For three consecutive years Peak Freans Sooper has been celebrating Independence Day in a unique yet surprising way. This time around, the brand celebrated the 71st Independence Day in the true spirit of our Quaid’s philosophy. ‘Sooper hai Pakistan ka Junoon’ tends to deliver the message of rising up together through the reunion of our country’s most beloved and celebrated rock band, Junoon. Sooper has successfully brought the band back after 13 years and the whole nation is excited about it. We talked to the Head of Marketing of English Biscuit Manufacturers (EBM), Ayesha Janjua about the whole campaign, “Most recently, we launched the ‘Sooper Hai Pakistan ka Junoon’ campaign, and surprised the nation by bringing back the much-loved Junoon after a 13-year hiatus. A musical icon for most Pakistanis, Junoon has made several great contributions to Pakistani music over the course of its illustrious career. We thought if we have the opportunity to make our nation’s dream come true, then why not. It was not easy, but definitely worth all the effort.” Upon asking, why did the brand choose to bring Junoon – the band together, she further stated, “Even though it has been nearly 13 years since Junoon broke up, their music continues to live on in the hearts of every Junooni. Every Pakistani longs to feel the same passion and feeling of adrenaline whenever these three heavyweights of music would come together to perform, and as the nation’s most loved cookie brand, we felt we had the brand power to do so. Our decision to bring back Junoon onto one platform is part of this objective and it is something that they themselves have always been able to identify themselves with. If we look at the history of Junoon, the band has played an integral role in highlighting the sacrifices of our country as well as our many socio-political issues through songs like Talaash, Azaadi, Jazba-e-Junoon and Ehtisaab. They have and continue to be intensely patriotic. Therefore, this collaboration of Sooper with Junoon strongly endorses the idea of Pakistan first before all else.” Further adding about the challenges and hurdles before finalising the band, she said : “On the contrary, it wasn’t at all challenging as the message behind our ‘SooperHai Pakistan’ platform instantly resonated with them, hence making things very easy for us. They didn’t see the campaign as merely a competition between brands. Working out the logistics of the plan was what took the most time. Bryan was in the US while Salman Ahmed and Ali Azmat were in Lahore, so we had to coordinate schedules and figure out a host of other things all the while ensuring that we meet our timeline of 14th August, the date we were supposed to announce the band’s reunion. Getting through that part of the process was a bit nerve-wracking; however we were able to pull through.” “If we look at the history of Junoon, the band has played an integral role in highlighting the sacrifices of our country as well as our many socio-political issues through songs like ‘Talaash’, ‘Azaadi’, ‘Jazba-e-Junoon and Ehtisaab’” While talking about the song, which is the main aspect of the whole campaign, she further added, “The iconic song pays tribute to Allama Iqbal’s ‘Asrar-e-Khudi’. As Iqbal relates khudi with the rooh (soul), the lyrics emphasise that in order to stimulate the spark within us; one need to go through a journey of transformation to fight against all obstacles and this is the message of the song as well. It motivates the listeners to broaden their horizon and to challenge their own selves to achieve the hardest goals. The video of the song tells the story of ordinary people who have dreams of achieving something and to make their country proud.” She concluded the interview with the piece of advice, “Work hard and always do your best with 100 percent dedication. Let’s make an improved tomorrow for our future generation so that they enjoy the benefit to serve the country better. It is all about believing in yourself. Do your homework and stick to what you believe. Do everything in your power to deliver your best. What I have learned with time is that there will be many voices telling you that you’re not worth it or obstacles that will come in the way of your goal. All you have to do is believe in your ability to achieve your objective and do your best. Your work should speak for itself. Let it shine! Everything else will fall into place” Published in Daily Times, October 1, 2018.