Entertaining, Inspiring Heritage Campaign

“Let’s create wealth, let’s build our own wealth like the heroes of our history” – the new Heritage Bank campaign is as intriguing as it’s inspiring. There is something about it that enforces that our advertising still resonates. The campaign, which is currently generating conversation in many forums, treads on an important aspect of our social and cultural life – our heritage. By bringing conversation back to the people – the customers, the buyers of the bank’s service, the campaign is not promissory, it is revelatory. The subtlety employed in this new campaign re-emphasises that boldness can be simple and focused. It becomes a very important reference tool on how to gain customer’s trust and loyalty in a time of recession.

In the last decade or so, only a few advertising campaigns in Nigeria have significantly connected with its economic environment without employing a panic-strategy. In fact, it is not enough to state that the Heritage Bank campaign is brilliant; that is stating the obvious. The significant thing is to corroborate its proposition that we are a people with a solid history that we can tap into.

The Heritage campaign which runs with the proposition: “I am proud of my heritage: The New Kings and Queens of Africa,” connects with the past and encourages us to tap into the values of great men and women to build our own empires/enterprises like they did. In one of the print ads, the campaign looks at Queen Amina and how she transformed the land of her people into a “centre of trade and constructed walls which evolved it into a prosperous city.” There is not just learnings in it, there is brilliance. The television ad employs cinematic effect to bring the story of a historically-rich continent into public eye. It shows us that tapping into the past is not about dwelling in our past glories. It is about revelling in it to reinvent our narratives; for our heritage is a wealth, which is timeless.

Bringing it home to Heritage Bank, through the campaign, we see a bank that wants to offer value to its customers in a qualitative term. The success it achieves is that it sells. It sells by buying the consumer into its thinking, as against selling the bank to them. Since the days of the bank mergers, campaigns of financial institutions have witnessed superfluous hard sells, with forceful messages as a bid to imply relevance for the changing economic landscape.

Another particularly interesting thing about this campaign is that it excites something even the Nigerian state has struggled with. Using accessible image and language, it offers us confidence in our heritage. It tells us we have a wealth of resources to tap into, with a simple, but deep message.

The result of Heritage Bank choosing Leo Burnett, Lagos among the agencies invited to pitch for its account is for consumers like us, a positive. Out of about 10 agencies, which included Brandzone, Centrespread, Noah’s Ark, and; Leo Burnett Lagos, one of Biodun Shobanjo’s Troyka companies was selected to handle the major part of the bank’s business.
It is good to see “New Thinking,” which is what defines success in the advertising industry. New thinking here implies freshness, reinvention, and relevance. It is in essence refreshing to see creativity, which engages with people – relevant and acute.

As for Leo Burnett, Lagos, it appears to already have a pattern of excellence, handling clients like Nestle, CrusaderSterling Pensions, Phillip Morris International and several others. The agency was responsible for Konga earning the highest takeover in 2015 when it achieved more than 100million worth of orders within the first few hours of Konga’s Yakata promo. It also managed it into one of the most loved e-commerce brands. The Konga campaign went on to win MVA’s Marketing Campaign of the year award for its FOUNDONKONGA to beat the likes of Guinness Made of Black Campaign. What this means is that young and vibrant creative agencies like Leo Burnett, Lagos are taking over creativity from the big names.

While the Heritage Bank Campaign is fresh, it is more refreshing that its agency, Leo Burnett, Lagos finds a way to convince us about ingenuity, that solutions are not alien to us. This is a campaign that assures us of trust and loyalty, that there’s talent inherent in us. In this volatile market, where “youthfulness” is the wand for “dazzling” into “dizziness”, Leo Burnett, Lagos and Heritage Bank restores our hope – in our Heritage.

Presently, Leo Burnett, Lagos offers some of the latest global marketing disciplines, the conglomerate of talented minds who can be described as “Eternal students of Human behaviour”.
It has the ambition to build, protect and sustain leadership for clients with swift, future-seeing and capacity building ideas that talk to consumers, build engagement and loyalty mechanisms.

WHEN STAR MUSIC SHOOK CALABAR
It was a great night of music Calabar at the Municipal Gardens where Star Music The Trek welcomed Sound Sultan, M.I, Burna Boy, Cynthia Morgan, Chidinma and Phyno for exhilarating performances.
The concert hosted by comedian LaffUp, kicked off with the discovery of new singing talents in an open mic contest. The talents sang their versions of Star Music The Trek 2016 theme song “My City Rocks”.

Disc Jockeys Big N and Neptune gave the Calabar crowd a strong feel of the hottest songs ruling the airwaves. Dancers dressed in colourful Efik-Ibibio traditional attires presented a choreographed medley of Sunny Nneji’s ‘Idemnobno’, ‘Face me Remix’ and Iyanya’s ‘Kurukere’. It was an amazing way to start performances at the concert.
Chidinma popularly called “Miss. Kedike” by her fans opened with a spin on homeboy, Sunny Nneji’s ‘Oruka’ before switching to her song ‘Olulufe’. She was accompanied to the stage by a dreadlock lookalike of ‘Flavour’ and this got the crowd cheering.

Burna Boy got the audience super charged during his performance. Bursting to the stage with ‘Wanda Mo’, Burna sang a number of his hit tracks to the jiving crowd. In between songs, he bantered with the audience, cracking a few jokes and speaking honestly about his love for Nigeria. Before he left, the ‘Yawa dey’ crooner also sang another of his hit song ‘Soke’, as the crowd chorused word for word.

Cynthia Morgan took to the stage immediately after Burna Boy, as if to further fuel speculations of a budding romance. The acclaimed ‘god-mother’ of dance hall music in Nigeria gave the Calabar audience a show stopping performance. This may have topped her performance at the Makurdi leg of Star Music The Trek, going by the reactions from revelers at the Calabar concert after she thrilled them with hits like ‘I’m Taken’, ‘Don’t Break My Heart’ and ‘Lead Me On’.

Veteran singer Sound Sultan delighted the crowd with classic hit songs from ‘Jagbajantis’ to ‘Orobo’. His performance was remarkably distinguished as the Ninja squad was also represented on stage. Speaking after his performance, Sultan affirmed, “Calabar felt like home and the love I got from the hundreds of fans here tonight was unprecedented. If you ask me, I’d say Star Music The Trek Calabar rocked the most”.
The crowd remained elated throughout as Star Music The Trek brought the concert one step closer to them with a Star dance party that lasted for about forty minutes. Comedian LaffUp kept the audience fully engaged as he also gave out variety of gifts courtesy, Star Lager.

If you thought the show was over at this point, you are wrong. M.I brought his A-game to the Calabar concert, coming off the success of his performance at Star Music The Trek Abuja. During his exciting set in Calabar, M.I invited a couple of his fans to the stage. He ended the performance with ‘Bullion Van’. In every sense of the word, M.I showed he is one of Nigeria’s best rap stars.

Headliner for the Calabar gig, Phyno then took the excited audience to another height. Once he stepped on stage, Phyno did not hold back as he kept dropping hit songs that were suggested by the mesmerized crowd. When Phyno performed ‘Fada Fada’, it was a total shutdown at the Municipal Gardens.

STAR Music The Trek Calabar was more than a concert. It was a premium experience for the fans and performing artistes. The concert was broadcast live on HIPTV, particularly for viewers in other cities across Nigeria and beyond to stay connected with the shinning moments at Star Music The Trek 2016.
Next city to rock with Star Music The Trek tour is Owerri on Saturday November 12 while the grand finale will hold in Lagos on November 26.

Night of Thrills At 3 Thrones Concert
Long suffering fans who had waited for hours for the commencement of ‘3 Thrones Concert’ were later compensated with a stetch of non-stop and rousing performances that made it an unforgettable evening at the Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The concert witnessed never-seen before performances from the headliners; Tiwa Savage, Timaya, Phyno, Davido and was well attended by a large number of top personalities including Faithia Balogun, Denrele Edun, Mocheddah, Seyi Law, Ronke Oshodi Oke, Iyabo Ojo, Jimmy Jatt, Shina Peller, Yungsix, Viktoh, Mayorkun, Mo’Cheddah, Naomi Mac, illBliss, Tunde and Wunmi Obe.
Other celebrities who were spotted at the event include Kenny Blaq, Yvonne Enakhena, Seyi Law, Akin Alabi, Funnybone, Dayo Amusa, Yaw, Pheelz, Princess, Poe, Iceberg slim, Eniola Badmus, Tjan, Yomi Casual, Yung L, Lolo 1.

Definitely one of the gripping performances at the was the show stopper put up by Ycee. Accompanied by a band of percussionists, playing on Nigerian and foreign musical instruments, he got a standing ovation for the manner these instruments were used to stike a creative mood in his hit song, ‘Jagaban’. He continued the rewarding experience in his next song, ‘Omo Alhaji’ as female dancers dressed like Arabian belles hit the stage to thrill the audience.

Ycee had delivered an outstanding performance which included a live band; sending the crowd into an instant frenzy. Shortly after his performance while still on stage, Timaya, better known as, Egberi Papa 1 joined Ycee and commended him for his contribution to the music industry – before proceeding to present a royal artifact to the rapper.
Ycee expressed his gratitude to the organizers of ‘3 Thrones’; describing the moment as honourable to him.

But this was not the only surprise of the night, during Tiwa Savage’s performance at the monarchical-themed concert, the singer invited celebrity couple Tunde and Wunmi Obe to field a few questions regarding their laudable marital bliss.
Tiwa halted her performance to comment on the scourge of failed marriages among young couples before she went on to ask the couple the secret to their successful marriage. A question to which Wunmi quickly replied; “I married the man I love – he’s my friend and everything.”
The venerated couple further remarked; “Mutual respect is also very important in a marriage. Communication, patience, tolerance are also imperative”.
“Most importantly; the only third party allowed in your life should be God and no one else” the couple concluded in unison.

Tiwa Savage who was the clear leader of the pack going by her superlative performance entertained the audience with a number of her smash hits including ‘Kele Kele’, ‘Without my Heart’, ‘Bad’, ‘Wanted’, ‘Standing Ovation’ and more. Fellow label mate Dr. Sid also joined her on stage to perform another smash hit of hers; ‘If I Start to Talk” before wrapping up her exhilarating performance for the night.
‘3 Thrones’ also witnessed performances from some of the industry’s finest, including Timaya, Phyno, Davido, Ycee, Pepenazi, ill Bliss, Naomi Mac, Tjan, Yungsix and a host of others.

Popular dancehall-reggae singer Timaya crowned Tinny Entertainment signee; Ycee as the “Rising King” during the concert
Mavin first lady Tiwa Savage, Davido, Phyno, Ycee, and Timaya made a momentous mark as headliners during their performance at ‘3 Thrones Concert’. The event boasted a full regalia setting with performances from several other top artistes like ill Bliss, Yung6ix, Naomi Mac, Tjan, Wale Turner, Que Peller, Viktoh, Poe, Pepenazi and more.
Timaya performed songs from his emergence in 2005/2007, including ‘Dem Mama’, ‘Ogologoma’, ‘Good or Bad’ and recent songs like ‘Bow Down’, ‘Sanko’, ‘I Concur’ and several other smash hits.
Popular rapper Phyno was the third headliner to ascend the stage. He performed his earliest hits like ‘Ghost Mode’, ‘Alobam’, ‘Kush Music’, ‘Shut Down’, ‘Parcel’ before moving on to perform his recent smash hits like ‘Ladi’, ‘Connect’, ‘Fada Fada’ and several more.

The ecstatic audience also witnessed a memorable performance from the last headliner to perform; popular afro-pop songster Davido who appeared as if he was struggling to be at his best. The singer’s performance can be described as eccentric as he exerted his energy to finesse his performance. The singer wrapped up the night with songs like ‘Dami Duro’, ‘Gobe’, ‘Ekuro’, ‘Skelewu’, ‘Owo ni Koko’, ‘Dodo’ and several

Sons of the Caliphate Bids Farewell to Stereotypes
You may be forgiven if your first impression of the opening montage of the new EbonyLife TV political and cultural drama series ‘Sons of the Caliphate’ is a Nigerian version of ‘Game of Thrones’ or ‘The Tudors’. It is a deliberate ploy by the producers of the movie and “why shouldn’t we have our own ‘Game of Thrones?” Dimbo Atiya, the producer, would reply if you ask him.

But beyond the similar montage and tunes, SOTC digs deep into the northern lifestyle. Call it a modernised northern drama and you will not be far from the truth.
Of course, it plays safe with the cultural and social norms in order not to provoke the almighty conservatives. Notwithstanding, it ditches stereotypes and present the northerners in a whole new light. Shot in Abuja, the series have all the cultural elements of the northerners.
We are first introduced to the main characters who form the plot of this intriguing story in the first episode. There is Dikko Umar Loko, cocky and egotistical son of a political stalwart.

Played by
Yakubu Mohammed, you need little or no conviction to fall in love with his skills. His arrogance, swag and witty lines makes him a delight to watch. In this first episode, Dikko is seen as a playboy who is so full of beans. His competitive nature against his friend Nuhu is a shadow of his dark side– a particular trait the director deftly tried to conceal to keep the viewer guessing. For the meantime, he satisfies us with his eagerness to score a golden goal with BintaKutigi, a beautiful event planner. He serenades her with expensive gifts such as a posh car. And to drive home the flamboyant lifestyle of an elitist northerner, Dikko doesn’t use a black card or carry his chequebook round. He drives around town with a boot full of fresh mints.
His two friends Nuhu and Kalifa ibn Maiyaki are equally wealthy in their own rights.

While Nuhu, a son of a successful businessman looks very gentle in appearance but dubious in his ways, Kalifa, the apparent heir of the Emir of Kowa is a man trapped by his own demons. He is caught between his loveless marriage to his wife Naziha (Nita Byack George)and political ambition to run for governor against his father’s wish. At first encounter, Kalifa portrays a determined man with little or no regard for his family. We only see his weak side when he is with his mistress Lotana (Yvonne Hays) known as Lottie. If he had his way, he would divorce his wife Naziha in a heartbeat and marry Lottie. But Naziha is not easily dismissed. She refused to grant him his desire and is a complete opposite of the stereotypical Hausa housewife.

Fresh from her ban from Kannywood, Rahama Sadau plays Binta Kutigi, the love interest between Dikko and Nuhu. It is unlikely that her new fans will fall in love instantly with her in the first few episodes. But she will definitely steal their hearts as the 13-part series unfold.

Nollywood icon Patrick Doyle also lights up the screen with his charming devilish smile and very straining Hausa accent. He is the father of Dikko and has the final say in politics of the state.
Subsequent episodes will show how these characters navigate the corridors of power to satisfy their ambitions through betrayals, corruption, assassinations and other heinous acts to get the crown.

For Dimbo, who co-wrote the story with his wife Karachi, Sons of the Caliphate is a dream come true but more importantly, a farewell to the stereotyped perceptions of the northerners. “I want the audience to see the northerners in a different light. They are rich and live a flamboyant life, they can also woo women and all. that.”
Again, we see the masterstroke of Mo’Abudu. Her perfect timing to release the movie same time Rahama Sadau’s controversy in Kannywood further highlights her shrewdness.
She reiterated her commitment to support local content at the press screening of the movie. “Nigerians have a lot of stories to tell and it is our duty at EbonyLife TV to help producers like Dimbo to tell these stories”.