By ADEJUWON OSUNNUYI
Hero lager, a leading quality beer brand from the stable of International Breweries Plc, a proud part of the AB InBev family, has kicked off a unique campaign tagged Echefula-“Never Forget Your Identity” in Igbo dialect.
The campaign seeks to connect the brand at an even deeper level with the people that have welcomed and accepted it as part of their culture while also reminding consumers to take pride in their heritage, identity, celebrate their culture and embrace their traditions.
This campaign will explore the uniqueness and beauty of diverse ethnic groups in Nigeria, while encouraging Hero loyalists to be proud about their heritage, way of life, beliefs and tradition.
“This campaign was initiated out of a strong desire to underline our identity as a people and to reawaken the spirit of who we are, our values, our history, the great exploits of our generation past and more importantly as a call to action to Never Forget our identity as HEROes irrespective of wherever in the world we may be,” said Marketing Director, International Breweries, Tolu Adedeji.
Culture is one of the main pillars of development and sustenance of communities and no society can progress in its absence.
It is regarded as the identity where common values, attitudes, preferences, knowledge are attributed to the behavior of a people. Identity expressed through culture is a necessity for all human development. It creates the fundamental building blocks in our personality and in the ties that link us to communities and nations.
As a result of western encroachment, ideas and influence, the younger generation are fast forgetting those peculiar traits that define us as Africans, Nigerians and as a people.
Urbanization has also increased the possibility of people to forget our way of life, mannerism, culture, food and language.
“The Echefula campaign is aimed at the preservation of our cultural heritage and will in its eventuality shed more light on some cultures, highlighting specific aspects of some traditions that make them special and worth honoring. By so doing, Hero will encourage consumers both home and abroad to take pride in their heritage and identity,” Tolu added.
On the idea behind the campaign, she said that the Hero brand is a loyalist brand and does not take the people’s choice to make Hero their preferred drink lightly.
“For several years Hero lager has thrived in the east. We have been part of celebrations, weddings, naming ceremonies, chieftaincy title ceremonies and we have grown with the people. As they have invited us into their homes to celebrate with them all these years, we believe it is well deserving to likewise honour, celebrate everything about them”.
“Celebrating our various traditions offer an excellent opportunity for intercultural exchange and understanding. We hope that this campaign will spark conversations around identity and pride in one’s heritage, no matter how far away from home you might be, you will be reminded of our rich heritage and roots, we must never forget our identity. This is the central message of the campaign, Echefula (Never Forget Your Identity)” She stated.
There will also be a cultural festival and the festivities will continue with in-bar activations where loads of exciting prizes will be up for grabs.
