Change campaign: Kelechi Nwosu unhappy with AAAN snub

Kelechi Nwosu, former Preisdent of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) has been at the vanguard of urging government to place its communications and national advocacy projects in the hands of the AAAN professionals, but he is dissapointed that his yearnings has again gone unheeded by the Federal Government, which recently launched a new national orintation campaign without the involvment of the association.

Speaking exclusively to MARKETING EDGE, Nwosu comfirmed that the association played no part in the recently launched “Change begins with me” campaign. He noted that he was not happy that the Federal Government has again snubbed the association despite overtures made to the Minister of Information Alhaji Lai Mohammed, from the onset of his appointment, on the need to work closely with the association.

Unfortunately, the Change campaign has since been bugged down by allegations of plagiarism, following complaint by one Akin Fadeyi, a media consultant, that the concept was a clone of a proposal he submitted to the office of the Minister last year. Alhaji Mohammed has denied the claim.

The success of the project has also been undermined by a revelation that part of President Mohammadu Buhari’s speech, which was read on the day of the launch was lifted from President Barak Obama’s 2008 speech.
These controversies, obviously energise the argument for the involvement of communications and advertising experts in the conception and execution of national orientation campaigns.

Speaking last years about how the Federal Government should appraoch public advocacy campaigns Nwosu said government needed to create an enduring brand by inspiring Nigerians to believe and celebrate Nigeria, its diversity, assets and identity. “Nigeria needs an internal campaign to rebuild and position the Nigerian nation brand.

“This campaign should be run by a consortium of Nigerian Communications Agencies led by the Advertising Agencies, to uncover the insights and motivations that will help us create the nation brand that is enduring,” he said.

Continuing, he avered that this can only become a reality when Nigerian leadership have a vision of what the Nigerian brand means and live that vision. “In this case, the ‘doing’ is just as important as the ‘saying’. Actions at all levels of governance must be in alignment with the brand vision,” he said.

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