Advertising: yesterday, today and tomorrow

Basil Bashar, Iza Amir Manhattan Pakistan Limited
The power of the media is an anomaly thrown out with great aplomb by the soothsayers of today. They claim that images, ideas and words have the innate potential to mould public perception and opinion.
Human beings absorb these elements and form individual notions of right vs. wrong and good vs. bad. People desire, aspire, purchase and dispose based on an amalgam of these very images and words. They are right...or are they?
Advertising is the medium through which we are exposed to these intrinsic elements on a daily basis. Our sensibilities are bombarded from every angle, awakening deep-rooted desires for youth, vitality, verve and happiness. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the plethora of images that penetrate our conscience are reminiscent of novellas of yore. They exasperate the human mind with that ethereal element - options.
The rudimentary function of any advertising company is to ensure a financially viable fusion of its corporate clients and their respective customers. Press the wrong buttons, say the wrong words, or show the wrong image and the game is lost before it's begun. The 21st century and its people do not suffer fools easily. In such a volatile environment, advertising, particularly good advertising, has to reinvent itself, reinvigorate the senses, capture or rather steal an individual's depleted attention span.
At the helm of such an advertising agency is a consortium of pioneers capable of coaxing the beast of consumerism in the right direction. With their varied perspectives, qualifications and experiences, they are able to certify, if not magnify the power of the media!
For the past 50 years, Manhattan Pakistan Limited has been the vanguard of innovative, avant-garde advertising. Evaluating client needs and executing campaigns that ensure maximum returns, MPL has always managed to strike the right balance at the right time. Pros at brand management, MPL specialises in creating brand images, perception management, multi-media creations, client servicing, strategic brand consultancy and research work. This potent mix of our ideas and dynamism ensures a household permanence for any brand.
One of the advertising pioneers in Pakistan; MPL has not only lived up its expectations, but exceeded them in terms of business volume and client portfolio. The future is bright. So long as images and words impart knowledge to the masses, MPL will continue to contribute towards a healthy competition and ensure the viability and success of its clients and their brands.