HBL ki Rosheen Khan!

It’s been a while since I wrote (or maybe not), but HBL is at it again it seems. First it was the lady (Samina Baig) that climbed the mountain and that’s all she did (we are still trying to figure out if HBL sponsored her climb or was using her as an endorsement or neither!) and now it is the diver – correction scuba diver named Rosheen Khan who is making her mark on the ATL score.

The ad opens with a cute little girl looking sort of gloomily at the fish (can’t decide whether she wants it as a pet or just eat it I guess) and lands in a boat with a “I’m the king of the world” action … to show that she’s enjoying the air maybe … with the voice over that talks of dreams that have to be fulfilled. Suddenly we’re underwater and everything is about “under the seaaa ... under the seaaaa … darling its better down where its … take it from me!”

The moment of pride is when we get to know that she is the first female scuba diver (go girl power!). Oh completely forgot there is a moment of almost ‘fear’ when a shark swims by and she … sort of sinks … but rises from the depths all triumphant and proud. The ad ends with the, “Khawab kisi ameer ya ghareeb ki jagir nahi”.

Overall the ad seemed really blue (pun intended). It seemed to have a sort of melancholy outlook to it. It is understandable that the underwater scenes would obviously be blue. Yet it lacked the brightness (may the marine life or the fact that cartoons like “Little Mermaid”, “Finding Nemo” and “Finding Dory” have given me a brighter perspective of the underwater world!) kind of giving it a depressive tone to the ad. Shouldn’t she be happy that she is the first female to do this? It seems that she is sidelined and not really the main person for the ad … but a spectator herself trying to absorb what is happening about her.

Finally throughout the ad I see zilch of what HBL did for her … except maybe have their logo on her costume. Nothing what-so-ever is highlighted about the bank or how it facilitated her during the hardships that she may have faced during her training. IF HBL really wants to talk of ‘enabling dreams’ then they should focus on people who are up starts, make something out of them and then proudly proclaim that THIS is the person who WE have enabled in achieving their dreams. 

Ad Rating: 2 winks. 

HBL anyone?

HBL has recently celebrated a completion of 75 years. We have been seeing the HBL “75 years” logo in all different print ads that have been shared over a period of time. But since the past few days their building has been gloriously bright with their signature green color and lighting effects as well. (Funny even UBL plaza has taken on the color green, I guess in part to show unity with HBL. To be called a part of “I am HBL”).

Coming back to HBL and its 75 years, the celebrations have print ads showing the tall HBL plaza building or rather a white sketch of HBL Plaza on a palette of different green shades (fifty shades of green maybe). Now when I look at the message all I can think is off a tall, proud old man who is standing in this patriotic garb screaming out how he has changed lives and is boasting of nothing more that empty promises of ‘enabling dreams’.

The final call, “I am HBL” doesn’t resonate with me. Why? Because I am truly not a part of HBL. Do they even know that their services have completely gone to the dogs? I wonder when was the last time they carried out a customer survey or awareness program to know what people ACTUALLY think of their bank? They need to have a true eye opener that through they maybe an ‘old’ bank they are definitely not the best around town.

PS: apologies about the literally off image that is shared. HBL has no other images to offer on google that could be added for 75 years!!