In this digital age, it only takes minutes for anything to go viral over social media. This often leaves those who work in traditional broadcast media such as newspapers and TV channels quite behind, as far as making that first impression is concerned.
However, some TV anchors and journalists are catching up with the times, by using social media effectively. Case in point – Najam Sethi’s new program promotion for Aap News.
The Program
The video that has got Pakistani social media users talking, you can watch it here:
While Najam Sethi’s fan-base will appreciate anything that has do do with Najam, the public was mostly amused by the 1 minute promotion he and Aap News launched recently. And its easy to see why.
The promo features a group of men hunting a Houbara Bustard (an endangered bird) in a plantation. Each of the men symbolize the major political players in Pakistan. As the promo goes on, we observe them all going after one thing – the chirya (bird). As fans of Najam Sethi will tell you, the chirya is a regular fixture in his programs, an euphemism for ‘leaks’ regarding the country’s political landscape.After all, Sethi has made a name for himself with the scoops that his chirya brings him.
The computer-generated chirya certainly seems out of its element, but hey, maybe that was the idea after all? Or perhaps the video editors decided ‘jaanay dey.’
In short, the promotion depicts the hunters trying their hard to hunt down the whistle-blowing bird (chirya). In a way, the promotion is all too self-aware of the persona of Najam Sethi and his ‘ever-present’ chirya. It basically ends with the TV anchor taking the bird away from harm’s way, courtesy of a glitzy Mercedes. Nothing but the best for the chirya, you know?
Maybe the channel was too excited by the fact that they managed to bag Najam Sethi that went overboard with the promo.
Reactions
In terms of creativity, some people liked how this promotion is not just a rehash of another such video but rather based on an original idea.
This @najamsethi promo is one of the kitschiest things to ever happen to Pakistani news. That’s no small feat. Mubarak ho Sethi sb! pic.twitter.com/TxYGXk7qgQ
— Shaheryar Mirza (@mirza9) November 14, 2018
Some were of the view that trying something new was stupid at best:
https://twitter.com/OyeShahabAli/status/1062577103923757057?ref_src=twsrc^tfw
Well at least some people saw the atrocious use of computer generated graphics for what it was – atrocious.
If there was an award for horrible CGI Najam Sethi's new promo would have won it
— Ozy (@LahoriElite) November 13, 2018
Content and creativity aside even amateurs felt the CGI production quality of the promo didn’t quite meet contemporary standards.
Let’s see what people have to say when his show debuts. Hopefully, that cringe-worthy CGI chirya may not make another appearance during the program.
