When NIJ PRAD Students Visited NITRO 121 AD Agency

By Hauwa Adelabu

Full Time Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) students of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) offering Public Relations and Advertising (PRAD), within the week, embarked on an excursion to NITRO 121 Limited, an advertising agency, in GRA, Ikeja, Lagos..

The excursion, a part of the exposure needed to navigate the communication and advertising industry, was by students in the 2023/2024 academic year

Mr. Alex Olugbenga Oyebamij, Client Service Officer, opened the session, sharing insights from his over a decade journey in the industry, spanning fifteen different agencies with the NIJ delegation.

He elaborated on the step-by-step processes involved in crafting effective advertising solutions for clients’ brand challenges, informing that the journey begins with obtaining a brief from the client, expressing intent on problems they want the agency to address.

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He also emphasised the importance of written briefs for optimal resource and time utilisation, highlighting the necessity of aligning expectations between the agency and the client.

Mr. Oyebamiji said Nitro 121 which was incorporated in August 2004, commencing full-fledged operations in June 2005, currently has noteworthy (outstanding) brands in its portfolio.

He mentioned such brands to include Multichoice, Arla Dano, FirstBank Ltd, Honeywell, Rad Star Express, Phillip Morris, among others.

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According to him, “Nitro 121 is recognised for its ability to connect with people and the environment, characterized by high performance, enterprise, trendiness, and a youthful spirit”, and  boasts a team of 56 full-time staff and outsourced professionals numbering 42..

Discussing the driving force behind the agency, Mr Oyebamiji emphasised that imagination is the starting point of creativity, describing it as the compelling copy that effectively communicates.

Communication, to him, is vital, as it breathes life into ideas.

“To consistently make a difference through outstanding creative work and seize global opportunities, practitioners must continually update and educate themselves across all aspects of life, he added, illustrating this point with a case study.

That case study was the agency’s digital activation work for Virgin Atlantic, which featured the provocative tagline “We are good in bed.”

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This campaign garnered critical acclaim, setting a precedence in the aviation industry resulting in high sales volumes and a healthy return on investment for the brand.

It also served as proof that infusing creativity into a great idea, with the right voice tone, motivation, and emotion, could be profitable for brands.

The Eagle reports that the NIJ is a foremost leading institution for production of quality manpower for the Nigerian Mass Communication industry with specialisations in print media, broadcasting, Public Relations and Advertising.