Showmax Unveils its first ever Nigerian Masterbrand Campaign

Showmax’s First Nigerian Masterbrand Campaign: Celebrating Authentic Nigerian Stories

Africa’s original streaming service, Showmax, is making its mark in Nigeria’s rapidly growing streaming industry with its first-ever Nigerian Masterbrand campaign, featuring the tagline “No one tells a story like we do.”

The campaign, which officially launched on Monday, 29 May, features a captivating television commercial starring Nigerian actress Sharon Ooja, known for her role in the AMVCA-nominated Showmax Original series, Flawsome. It pays homage to the vibrant and larger-than-life storytelling tradition of Nigerians while highlighting Showmax’s commitment to telling authentic Nigerian stories through its slate of original productions. In the past year alone, Showmax has released eight original Nigerian shows, showcasing their dedication to local storytelling.

To tease the campaign, Showmax strategically displayed popular Nigerian slangs like “Just Dey Play,” “Woto Woto,” “Eweee,” and “Pressure Ti Wa” on billboards across major cities in Nigeria. The billboards sparked conversations on social media, with users giving their unique spins and takes on the campaign, further amplifying its reach.

This is not the first time Showmax has generated buzz on social media. In 2022, the Nigerian version of the hit reality TV franchise, The Real Housewives of Lagos (RHOLagos), dominated conversations on platforms like Twitter, trending for its 13-week run. RHOLagos even won an AMVCA award for “Best Costume Designer,” along with other Showmax originals like the police and procedural drama, Crime and Justice Lagos, which received awards for “Best TV Series” and “Best Picture Editor.”

Opeoluwa Filani, General Manager at Showmax Nigeria, emphasized that the campaign celebrates the abundance of untold stories in Nigeria and Showmax’s dedication to sharing them as an authentically Nigerian brand. With over 300 tribes and countless narratives, Filani expressed the belief that Showmax can continue to tell compelling stories for decades to come. Showmax’s commitment to diversity and showcasing stories in their purest form is the driving force behind their storytelling mission.

Since officially establishing its presence in Nigeria last year, Showmax has witnessed remarkable growth in its paying subscriber base. The appointment of Filani as General Manager and other key hires has further solidified its investment in the country. Yolisa Phahle, the CEO of Showmax, emphasized the importance of having a dedicated team in one of their most important markets.

With 22 nominations at major TV and film awards in Africa, a record-breaking kids’ show called Jay Jay: The Chosen One, which portrays the childhood of Nigerian football legend Jay Jay Okocha, and a growing slate of critically acclaimed originals such as Diiche, Flawsome, Crime and Justice Lagos, The Real Housewives of Lagos and Abuja, and Wura, Showmax continues to make a significant impact.

In addition to a wide range of African content from Africa Magic, Showmax also offers popular HBO shows. Fans of Game of Thrones and its prequel, House of the Dragon, can binge-watch complete seasons of the fantasy series, along with other fan-favorite HBO and Emmy-winning shows such as Succession, Barry, The Last of Us, Love and Death, Industry, and Euphoria.

For sports enthusiasts, Showmax Pro bundles the entertainment offering with music channels, news, and live sports streaming from SuperSport. Subscribers can live stream the latest seasons of the English Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A, UEFA Europa and UEFA Conference leagues, FIFA World Cup qualifiers, and more.

With its commitment to Nigerian storytelling and an extensive content library spanning various genres, Showmax is poised to become a leading streaming platform in Nigeria and beyond.