Can We Ditch the Tylenol, Please?

As a rule, I start a thought process and then research my thoughts. In this case, too, I started looking for Pakistani bank TVCs that told a compelling story. The more I looked, the more it hurt. In the end, I had to go on painkillers. So did Dan Wieden.

For those who don’t know Wieden, he is the creator of one of the most iconic taglines in the world: ‘Just Do It.’ Wieden once said, “People don’t buy products or services, they buy stories, relationships and magic.”

Pakistani advertisers usually don’t like to listen to Wieden. By usually, I mean 90% of the time.

Ironically, when I once said this during a presentation in front of a rather reasonable and educated brand team, even they debated the line. They said it was not true because people buy brand benefits, not stories. Looking at the Nike commercials, they sell magic. They sell stories. And people buy it, making Nike the brand it is.

TVCs in the Banking Sector

This article is not about Nike. It is about banking and storytelling in the banking sector.

If we look at most of the TVCs put out by banks in the last few…