5 Impressive Kenyan TV Adverts That Were Made For Millennials

Most commercial products sell because of their adverts. Just think about it. How many foodstuffs do you know that have no single health benefit, or services that cost way out of your budget… but you still bought them?

Yeah.

It seems these catchy adverts are the key to opening our wallets.

And because of these modern competitive times, Kenyan brands have had to step up their game. It no longer suffices to simply place a professional photo of your product and add a booming masculine voice in the background. We simply have too many distractions on social media to be bothered with a boring TV advert.

In order to catch our fleeting attention, old corporate geezers have had to hire young videographers and scriptwriters who understand us millennials. You know, to capture us with bright colours, cool effects and a funny script for at least 5 seconds – before we skip ad.

Creativity is the name of the marketing game now more than ever. And if you’re not playing, then you’re as visible as a nightclub sign under a bridge.

Look at these 5 Kenyan adverts that managed to move our eyes from our phones to TV screens:

1. Safaricom

Here’s what happens when you make a TV ad that has nothing to do with your service. The largest mobile service provider in Kenya clearly has enough billions to splurge on visually appealing adverts that take you around magical Kenya. And for a few minutes, as you marvel at the glorious mountains peaks and rare oxbow lakes, you feel proud to be Kenyan.

I bet you sang this song word for word like it was the second national anthem.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIBHuqeis3U&w=560&h=315]

2. Faiba

Remember when Faiba Kenya adverts were actually funny? Even though we did not have money to afford their high-speed internet, we sure enjoyed watching the comical stone-age characters speaking in local Kenyan accents. They especially gave us a breath of fresh air in between negative repetitive news (that we no longer watch).

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-IwsZeyvc0&w=560&h=315]

3. KCB

Only Yafesi Musoke makes banking look this fun. Actually, you can ask him to advertise anything and he’ll sell it – including milk (Mawowowo anybody?).

No wonder he’s such a star at the Kenyan improv-comedy show Because You Said So.

4. Tusker

You don’t have to be a beer fan to enjoy this refreshing Kenyan advert. It also involved a trip around our diverse country, capturing vibrant sounds and images from the unique cultures of Kenya. And as a Kenyan music junkie, I have to admit, the soundtrack is simply orgasmic!

Thanks Flag 42.

5. Airtel

They may not have a big budget like their competitor, but Airtel do have funny relatable adverts – and scriptwriters. You can easily picture your neighbour going through a similar scenario – if it’s not already happened to you.

Sindio Mike?

Clearly, you don’t need an outstanding or revolutionary product to stand out in this modern competitive space. Just have a couple of TV adverts which are high on creativity, and you’re sold. Quite literally.

And just in case you were wondering, here’s the kind of Kenyan TV ads our parents used to enjoy back in the day. #TumetokaMbali

Now go out there and be entertained by these new-age Kenyan adverts made for us millennials. Just be careful not to be subconsciously persuaded to buy foods that have zero health benefit to you. Mmkay?