AKBank Ad

Watch this TV commercial for AKBank in Turkey. It’s called “Akbank Türkiye’nin Yenilikçi Gücü” and it’s terrific: must-see advertising.

Stop reading for a minute and go to the bank’s website; click on the picture from the commercial (or try this), and run the commercial for yourself.

The commercial’s in Turkish. Normally, that’d be a problem for me. But first, AKBank has an English version of its website. It’s clear the bank is committed to supporting the growth of Turkey and Turkish business…particularly the technology sectors…and you can get this conceptually from the outstanding commercial without understanding a word of the language.

Fortunately, Renan Tavukcuođlu explained it all to me. The “back story” is always the extra added attraction. Renan is Stratejik Planlama at Oyku, our Dialogue International affiliate in Turkey.

He told me that the objective of the commercial was not to bring in new AKBank customers, but a work of image with great messages. It’s a brand spot. Renan gave me the translation of the Turkish titles:

To grow
To be innovative
To support
To give energy
To be creative
To move forward
For Turkey
To grow and to help you grow

He added these additional notes:
...The TV spot aired during World Cup 2006
...It enjoyed great success in terms of repeat views
...150 South African dancers took part
...It was shot in South Africa in five days
...The music (which played a major role in success) is by Ömer Ahunbay
...Penny Jones, creator of the opening ceremony of the Olympic games, made the preparations for the shoot.

Its music aired on radios and everybody knew what commercial it was. The campaign used all media (print, outdoor, etc.) during World Cup 2006 and now it’s over.

You can still watch it on the bank’s website. See some innovation and energy – and pure visual fun – from the Turkish advertising industry.

Many thanks to my colleagues at Oyku in Instanbul and Ankara.