…Ighalo: Life is football
By Princewill Ekwujuru
There are ways campaigns build businesses and engender success through captivating storytelling as today’s consumers are fast-paced, overloaded with information, and short on time.
Customers today quickly go over content, interact with chatbots, and gravitate toward convenience.
Roughly half of the world’s consumers’ are dedicated to content consumption. In this new reality, it is imperative that brands humanize and connect with their audiences in more meaningful and subtle ways.
The one meaningful way is storytelling through commercials as several researches show that messages delivered as stories are more memorable and effective.
This is because stories have a greater ability to cut through the noise, reach consumers, and build an emotional connection as case studies show that emotional connection is important just like customer satisfaction.
That is why brands that use stories in their marketing campaigns are more likely to grow their customer base, form much more relationships with their audience. And those relationships result in greater engagement, loyalty, and sales.
This is part of what has made Globacom, leading telecommunications company, stand out in the advertising industry in Nigeria.
The company is regarded as a behemoth in Nigeria’s telecom space not just because of the innovative services and technological revolutions it brought into the market but also because of the emotional connection it has been able to make with its subscribers and Nigerians as a whole though powerful and inspiring marketing communications activities and campaigns.
Its master brand advertisement since inception in 2003 has always revolved around galvanizing Nigerians to be proud of themselves, believe in their abilities and work hard to achieve their potentials.
This is reflected in its various payoff lines including ‘Glo with Pride’, ‘Rule your World’, ‘We Got People Talking’ and ‘Unlimited’.
The message in these slogans is the same. They have helped in endearing the Glo brand to its subscribers and the general public as they inspire to dream, work hard, achieve their life objectives and rule their world.
Globacom signified this intention early in the day when it launched the ‘Magic Ball’ television commercial in which a green ball was seen rolling around the length and breadth of the country and painting everywhere green.
This was symbolic of the company’s efforts in taking telecommunications which was hitherto reserved for the super rich to Nigerians irrespective of their class.
‘Heart of a champion’
The spirit of these commercials to inspire the public to dream, work hard and achieve their life objectives and rule the world is also encapsulated in the ‘Heart of a Champion’ commercial featuring World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Anthony Joshua (AJ), and popular music producer and Marvin Records boss, Don Jazzy.
It tells the story that hard work pays as AJ makes beats with gym facilities and goes through rigorous exercises, embedded with music from Don Jazzy’s disc.
AJ is also seen skipping in the gym as Don Jazzy comes on and AJ asks “Are you ready for this?” to which the music producer responds, “Let me hear you AJ”.
The pugilist replies by punching away at the sand bag in rhythmic pattern.
He increases the tempo as Jazzy asks him to “double it”, showing strength and resilience and hard work required to achieve success.
“I was born hungry for success. It’s the Nigerian way. Oh yeah, champions stay hungry. Oh yes, Glo gets it big time.
“To want more, Champions go the distance, and they go further. Glo…Heart of a Champion!” AJ declares.
The message underscores the determination to excel, the resilience and the ‘can-do’ spirit which Nigerians are generally known for.
You run with the ball – Ighalo
The other adverts by Glo that ignited consumer positivism are the one minute “Life is Football” and “Supporters of Football” commercials featuring Odion Ighalo, where he describes life as a football which one has to protect from being taken.
He urges all to be focused and take the shot when the opportunity calls.
“You get the ball… You run with the ball. People try to take the ball from you. Don’t let them. Keep your eye on the ball. Don’t lose sight of the goal”, Ighalo says amidst sounds of fans cheering as football excitement builds up in a stadium. “And when it’s time… Take the shot!”, the striker concludes in the advert as he scores a sensation overhead kick, eliciting a wondrous applause from fans in the stadium.
The other football-centred TVC, “Proud Supporter of the Best Supporters”, is more of a music advert, inspiring and gravitating, telling the world they (Glo) love football and are Proud Supporters of football.
The point comes out strongly in a scene where a boy in crutches is seen enjoying a game of football with his able-bodied mates.
He does not see his disability as a handicap to him enjoying with others the fun that football brings. In other scenes in the commercial, the round leather rolls and bounces along different cities with a bunch of energetic kids chasing after it.
It becomes a fireball, navigates streets and corners where okada and keke Marwa riders battle for road spaces with vehicles of varying shapes, sizes and models.
The ball flows unfettered and even makes it to the teacup of an elderly madam who expertly heads back to the boisterous, local soccer stars.
Christmas Dream
To cap it all, Glo deployed the “Christmas Dream” commercial (Feliz Navidad) which ran heavily on TV screens during the Christmas celebration and is still ruling the airwaves.
The television commercial not only entertains viewers with talented tap dancers grooving away to the popular Bonny M track, Feliz Navidad, but also felicitates with them and renews hopes, sense of pride and optimism in them.
As the advert ends with confetti drifting down slowly through the scene, a lone piece of confetti falls from above into the palms of the boy-dancer.
He opens his hand to reveal the message: “Merry Christmas”. The Christmas song closes with a voice which says, “May all your dreams come true”.
This underscores how Glo through the commercials further enhances its reputation as a world class brand producing inspiring and ingenious commercials to make Nigerians and Africans proud and galvanise them to achieve their dreams.
For example, the Anthony Joshua commercial which came out before his latest fight is symbolic of how Glo empowers and supports Nigerians to excel.
A few days after the advert started airing on television stations, the British-born Nigerian boxer went ahead to defeat Kubrat Pulev of Bulgaria in a four belt contest to retain his titles including International Boxing Federation (IBF),World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Organisation (WBO), and International Boxing Organisation (IBO). Globacom did not only inspire the people, it successfully motivated Joshua to victory, winning via nineth round knockout.
The Glo commercials can be likened to other motivational advertisements by global giants such as Google and Gillette whose commercials have equally inspired and galvanized consumers to achieve their dreams.
For instance, in The Google ‘Sheroes’ Trend, Google focused on different types of heroes searched for by the world. This campaign is about capitalizing on trends, using their search data to tell a heartwarming story. Google made the audience feel like they are a part of a larger movement – and delivered a brand storytelling advertising campaign that resonates on a personal level.
Similarly, the ‘We Believe’ brand story campaign from Gillette sparked conversation and controversy by suggesting that now is the time for men to “be better,” and move on from the toxic masculinity that is a cultural focus right now.
This brand storytelling example takes the company’s 30-year-old slogan, ‘The Best a Man Can Get,’ and shows how men can do better by pointing out toxic behaviour when they see, intervening when appropriate, and protecting their children from bullies.
Globacom has, therefore, firmly established itself among global brand icons using the art of storytelling in advertising to connect with their audience and inspire the general public.
Vanguard News Nigeria