It’s so unfortunate that our criticism mafia has gone to the extent that they criticize just everyone but themselves. They tend to sit in cozy sofas and love to give advises to everyone rather then themselves. This has been happening lately with Telenor’s “Khamoshi ka Boycott!” campaign. If you have old fashioned ads with the same old filmstar faces in your ads, its cool enough and we don’t bother to point a finger. But if someone steps ahead and goes deviant to the traditional ad-making style and marketing scene, they are picked up by almost everyone and are discouraged like hell.

So whats really wrong with Telenor’s Khamoshi ka Boycott!?

As the mafia claims, that it’s wrong because Telenor’s portraying a “negative image” of Pakistan through these ads; as in it’s portrayed in the ads that students are trying to cheat in the exam and the invigilator sees and ignores silently! Similarly in another ad where the job vacancy is called off when a candidate with a “strong reference” comes in. As the criticism mafia says that such kind of ads depict the negatives of Pakistan.

First thing; The ad doesn’t say anything of that sort. And secondly whatever is shown in the ad is not something alien to us! We know that such things HAPPEN here in Pakistan. So telling that it’s against the social responsibility to portray such things doesn’t make any sense. I say THIS IS DENIAL!! Like we are keen of denying almost everything, we are again denying that such corruptions don’t happen in Pakistan and if they happen, they shouldn’t be show cased. I say that’s HYPOCRISY! Because things don’t get improved unless you begin to start talking about them!

Again, the criticism mafia somehow links it with “zionists” and “Jews” telling that since Telenor is a Norwegian company, it’s automatically anti-Islam and Anti-Pakistan. I say please give me a break. If Telenor is investing here in Pakistan, it is being beneficial for Pakistanis too as they are given the opportunities and platform to test and implement their skills.

I wont talk about Telenor’s other campaigns here, but particularly talking about this one; i.e. Khamoshi ka Boycott! I give them a round of applause for addressing such issues through ads here in Pakistan! Good Luck to the marketing guys of Telenor.