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THE recent unveiling of the 50th anniversary logo of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), in Lagos, no doubt, signaled the commencement of a year-long celebration of the golden jubilee of a group, comprising agencies and individuals, whose contributions to the nation’s advertising space, have remained undimmed by time.
But, besides the logo unveil witnessed by the crème de la crème of the industry, including some past presidents of the association, the event also provided an opportunity for stakeholders to walk down memory lane, and relive how the association, formally known as Advertising Practitioners Association of Nigeria (APBN), had been able to shape the cause of advertising in Nigeria in the past five decades.
Interestingly, the exploits were not in short supply, and, of huge significance was the revelation of the association’s role in bringing forth the apex regulatory body in the industry, the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), now Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON ).
Speaking on the history of advertising in Nigeria, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, AAAN, Sir Steve Omojafor noted that advertising practice had evolved, since making its debut, in 1928, in Nigeria, through the West African Publicity Ltd, set up by the UAC to serve its interests and those of other companies in some English-Speaking West African countries.
Of note, also, is the advent of Lintas, and the agency’s take-over of the West African Publicity role, after the latter had left the scene, thereby becoming the first agency to play in the nation’s advertising space.
Omojafor was also quick to remind the audience that the first set of advertising then was at its crudest form, carried out by town-criers; with products physically taken from one community to the other.
“The advent of Radio, Television and even print however provided the opportunity for those people to take their products to those platforms for exposure,” he stated.
However, the need to structure some of those activities and regulate them made some practitioners come together in 1971 and insisted on having a code and set of laws guiding their activities, he explained.
“It took some of those practitioners, which include: Biodun Sanwo, Sam Iyamu, Olu Adekoya and others, two years to come together and form what was then called the Association of Advertising Practitioners of Nigeria (AAPN), in 1973,” Omojafor, also a former president of the association, stated.
While congratulating the present executive members of the association for their ability to improve on the system their predecessors had been able to put in place, Omojafor, described the golden jubilee anniversary as typifying ’50 years of putting law and order in place’.
Also speaking at the event, another former President/BOT Chairman of the association, Mr. Ayo Owoborode, explained how the association facilitated the birth of the apex regulatory body in the industry, the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), now Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON).
“At the AGM of the association in 1986, we the candidates vying for the position of the association’s president were mandated to tell the house of our agenda for the association, and the industry.
“I told them I was going to ensure that advertising was given a professional status such as Law, Medicine and others. And what we did then was to go to Chief Olu Falae, the Secretary of the Federation, who apparently was excited about the idea,” Owoborode stated.
While expressing his delight at being part of the event, he however called on the present executive members of the association to immortalise the fore-runners that laid the foundation of advertising in the country today.
The Director-General of ARCON, Dr. Lekan Fadolapo congratulated the association over its ability to weather the storm in the past five decades.
Fadolapo, who once called the shot at the association, as its Executive Director/CEO, described his present status as the DG of ARCON as one of the association’s accomplishments, and a testament to the evolution the association and the industry had witnessed in five decades.
Speaking on the celebrations tagged: ‘50 Years Young, Ready For More’, AAAN President, Steve Babaeko, said as part of the activities for the celebrations, AAAN will be recognising and celebrating industry icons, past and present, whose efforts have contributed to making the Nigerian creative industry a force to reckon with, both local and international.
He added that the new logo, designed by one of the industry’s talented creative designers, Bashorun Olabayo, represents the growth and evolution of AAAN over the last 50 years.
According to him, while the bold and modern design represent the association’s commitment to stay at the forefront of the industry, the colours and imagery pay homage to its diverse culture and heritage.
“It represents our commitment to continue to providing services that will enhance development of advertising in Nigeria. This logo will serve as a symbol of our organisation’s achievements and aspirations and would be seen in all our communications,” he added.
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