How We Built a Commercial for Northern Nigeria That Felt Like Real Life—Not an Ad
1. Background
A consumer goods brand needed their first commercial for Northern Nigeria. They were entering a market where most advertising felt generic, overproduced, or disconnected from how women actually live. The brand wanted to introduce their detergent in a way that felt familiar, respectful, and natural; not like an interruption.
The challenge: Create a commercial that speaks to the everyday lives of modern women in Northern Nigeria without relying on exaggeration, stereotypes, or overly polished creative that feels foreign.
2. The Problem
Most detergent advertising in the region follows a predictable formula: perfect homes, one-dimensional portrayals of women, and messaging that centers the product instead of the person. This approach creates distance. It doesn’t reflect the reality of women nowadays who move between multiple roles throughout the day; fitness enthusiast, professional, wife, mother.
The brand knew this disconnect existed, but they didn’t have the language or the creative direction to solve it. They needed a partner who could see what was missing and build something that felt true.
3. What We Did
We didn’t start with the product. We started with the life.
Culture & Audience Insight We identified a simple truth: in many Northern Nigerian homes, women carry multiple identities at once. These roles shift throughout the day. A woman doesn’t stop being one thing to become another, she moves between them with ease. This insight became the foundation of the story.
Brand Narrative + Creative Direction We built a “day in the life” narrative where one woman embodies these familiar personas. The structure was simple: morning to evening, role to role, moment to moment. The product fits into her life naturally; it doesn’t demand attention. It just works.
Production We cast one model to represent the range of identities. We used subtle shifts in wardrobe, environment, and movement to signal transitions without overexplaining. The tone stayed warm, clean, and practical. Every frame was designed to feel grounded, not performative.
4. The Strategy
The cultural angle: Most ads position the product as the hero. We positioned the woman as the hero. The product supports her life; it doesn’t define it.
The insight that shaped the creative: Women in this market don’t see themselves represented as whole people. They see themselves reduced to one role at a time. We gave them a story where all their roles coexist naturally.
The positioning shift: Instead of “this detergent cleans your clothes,” the message became “this detergent fits the life you’re already living.”
5. Execution
What we built:
- A 60-second commercial structured as a seamless day-in-the-life narrative
- Wardrobe and set design that reflected real environments, not idealized ones
- Casting and direction that prioritized dignity and authenticity over polish
Where it ran:
- Northern Nigeria markets (TV and digital)
6. Results
The client used this commercial as their brand introduction in Northern Nigeria. It became the reference point for how they speak to this audience going forward.
Why this matters: This wasn’t just a one-off spot. It set the creative standard for the brand’s entire regional strategy. The client now has a voice that feels differentiated, respectful, and rooted in cultural truth.
7. Why Culture Made the Difference
Most brands in this space treat audiences like demographics. We treat them like people. We didn’t need a research deck to know that women carry multiple identities; we just had to be willing to reflect that truth with respect and precision. The commercial worked because it didn’t feel like an ad. It felt like life. That’s what happens when you start with culture, not tactics.