Editor’s Note:

Commercials are a huge part of our lives in Nigeria. They are so ingrained in our national life that it’s near difficult to move from childhood to adulthood without memories of at least, one delightful TV commercial you can hardly take away from our heads.

Indomie’s Mama Do Good, Peak’s Papilo You Go Make Us Proud, Panadol Extra’s Oga for Strong Strong Headache, Baba Blue, Bagco Super Sack, Guinness’ My Friend Udeme, the list is endless.

2020 came with its own peculiar challenges, thus influencing the direction of a good number of these commercials, either in creating awareness around safety measures or to just reflect the mood of the nation. Others focused on relatable themes and brand positioning as usual, but we made a list of 10 commercials we had absolute love for and you’d love to see them:

10. Glo You Don Hit My Car

Telecom giants, Globacom have consistently been on our screens (indoor and outdoor) with numerous adverts. For the last decade – at least, it would be difficult to successfully count the total number of actors and entertainers the Telco have featured in their commercials. They keep raising the bar with each one but this ‘You don hit my car’ ad however, is one of the most relatable content to have graced our screens this 2020.

In fact, you cannot claim to have lived or visited the city of Lagos, if you’ve never witnessed or been around an accident scene. You get the best drama and ‘boasts’ free of charge. Guess what? That’s what we really love about this commercial. Check it out!.

9. Glo Smart Home 4G LTE

While there have been a few wins in the reception of commercials in 2020, this Glo ‘Smarthome 4G’ advert of January stands out as beautiful. 

The unique thing about the commercial is the dramatic feature of top Nollywood icons in a comic representation of the progress in technology; with their 4G network feature.

8. Keystone ‘Words are Powerful’

This commercial told a story of love, dedication and unity. And as is becoming the latest trend, one could hardly connect it with banking compared with the dreary banking commercials we are used to.

The actress featured was dedicated to learning Hausa Language just to welcome her daughter-in-law into her Yoruba family. It also went on to show the need for unity in Nigeria where citizens are quick to remind themselves of their tribal differences. Don’t you like that?

7. Twisco Play Day: 

Everyone loves a good mother and son commercial for a home product. We have seen that for centuries with ads depicting a special kind of relationship between both individuals (because of a said product) – and we don’t mind that.

The Twisco ad however, didn’t look so random because it actually featured a known mother and son kind of relationship. Watching Nigerian singer, Tiwa Savage and her son, Jamil in a playful commercial was definitely another delight to have graced our screens. 

6. Airtel TV – Amaka Must Go

If you need any visual description for killing two birds with one stone, this is all you need to see! Largely, this commercial is supposed to be a promotional ad for Airtel TV app and it featured one of the top series on their roll – Amaka Must Go.

On starting the ad, you would never have guessed that it would spin you back with a call to action on downloading the app. We absolutely love it!

5. Maltina Flavour Quest

Looking for an ad that shows woman power in 2020? The Maltina commercial introducing a new flavour of the drink was one of our best ads from 2020.

Featuring prominent players in Nigeria’s film industry, Rahama Sadau, Osas Ighodaro and Tomike Adeoye, the commercial took viewers on a Naija-Jumanji-themed adventure, only to bring them back to reality with an introduction to their products. One unique thing about the ad is its recognition of originality in the Nigerian people, with select locations for the content. 

4. Jaiz Bank

The Jaiz Bank commercial of July 2020 has nothing to do with banking and we loved it. For most brands, it has become cliché to expect certain content in their marketing but this ad went beyond the norm to tell a story of compassion, understanding and the idea of ‘moving against the times’ – So unexpected!

In a world where people are used to doing things just how it has been done before, this is one defying ad to love. 

3. MTN ‘Wear it for Me’

Like many telecom brands, MTN ran a number of ads throughout 2020, and we loved a few and displeased with a few others.

One commercial however, which stood out in support of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 was MTN’s ‘Wear it for me.’ With largely relatable scenes, this ad passed a message that was not just about the brand but the safety of her customers and Nigerians at large.

2. Keystone Bank ad:

Seen a commercial that is both chilling and pensive to watch. Check this out. It potrays family, values, and growth. And while it was targeted at branding the bank as one keen on innovation, the content is wildly relatable among many young people.

1. Airtel *444# Commercial
The Airtel *444# advert is one of 2020’s biggest commercials. Unarguably, what makes it so unique is the sing along-themed idea of the advert which made it a huge win. 

The song has also been one of the most sought after songs from an ad – and there aren’t so many of those. Sung by Omolade Oyetundun, the *444# advert also brought her to the limelight as many Nigerians confused her vocals with that of popular singer Teni Apata.

For Omolade, the confusion was an honour; for us, the advert was epic! 

Honorable Mention:

DSTV Festivity Commercial: While the fear of COVID-19 may have hugely impacted the Christmas spirit, there are still lots of attempts to revive it. The DStv Christmas commercial was arguably the first Christmas ad of 2020 and it made a good attempt at reviving and setting the Christmas spirit in motion. 

What commercial do you think was great but inadvertently left out?