Nation’s creative agencies confirm: ‘Yes, we’re out of the box… and out of our minds’

Pakistani brand sparks outrage with Azadi ad showing Quaid-e-Azam eating meatballs, captioned “One nation, endless flavours.” Dipitt’s campaign was slammed as tasteless, igniting debate on Pakistan’s creative industry and advertising ethics.

In a breathtaking display of modern advertising genius (read: collective brain shutdown), a Pakistani brand decided to celebrate Azadi with a digital masterpiece: Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, delicately eating meatballs dipped in sauce, accompanied by the caption — “One nation, endless flavours.”

This, dear readers, is not satire. This is an actual ad by an actual brand. What the heck does it even mean?
Apparently, “endless flavours” now includes the taste of embarrassment, served piping hot.

The agency responsible, Dipitt, has reportedly taken the concept of Azadi and plunged it into the deep fryer of creative disaster. The result? Something that’s neither patriotic nor palatable. Everything about it is tasteless — and not just the food.

Now, let’s be clear: nobody in Pakistan is resigning over this.
Minister? No. Bureaucrat? Never. Brand manager? Agency head? Please. This is Pakistan, where even if you blow up the PR equivalent of an atomic bomb on Jinnah’s legacy, you just post a “We regret the misunderstanding” note and move on to your next pitch for chai-flavoured toothpaste.

Some critics tried to drag Imran Khan into it, saying, “Khan also put Quaid’s photo next to his own in campaigns.” Well yes, but at least he didn’t Photoshop Quaid holding a plate of seekh kebabs under a Pepsi logo. Small mercies.

And for those who still think this was “bold” or “out of the box”. This wasn’t out of the box. This was out of your mind, stupidity.
Because in Pakistan’s creative industry, there’s one endless flavour that never goes out of style: bad taste.

Shukar hai, the ad has now been removed. But not before joining the illustrious hall of fame for “Things That Made No Sense But Somehow Got Client Approval.”

Next up from the same agency: Allama Iqbal enjoying sushi, captioned ‘One dream, endless rolls.’ Stay tuned.