Battle of the brands

We’re certainly in the midst of the cola wars or battle of the brands but as long as it shines a light on artists and continues to provide them with a national platform, it may not be a bad thing.

Earlier this year, Coca-Cola used last year’s mammoth hit, the LSA winning ‘Tinak Dhin’ by Ali Hamza, Ali Sethi and Waqar Ehsin (from Coke Studio 10) to fuel a commercial starring Mahira Khan and Sheheryar Munawir amidst a shaadi-esque setup and rode high on the chemistry of the two stars who are co-starring in the upcoming film, Saat Din Mohabbat In.

Now it’s Pepsi Pakistan’s newest ad that has taken things to the next level. Starring Fawad Khan as the protagonist, the commercial opens with him walking towards a freezer and picking up a bottle. Upon drinking, he is transported to a Zoheb Hassan concert with the man himself on stage singing the classic hit, ‘Ooe Ooe’ and surrounded by cheering fans. Fawad Khan moonwalks his way to another bottle, only this time he’s outside, there are cricket fans everywhere holding Pakistani flags and Vital Signs’ patriotic number ‘Hum Hain Pakistani’ is running as the soundtrack. And soon enough, one of the original Vital Signs members, Shehzad ‘Shahi Hasan’ appears in the scene, playing a guitar.

While looking at a TV screen, Khan sees Wasim Akram playing a match in his glory days and walks past a Vital Signs poster, merely to run into Wasim Akram himself, who hands him another bottle. Khan is transported again and runs into Reema Khan while ‘Chaaye Chaaye’ by Strings plays in the background.

After all this, as Khan is back before the freezer, music group Kashmir walks in and as the soundtrack finally changes to Kashmir’s ‘Kaaghaz Ka Jahaaz’, the band’s vocalist Bilal Ali tells Fawad Khan: “It’s now our turn”. Khan hands him the Pepsi can and paves way for Kashmir to take the stage before a roaring crowd.

Apart from its obvious nostalgic value and reminder of saner, happier times when hopeful patriotic pop songs actually made sense, the ad tells us that Pepsi’s association with music goes back decades.

The timing says it all, since Pepsi Battle of the Bands is gearing up to return with a new season, which is signified by the fact that auditions are closed and the process for a new season is underway.

It also means that corporate patronage has been a part of the music scene for a long time and though there are always complexities, it is also how the industry has operated and music’s biggest stars have emerged.

Fawad Khan’s role as protagonist also means that he will continue to have some role in the upcoming season of Pepsi Battle of the Bands, which is a good thing since he’s very selective about doing local films and Bollywood is a no-go for him and other stars for now.

Handing over the Pepsi bottle/can by Khan to Kashmir was a poignant way to acknowledge the present and the new artists who represent this age of music.

With Coke Studio also gearing up for its eleventh season, this time with Zohaib Kazi and Ali Hamza at the helm, things are about to get very interesting.