It’s the end of the first month of the year but telecom provider Orange has just released their first full ad of the year.
Working with Teatro Egypt (Masrah Masr) comedic star Ali Rabee, the telecom provider comes out into the new year with a catchy new song. Orange’s newest ad shows a relatable scene; stuck in place and bored with no internet, Rabee starts to unravel and hallucinate as he tries to find a way to get rid of the dullness of life without Net.
The song is light-hearted, quirky and eccentric, maybe a little more than we are used to by Orange’s terms. It does, however, stick to the brand’s current range or style as being fun, silly and quirky with almost no apologies. This is especially true when you consider that the new ad comes out around the same time last year’s Ahmed Amin’s La2 did, and that they are both for the same tariff/subscription.
Just like last year’s ad, the main character begs the question, “what can I do without my internet package?!”
It does continue several themes mentioned in last year’s ad; getting lost/being slower without GPS, unable to connect with WhatsApp or have Facebook to distract you. Although consistency is key, how long before Orange will run out of different ways to repeat the same themes?
We have to admit, last year’s La2 is a tough act to follow, it was even a top 10 ad of the year by YouTube Egypt. According to Google’s list, Orange has the biggest stake in the ads that Egyptians love to rewatch on YouTube, being the only brand to have 4 different ads on the list.
Setting a Higher Bar
The new ad does use quite a lot of CGI, a usually costly part of production. Could this imply that the telecom will be more willing to provide higher production budgets for minor ads?
When outside of Ramadan or Football season, and not accompanying a major campaign, ads are usually a produced with a more realistic look and budget. Orange’s CGI dependent ad however is most likely not, but could this create a push towards big brands being more creatively open, and budget open, to bigger and more extravagant minor ads?
Only time will tell, and with it only being the end of the first month of the year, there isn’t a lot to go by to tell if this could change how minor ads may look in the future.
