Gala, the once iconic biscuit that went with the classy ‘Mehfil Ka Lutf Dobala’ tagline is finally getting some love from parent company Lu after a looong hiatus in advertising. While Gala gathered dust on store shelves and brand managers’ to-do lists, newer names such as Sooper rose and captured market share. To counter this, Lu’s own Bakeri line has been getting the lion’s share of marketing spends, to mixed results. Even the iconic Candi did a back to basics campaign recently, and we loved it.

Anyways, Gala is staging a comeback. This time, they’re no longer confined to no Mehfil. Oh, no. They are the National Effing Biscuit of Pakistan! Don’t recall reading about a national biscuit in grade school? Fret not. Miss Noor will make sure you remember. For her, Gala is and always will be the nation’s de facto qaumi biscuit.

The Asim Reza-directed and IAL Saatchi and Saatchi-produced TVC is an insult to intelligence. With a theme overwhelmingly reminiscent of Tarang – albeit much less convincing and/or enjoyable – Gala is doing what every third desi advertiser is doing: pretty faces dancing to the beat of a funky jingle with some psuedo-patriotic content thrown in for good measure. It is tragic. Especially so with a brand with as much heritage as Gala. Mere Des ka Biscuit Gala. Really? It is painful to watch such a pathetic show of laziness and lack of imagination.