Aurora Magazine

Promoting excellence in advertising

Published in Nov-Dec 2017

Top 5 WTF Moments of 2017

From Aurora's 'Top 5ives – 10 Pros in Top 5 Mode' Series.

1. Salman Ahmed

He tries to salvage the Junoon name, ruins Sayonee instead. Some music can bring you to tears, but Sufi Sal’s attempt to reinvent himself through Sayonee for Coke Studio 10 was a musical horror story, and a face palm moment for a generation of music lovers.

2. Kendall Jenner and the tone-deaf Pepsi ad

Probably more relevant to us marketing folk, but what a trainwreck such a magnificent ad campaign became with just an oversight on Pepsi’s end, and vocal internet trolls! Aur karo in-house creativity!

3. Apple and the meh iPhone 8

It seems the Apple hype train is finally derailing. While they release an outdated and overhyped phone every year, this time around, Apple pretty much forgot to change the phone.

4. Sharjeel Memon and his advertising buddies

We are unfazed by political arrests, but it’s a little odd when a bunch of Pakistan’s advertising bigwigs are shackled too. Six agencies, including Orientm McCann, are entwined in a corruption scandal. Affiliation bid, anyone?

5. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s controversial tweet

While most of us are too pissed off or too angry about all the success that this woman has from allegedly ‘defaming Pakistan’, you never expected that the entire nation would be caught up in picking sides on this issue. Come on!

Umair Kazi is Partner, Ishtehari.