TVCs: On Glo’s persistence about the spirit of a true Nigerian

ROTIMI IGE, in this feature, x-rays telecoms company, Globacom’s television commercials (TVCs) and how they have, over the years, impacted Nigerians all over to rule their world.

Days before Anthony Joshua’s fight with Bulgarian challenger, Kubrat Pulev, Globacom released a television commercial, ‘Heart of a Champion’ with the highly inspirational message, “Champions go the distance and they go further”.  The advert featured the Nigerian-born British boxer who is a Glo brand ambassador. “I was born hungry for success, it’s the Nigerian way’, Joshua said in the clip. When Joshua knocked out Pulev in the ninth round of the fight held at SSE Arena in London, he received accolades from all over the world.

“We are indeed very proud to have him as one of our brand ambassadors, His focus, tenacity and boxing prowess earned him the victory.” Globacom said in a statement. By knocking out Pulev, Joshua, who became a Glo brand ambassador last year, retained his four world heavyweight titles, International Boxing Federation  (IBF),World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Organisation (WBO), and International Boxing Organisation  (IBO).  With this victory, Anthony Joshua’s professional boxing record has now moved to 24 fights, 23 victories, with 22 knock outs and one loss.

Commonly, during major events, an element that complements the euphoria in the atmosphere is the exciting commercials that local and international brands come up with. It is a smart way to kill two birds with a single stone by promoting brand awareness and showing solidarity for the occasion in question. However, only a few give a lasting impression in the minds of existing and prospective audience. According to investigations by the Nigerian Tribune, in Africa, Globacom is unmistakably one of the companies which have crafted beautiful television commercials that have kept people talking and believing in the can-do spirit of the Nigerian.

“Glo’s message is always about the people and how we can achieve anything we set our minds to. Whether male or female, young or old, their messages are always clear, it’s all about you. Be the change you seek, celebrate yourself, all these help me believe in myself more. Though a business, I am impressed that they care more about the spirit of a true Nigerian than anything else”, Tope Akinola, a nurse said in a recent chat.

One may ask what makes this telecommunications brand’s commercials so special as to how it impacts people.  According to Keni Akintoye, a brand specialist, “Well, it is easily attributed to their creative ability to inspire Nigerians to continue to strive to be the best versions of themselves, irrespective of challenges. If you take a closer look at the preceding statement, you will realise that the underlying theme there is motivation — a strong element used by advertisers to keep the audience enveloped in the artistry and message of advertisements”.

Glo’s messages to the public taps into a ‘champion mentality’ by casting successful Nigerian athletes like heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua and top footballer, Odion Ighalo, and also celebrities and mentors like Don Jazzy, making empowering statements such as ‘I was born hungry for success, it’s the Nigerian way’ and ‘go further’ to convince any audience on the spirit of a true Nigerian. This is completed with sign-offs like “Glo: the heart of a champion”.

“This way, it is only natural to feel inspired after watching such sportsmen, who are role models to many Nigerians, home and abroad, cheering one on to keep up the pace. The inclusion of celebrities easily drives a message home when it comes to advertisements because of the semblance of trust that comes with such an influential person passing across stimulating statements”, Tola Wahab, a youth corps member told Nigerian Tribune.

Again, the authenticity that comes with the actual productions of the commercial makes them very believable.  Glo commercials are known for mirroring Nigerian street culture — something many love to see in Nigerian movies and music videos.

Chukwuma Nwoji, a cinematographer said, “The vibrancy and eccentricity in the cinematography is hard to ignore because of the stunning showcase of all the things that make up the Nigerian experience — kids playing football on the street while wearing their favourite footballer’s jersey, local artisans watching from a distance, high-spirited music and Afrocentric costumes, masquerades as well as the okadas and buses that make up our public means of transportation. All these symbols and more come together to show the originality in our Nigerian environment, hence making the commercials easy to identify with because of the accuracy in the representation”.

In the same way, Globacom’s captivating branding symbols are equally stimulating. Through the years, Globacom has maintained its brand colours which are identical to the ‘green and white’ of the national flag. This seamlessly ties in a strong sense of patriotism in their commercials. It could even be argued that perhaps, the company’s indigenous origin makes it a mandate to remain true to our culture. Also, brand strategists posit that its brand slogans like ‘Rule Your World’ and ‘Glo with Pride’ contribute to the overall message that encourages every Nigerian to be patriotic and to win.

“The branding expression and attitude, as a complete concept, could effortlessly ‘ginger’ anyone to take charge of their situation and live their life, on their own terms”, Keni Akintoye continued.

Moreover, one theme which also runs through many advertisements from Globacom is the spirit of community.  Whether for Christmas or an event promotion, the essence of community is usually established, especially when people come together to dance. It is no secret that communal dance is a big part of African culture.

This goes to say that Globacom continues to do a good job at effectively passing across advertising messages by fusing a ‘champion mentality’ with a striking representation of Nigerian life. Their raw, undiluted delivery consistently takes Glo’s commercials from ordinary to extraordinarily inspiring for viewers. Part of what has made Globacom a global brand is its engaging larger-than-life imagery. The brand has successfully established itself as ambitious, bold, daring and endearing. Starting with the pay-off line, ‘Glo with Pride’ at launch in 2003, Glo promoted and built a sense of pride in every Nigerian by providing a world class indigenous telecommunications network which offered Nigerians the enablement platform to succeed in different fields of human endeavour. The company later followed up with ‘Rule your World’, a message of empowerment that helped build confidence in Nigerians that they can achieve their dreams, rule their world and be the best that they want to be.

To mark its 10th anniversary, Glo unveiled a new strap line, ‘Unlimited’ which was meant to reaffirm the Glo brand promise to its various stakeholders as Glo journeyed into its next 10 years of operation, the new strap line heralded a brave new world, a world in which subscribers and other stakeholder could achieve anything at all if they believe in themselves.

These commercials and slogans 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. According to its officials, this is the business of Globacom, the empowerment of the Nigerian people to win in all human endeavours.

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