Month: August 2016

Independence Day Celebrations at Dolmen Malls

Posted on by Kinza Tariq

Dolmen Mall, Pakistan’s first international standard mall, is famous for being at the forefront of every major national celebration. With every event, they have continued to raise the bar when it comes to family entertainment and shopping in Karachi.

As our Independence Day approaches, we see the city changing itself to represent the colours of Pakistan, and Dolmen did not stay behind in giving its visitors a flavour of patriotism. This year, their theme, ‘Dolmen loves Pakistan’, was weaved around the concept of #HamariPehchan aimed at giving people a chance to celebrate Pakistan’s identity. Spanning across all three malls, namely Dolmen Mall Clifton, Dolmen Mall Tariq Road and Dolmen Mall Hyderi, the event kicked off on 12th of August 2016.

IMG_5909IMG_5869

“Living in a time where there is so much uncertainty and negativity surrounding our identity as a nation, we wanted to celebrate the achievements and entertainment aspects of Pakistan which we are known for. These things are relatable to the older as well as the younger generation of this country and they need to be celebrated. This is what makes us proud as Pakistanis,” said Anum Nadeem, Marketing Head of the Dolmen Group at the event.

A weekend worth of activities were executed in all its patriotic glamour and glory.For this, the mall was draped in shades of greens and whites.The walkways saw magnificent replicas of the country’s monuments. From live murals of national heroes to specially dressed guards standing and saluting the customers, the entire mall gave off 14th August vibes. The main atrium was designed to take the mall-goers on a photographic journey through Pakistan and its rich culture. Adding to the desi feel, a dhaaba was set up by Chai Wala offering fresh parathas and chai for all those craving for a cup of tea, Pakistan’s undisputed favorite drink. Folk music and a special Azadi Bazaar selling flags, badges, and other patriotic merchandise set the right mood to the three-day event.

To mark the eve of Independence Day, a grandiose performance by Sounds of Kolachi dazzled the audience. The soulful music melted into the beautiful notes of our National Anthem at precisely 12 AM, amidst a shower of confetti while the guards raised the flag and saluted. The moment was breathtakingly beautiful.

IMG_6202

IMG_6182

On the same night, visitors at Dolmen Mall Tariq Road were enthralled to find Noori performing live and did not shy away from fully enjoying patriotic beats.

On the digital front, an Instagram competition was hosted, allowing amateur photographers to showcase their talent. Top three photographs were selected and awarded with prizes. More prizes awaited all those who visited Dolmen wearing green. Shoppers and visitors were, thus, pleasantly surprised at various occasions.

As another successful event comes to an end, Dolmen stands tall and proud; the management determined to keep providing more quality events and celebrations to its visitors. Let’s wait to see what they have in store for the next event!

IMG_6050

Read More

Dawood Public School Celebrates 69th Independence Day of Pakistan

Posted on by Kinza Tariq


Bright and enthusiastic students of Dawood Public School lined-up early morning on the schoolyard where the aura was brimming with patriotism. This was the moment when more than 1,300 students from DPS came together to form a human flag!

Their love for the homeland was reflected on their faces as they made their way on to their designated places. Students from Class 2 all the way up till A’ Levels participated wholeheartedly in this endeavor – put together after stringent rehearsals in just three days.

It was an astounding spectacle of unity and togetherness. The atmosphere was full of fervent tunes of national songs. Such celebrations evoke the true spirit of patriotism amongst the younger generation and serve as a testimony that in unison, we can achieve remarkable feats.

Peek Freans Launches ‘Sooper Hai Azadi’

Posted on by Kinza Tariq

Pakistan’s number 1 selling brand, Peek Freans Sooper, to celebrate the occasion of Independence Day and launch the ‘SooperHaiAzadi’ campaign, organized an event on Tuesday, August 9, 2016. The theme of the event was ‘Rhythm of Freedom’ that depicts how the people of Pakistan seek joy because of the freedom they have been blessed with.

Based on the theme of Rhythm of Freedom, the campaign is a combination of different sounds that people of Pakistan produce in their daily lives. It aims to acknowledge all the individuals who contribute to the country and are constantly making an effort to make a difference.

Adnan Bajawa, Brand Manager for Peek Freans Sooper, the flagship brand of English Biscuit Manufacturers (Pvt.) Limited, regarding the campaign stated, “In the “SooperHaiAzadi” campaign, we have acknowledged the everyday sounds that people make, and we have combined them to produce an instrumental as a dedication to Pakistan’s workforce, who contribute to the development of this country with everything that they do. At the same time, this campaign is also a reminder of the greatest thing this country has given us, which is Azadi. It is because of Azadi that we love what we do, because we have the freedom to choose for ourselves. We as Pakistanis seek happiness and joy from the work that we do and Azadi gives each of us something to contribute to, something to hold on to and something to fight for.”

The launch of the campaign was followed by a panel discussion moderated by Umair Jaliawala lasting approximately an hour. The panelists included Jahangir Khan, Shehzad Roy, Jibran Nasir and Saba Gul. The diverse panel talked their perception of freedom and how they have used their own personal freedom to project Pakistan in a positive light. Each of them had an interesting story to tell of how they believed they could use their work to contribute to freedom or vice versa, and how to use the freedom this country has given us to make a difference. It was certainly an evening of reflection and gratitude which ended with a discussion on those heroes who have contributed with their heart and soul to the success of our panelists. From their parents to their office boys, everyone deserved to be appreciated and the panel discussion did exactly that.

Further legs of the campaign include digital and on ground activations. Numerous competitions are running across Facebook where individuals can send in their entries with the Independence Day packs of Sooper to win exclusive goodie bags. To further ignite patriotism on Independence Day, Peek Freans Sooper has also organized market activations where markets will be decorated with SooperHaiAzadi buntings and Pakistan’s badges will be distributed across market areas.

In the spirit of Azadi, and following the theme of Rhythm of Freedom, Peek Freans Sooper team will also be travelling across Pakistan to Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Quetta, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan, Sukkur and Hub (Balochistan) among other where they will acknowledge over 20,000 individuals for their services to Pakistan by giving them Sooper Salam and presenting Sooper gift boxes from August 11 to August 14.  Sooper believes these people spend their lives contributing to our country and together they all make Pakistan what it is today.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Let’s Get United For Healthier Kids

Posted on by Kinza Tariq

IMG_9018Nestlé Pakistan held a sneak peak of the United for Healthier Kids movement for bloggers from Karachi. The movement aims to instill healthier habits in children.  It was launched at an event in Islamabad where various partners came together to pledge “behtarkal, aaj se” – a better future for Pakistan’s children.

United for Healthier Kids is a behavior change movement for children aged 3-12 years, where partners such as Nestlé Pakistan, Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform, Lahore Grammar School, Jang Media Group, Geo Network, Service Sales Corporation, Silver Oaks School and Parwaan, among others. The movement aims to help parents establish healthier eating, drinking, and lifestyle habits in children through game-changing education and fun ideas to inspire action and influence behavior.

The nutritional and health conditions in Pakistan have reached an alarming level over the past decade. Currently, Pakistan has the third highest number of children suffering from stunted growth; 43.7% of the total children under the age of 5 suffer from it. 15.1% are wasted and 31.5% are found to be underweight.

The United for Healthier Kids movement will work closely with its partner organizations to address three major behaviors – Move More Sit Less, Choose to Drink Water and ChooseNutritiously Varied Food Options – by not only creating awareness and educating parents’ on different obstacles but also outlining proposed solutions for raising healthier kids.

The bloggers engagement featured a ‘Twitter war’, a quiz, musical chairs and Misbah pushup challenge which made the event all the more fun!

IMG_8979 IMG_9163

IMG_9137

 

 

 

Coke Studio creates unique music experience for the Hearing Impaired.!!

Posted on by Kinza Tariq

Where words fail, music speaks.
-Hans Christian Andersen

Karachi, July 30, 2016: Preceding the launch of Coke Studio Season 9, Pakistan’s biggest music platform, Coca-Cola Pakistan has created a unique music experience for the Deaf Community of Pakistan. Innovative technology combined with the platform’s philosophy of inclusivity, Coke Studio for the Deaf enables people with little or no hearing ability to get the basic experience of music.

At the heart of the unique studio-like set-up enabling hearing impaired persons to feel and experience the music of Coke Studio, is a special sofa or couch embedded with hundreds of vibration engines and LED lights that are synced with the sound of the song being played. A grand LED installation around the couch provides synchronized mood lighting to elevate the experience visually. Finally an LED screen in front of the sofa displays the video playback, while the studio is propped with guitars on stands, a drum kit and a keyboard on a stand adding to the overall ambience.

The setup invented in China, was first tested out by the Coca-Cola brand team earlier this year when it was installed in Bangkok. A group of 8 students and faculty of the Deaf Reach School were taken to Bangkok to try out the system first hand. Their experience was nothing short of remarkable, with the group members actually experiencing Coke Studio for the very first time in their lives! Based on this great success, Coca-Cola Pakistan decided to acquire the system for long-term use in Pakistan, with a vision to enable more people from the Deaf Community to also experience the music of Coke Studio. The system is expected to reach Pakistan in the near future.

In a statement about the event, the General Manager of Coca-Cola Pakistan, Rizwan U. Khan stated, “Coca-Cola, because of its all inclusive brand trait, revolves around bringing people together. It shrinks social barriers and encourages people to share their emotions and experiences. However, despite reaching the masses, an estimated 9 million of our population have some form of hearing impairment, and have not experienced the magic of Coke Studio. We are really happy that we are now able to make them a part of this unique experience and keep them connected with other people who have been enjoying Coke Studio for the past 8 years.”

Richard Geary, founder and director of the Deaf Reach Program in Pakistan for the past 30 years endorsed the partnership with Coke Studio, “Our collaboration with Coke Studio reflects our approach towards opening new experiences for the Deaf Community and creating enabling opportunities for their inclusion and success. Coke Studio’s new initiative will not only draw a circle to include those who are often marginalized, but serve to create more awareness and acceptance from the mainstream audience, helping them to better understand the challenges faced by those with a hearing impairment.”

Season 9 of Coke Studio, the biggest and the boldest yet, is expected to be launched in early August. It will feature both established artists and many talented newcomers, for whom Coke Studio promises to be a launch pad for their careers, as it has been for others before them in the past 8 seasons.