gets it. Champions stay hungry. Oh yeah, Glo gets it
big time. Champion goes the distance and they go further. Glo, the Heart of a
Champion.”
This TVC was
released a few weeks before Anthony Joshua’s clash with his Bulgarian challenger, Kubrat Pulev, on December 12, 2020 in
London. The commercial was something of a prophetic declaration as AJ went
further and knocked out Pulev in the ninth round. He thus retained his four world heavyweight titles, International Boxing Federation
(IBF),World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Organisation (WBO), and International Boxing
Organisation (IBO).
The lesson Globacom
has managed to propagate with this TVC is that it is available to give the
necessary backing and inspiration to customers to go out and realise their
dreams. The more subtle message therein is that going with Glo will bring out
the best in you and establish you as a champion.
The next two TVCs
are about football. Notwithstanding, they showcase the same ‘can do’ and
winning spirit. “Life Is Football” features ace footballer, Odion Ighalo, who
draws a parallel between life and football.
The TVC opens with
Ighalo releasing a handful of soil. He says: “In this earth, we grow champions.”
The TVC cuts to scenes of boys raising a goal post, playing football in the
rain and jubilating over a goal, among others.
Ighalo continues: “In
this earth, greatness takes root. Talent flourishes and passion ignites. Dreams,
they come alive. We know, football and life, they are the same”.
He goes on to highlight the similarities
between life and the game of football. According to him, in life, everyone gets
a ball, runs with it and guards it from opponents who want to snatch it away. “Don’t
let them. Keep your eyes on the ball” he admonishes, as the film cuts to a
scene ostensibly from one of his professional matches when he takes a bicycle
kick to score a goal.
Ighalo counsels
further: “When it’s time, take the shot. Life is football. You must take your
shot.”
This is another
message that is meant to trigger the hunger for success in the audience. It is
direct, authoritative, and inspirational. A viewer comes away from watching it,
believing he can move mountains.
Together with “Proud
Supporter of the Best Supporters”, the fourth TVC, “Life is a football”
exploits the wide affinity of the populace for soccer to pass a deep message
that life is for people who dare to dream.
In the world of
Globacom, anyone can indeed dream big, and no obstacle however big can
discourage a man who is determined to achieve his goal.
This last point
comes out strongly in “Proud Supporter of the Best Supporters” where a scene
shows a boy in crutches enjoying a game of football with his able-bodied mates.
His disability is clearly not a deterrence to his fun and happiness.
Since Globacom
captured Nigeria’s imagination with its iconic “Magic Ball” in 2004, it has continued
to demonstrate a mastery of the art of passing succinct messages through
memorable advertising, sometimes using humour and slap-stick comedy to achieve
its aim.
More importantly, the
operator continues to stoke the amber of nationalism in Nigerians and reinforce
their sense of pride in their beloved country and continent. Till today, one of
its adverts entitled “The National Anthem” is one of the most viral TVCs in
Nigeria. Every October 1st, an edited version of this TVC darts thro
and fro mobile devices in Nigeria as people commemorate the nation’s
independence.
Other memorable
adverts from the company in recent times include “You don hit my car”, “Awesome
Meme” , “Smart Home”, “Emoji” and “Oga SIM”.
Whatever you may say
about Globacom, you cannot deny the timeliness and aptness of its TVC messages,
its unabashed commitment to promoting excellence and its determination to
empower Nigerians and Africans in general to realise their full potential.
No comments:
Post a Comment