By Princewill Ekwujuru

A well executed TV commercial has the power to make consumer (s) experience all kinds of emotion – laughter, sadness or fear, all in a matter of seconds. One of the most interesting type of commercial is the tourist commercials of various countries. The recent commercials of India and Malaysia get viewers struck in such a warm, emotive way and in such a short period of time.

The destroyed Lagos Close Circuit Television, CCTV

Today, a number of mediums have joined television as lucrative ways to market businesses. From social media platforms like facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Modern-day companies have come to get a firm grasp of all these available methods of promoting their brand (s).

TV is and always will be the source of huge spending on advertising, but how has it changed over the years and what is expected in years to come? Before now, TV commercial was virtually conventional in nature, not taking into cognizance the storytelling analogy recently deployed by Gulder beer which depicted a real life scenario.

However, viewers are still willing to engage with TV content and one in ten Nigeria consumers search for a product after seeing an advert on TV. The new TV commercial of Gulder beer from the stable of Nigeria Breweries Plc employed all the story telling ingredients to deliver its brand promise of making its consumers; men.

The ad could be said to be a revolutionary move by the brand to takes its rightful place in the array of beer brands in the market, particularly as it relates to bringing out the man in the consumer. In the new commercial however, Gulder beer presents three different scenarios that explains the boldness exhibited in achieving the unimaginable.

The first story is a young man caught between sitting back and receiving no positive attraction for his stellar performance in the office. He eventually grows up to become a ‘MAN’ by walking up to his boss to eventually get his reward.

The second, a gentleman was mistaken for an attendant by a lady, while in the third story, a man who is in love with a General’s daughter is afraid of going before his supposedly father- in- law to express his feelings for the daughter, but took a bold step in confronting the General father of the girl, a confidence that can only be exhibited by the ‘Brand made for Men.’

However, these are unusual stories even for a beer commercial but the signature that runs through the thread is that Guilder signs off these stories at the very end of the commercial rather than interrupting the stories with the brand’s value propositions. On the contrary, the stories subtly sell these propositions of strength, bravery, intelligence and daring which are the hallmarks of a real man. The commercial is the story of the man (and we are faced with such challenges everyday) rather than essentially the story of Gulder.

On the other hand, the transformation of Gulder from its old bottle over 40 years ago gives it the edge over others, making it manly in presentation. Recalled that the Anambra state Governor Obiano who hosted the Ultimate search team said: ‘’the brand’s new look made it outstanding among other bottles.’’

Today, the brand stands on the table of men to reclaim its rightful place; thereby making itself a beer for ‘men’ a proposition that has repositioned the brand in the market. Vanguard spoke to Digital Advertising Age, a group that helps to analyse  brand  and watch the impact of TV advertising.

According to Maxwell Udoji, Director of Analytics, Digital Advertising: “Seven years ago there were no iPhones and tablets, meaning TV audiences focused solely on the big screen. While the actual amount of television that people watch has not changed much – in 2006 Nigerian viewers watched an average of 3.6 hours of TV a day, while in 2013 they watched 3.9 hours – today the degree of viewer distraction has changed.

Media multi-tasking is now the norm for most adults, and often involves using a second screen while watching TV. This trend has changed TV consumption beyond all recognition. How has this change in behaviour affected advertisers? One may query. Media multi-tasking means that viewer attention shifts away from the TV screen, especially during commercial breaks, a step expected of Gulder in near future. Not surprisingly this may have a significant impact on the engagement levels of TV advertising, Udoji stated.

It could be recalled that the Gulder brand has been involved in various activities that have before now connected with consumers, a typical example is the sponsored radio program; The ultimate state of mind (TUSOM) anchored by Muyiwa Afolabi in various radio stations across the country. From indications, TUSOM and the new campaign ties together to reinforce the brand’s power to do the unusual.