“Apple Sidra – No way, I will not drink that brand” Atif said confidently & everyone in the room was surprised & shocked. “But why?” Zeeshan asked who was totally confused with Atif’s firm attitude. “Have you seen their vulgar & obscene billboards which they recently launched in city? They have crossed all the limits. I can’t support them”
Atif cleared his position. This reaction on Apple Sidra didn’t come from any Madressa student or Molvi sb. Atif is a clean shaved, 24 year young executive. He is an MBA from IBA & has strong educational background. He is well aware with all marketing dynamics & strategies & concepts of brand positioning.
Apple Sidra is supposed to be a local company brand (Mehran Bottlers) but it looks as if they are also in search of “Short Cuts” & their creative agency “brilliantly“advised them to promote their brand with Western lifestyle . Creative agency didn’t care about values, norms, culture & tradition.
But like many others consumers Atif has failed to link & associate “maza & style” with the sleeveless bold style lady.
Yes, definitely “maza” which is shown in the billboard is strongly associated with all evil drives & initiatives.
A brand manager should have a capability to envisage that this type of BTL (Below the line) activities as it may create a negative association with the brand which can harm the brand image & give adverse results in sales.
We call this type of vulgar forced advertisement as “Billboard Pollution”. Forced – in the way that you have no option other than to see. When we move in the city our children are also exposed to this “Maza” & we have no option to save them. Many of us feel ashamed when we come across these boards on roads with our families specially when we are with our mothers, sisters & kids.
Might be possible that this “Awareness campaign” can increase the sales of the Apples Sidra but what will happen when Mehran Bottlers owners will face Allah one day & Allah will ask about their “ maza & style initiative” in reference with following verse of Soura-e-Noor (19 & 21)
19 . “Verily, those who love that indecency should spread among the believers deserve a painful chastisement in the world and in the Hereafter. Allah knows, but you do not know.”
21. “Believers! Do not follow in Satan’s footsteps (let him remember that) Satan bids people to indecency and evil.”
Can anyone amongst our readers convey “Consumer Voice” & “Allah’s Message” to the brand management of Apple Sidra that please remove these vulgar hoardings & come up with some thing “Creative”.
Vulgarity & nudity can’t be considered as “Creativity” its some thing else. Creativity needs efforts, sincere efforts not just cheating
Kashifiat's Blog 
Exactly what I thought when I saw their billboard ,Vulgar ,& Obscene..
Sex sells. That is a fact. Face it.
Until that perception changes in society advertising will remain likewise.
Actually Laila, the fact is not what you called “Sex Sells.”
In the west it might be, where the society is been made to follow their desires, otherwise, advertising in the East has been done without vulgar and sexuality.
What we are discussing nothing any bad thing in that ad. A billboard needs a bit attention from consumer/customer. and that billboard ad has that power.
In this ad Apple sidra brand has tried to change his perception old into modern, and ad is show it well.
now Apple Sidra wants to be young and modern.
No objection cheer.
Well, it is an exploitation of sex to market the product. Sex has no link with apple sidra The linking of aaple sidra withe a sexy women is just not right.
Some Pakistani businessmen think that copying western
advertisement is an advance method of marketing the products. It is wrong and shows a lack of confidence on their part.
The ad should be unique and the sole idea of the owner.
I always supported the Mehran Bottlers, now I am rethinking. After all what is the difference between Pepsi Cola and Coca Cola and Mehran Bottlers, when things have come to this?
“Vulgarity & nudity can’t be considered as “Creativity” its some thing else. Creativity needs efforts, sincere efforts not just cheating” so true.
Being a muslim, we all should censure this type of advertising activities. Creativity means some thing positive for society considering our norms & customs of our religion. in this add they have tried to established culture of vulgarity & nudity instead of their brand. It can’t be tolerated any more….. STOP STOP STOP spread vulgarity.
sirf comments daine se kuch nahi hota.mehran b ottlers ko mail kr k mutawajja karain.advertising dept. ko contact kr k apni opinion dain.umeed hai zarur realize krlainge.
You said it right. Here is the link to Mehran Bottlers, please call them, fax them or e-mail them.
http://www.pakola.com.pk/contact.html
I already did. By just talking won’t change anything, action should be taken, inshallah it will bring change. Please be polite, and that is the key. Polite Polite.
That is just one billboard. There are a number of sites in the city, which make it impossible for the the passers by to keep minding their own business.
What is a father to tell his 8 year old ‘what is this thing, which is said to be now coming with extended wings’ OR how to avoid the in-ur-face billboards ruthlessly promoting protective techniques while traveling with ur father/brother etc? Especially when a little kid would point at it asking for explanationa? And mind u, this is NOT a Defence/Clifton tale. I’m talking about regular higher middle/middle class areas!
I FEEL THAT THIS BILLBOARD IS OK. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. THIS THE YEAR 2009. WHAT AGE ARE YOU GUYS LIVING IN?
LOOK AT THE BIG APPLE ADVERT, NOW THAT VULGAR. ITS GOT A WOMEN SHOWING HER BOOBS AND THE SOLGAN IS “ME AND MY BIG APPLE”
APPLE SIDRA IS A COOL PRODUCT AND HAS DONE NOTHING BAD. ALL PRODUCTS USE GIRLS.
why you all are just stick with mehran bottlers apple sidra hoarding……..plz consider other advertisements as well dear which we c on media i am sorry but we are compelled to c Touch condom Adz on TVC so comment on these things then go to these type of hoardings
now a days during TVC children ask about touch condoms why should be our answer at that time ?? think..
By the way this is not western style as I have not seen any such depiction of women in any western soft drink. However I find nothing vulgar, The girl is properly dressed. a maulvi or a person with a sick mind will stare at it for a while but others will just open the bottle and start drinking and throw the bottle away and continue there other business affair.
it all starts like this. Read the advertisement history and the Women involvement in it of United Sates. How the advertisement evolved into what is today in US.
You got literally fully naked women on the regular media, print, ad, tv and websites.
Don’t think that cannot happen in Pakistan. Our society has evolved into mental slavery so that stage God forbid is not too far, if we keep defending like you just did.
well the problem is in our own mind .what we see ,what we pursue is more vulgur then this hoarding.since mehran bottlers is performing good from past 20 year we are not allowed to demaged their image,,,well apart from this every one has his own thinking,,,guys ,,iam making a report on apple sidra ,so please tell me more what do u guys thnk about apple sidra,
Salman,
Apple Sidra is a great a drink to have… and I find the advertising both tasteful and attractive.
yours sincerely,
YLH