As a growing child in the 90s, TV commercials were a time to sing along and sometimes dance to the jingles of the different brands advertising their products. I can still remember a particular Limca and Tandi advert. The people in the adverts always looked happy and were depicted as fun people having a party and drinking these products. The message was clear and precise. Throw a party and give your guests Limca or Tandi and it'll be fun all the way. Simple and straightforward. Fast forward to the Y2K years and the story has changed.

In a bid to sell products fast in a highly competitive market, companies/brands have gone the extra mile to employ the services of advertising firms who sometimes come up with rather ridiculous concepts for TV commercials and the likes of it. Adverts have become more glitter and less truth.

Recently, I came across a TV commercial and it was advertising an alcoholic drink. We all know alcohol is intoxicating and makes people lose their balance and the rest of it. Maybe the effect differs in individuals but there are common effects that are experienced by all who take it. This advert started off at a bar where a lady and a man were seated across each other while maintaining eye contact. They ordered this particular drink and immediately they were filled with strength. And they got up from their seats and started pushing down walls in the bar, making their way through. The lady was catwalking and pushing down walls, while the guy was flexing his muscles in a macho walk and also doing the same. Wonderful! All because of this alcoholic drink?

Now, just imagine the way this advert would have been interpreted by teenagers who have never tasted alcohol and have not seen people in real life under the influence of alcohol. Some of them may wave it aside as just acting and unrealistic but what about the others who take in the message hook,line and sinker? This is just one example amongst a thousand others.

I've read a lot of stories about companies/brands in the USA who have been sued as a result of misleading and false advertisements. Lives have even been lost. In recent years, these companies have made sure to be careful with the kind of message they pass across in their adverts. There are even regulatory authorities who watch out for such misleading adverts and put a stop to them. We need more of such in Nigeria.

Just last week, a telecommunications brand in Nigeria unveiled a new product with the catch phrase, "Netflix and chill". I was taken aback and felt a little bit of disgust at this. Do they know what "Netflix and chill" really mean? Literally, it looks ordinary but there's more to it. Before coming up with an advert, enough research should be carried out in order to avoid adulterated contents. According to Urban Dictionary, "Netflix and chill" means, " SEX. A new way of botty calling". This is even the most decent definition I could find. So is this the message this telecommunications brand wants to pass across to its consumers? That it's ok to "Netflix and chill"? And maybe what they really mean is that Netflix is now in Nigeria and you can now chill whilst at it? What really is the message? I rest my case.

All I'm saying is, can we go back to the days where adverts had interesting jingles that we could all sing, nod our heads and probably dance to? Can we still find little atoms of truth in advertisements? The thing is that the most popular brands in the world hardly advertise their products. They earned their customers through goodwill, good packaging and "friendly", subtle advertisements.

xo, Evita.



Image gotten from sprintide.in