“He brought the essence of copywriting to life, mastered his trade, worked tirelessly and earnestly. For me, Babatunde Adebola brought back my faith in Advertising. He was a humanist. Africa has lost a creative mind” This was how Lanre Kaka, Adebola’s Colleague and mentee at Noah’s Ark paid tribute to the departed creative soildier at the tribute night put together by the trio of Noah’s Ark, DDB Lagos and Femi Kayode’s Namibia based Adforce.
It was an evening designed to celebrate the enigmatic, fine but late copywriter, Adebola Babatunde, 30, who passed to the great beyond on August 16, 2014.
Adebola who until his death was an associate creative director with Noah’s Ark, Lagos, plied his trade with some of the notable agencies in Nigeria including LTC/JWT, BatesCosse and DDB Lagos while he also consulted some a fair number of others such as Fuel Communications.
He was at the Miami Ad School, Hamburg, Germany where the head of the school, Nicklas Helberg had tremendous respect for the creative sagacity of the young Nigerian. He won not a few prizes in the school and made the Luizer’s Archive putting Nigeria on global Advertising map. He set an enviable record in the school for other students and Nigerians in particular who coming after him.
Making a presentation at the tribute night, Bolaji Alausa, his partner for most of his sojourn in Advertising especially in DDB and later at Noah’s Ark, despite all bravado revealed he has indeed lost and would dealy missed a trusted and dependable partner, a crucial factor in his advertising career as Adebola proved “a good pain in the ass” while the partnership lasted.
Bolaji who relives Adebola famous Adolf Hitler’s letter which went viral and indeed got him scholarship to the Miami Ad School, says his late partner is dependable, brilliant, fearless and passionate about the job while he’s also sympathetic to good causes.
As thorough-bred professional, he’s at home with and brings in uncanny ideas to briefs. “He wasn’t the richest guy but very rich in ideas. The last time he was in my office, he said, ‘It is 100 days of the Chibok girls, we need to do something for them’. Unfortunately, he did not live long enough to get that phase of the campaign on stream.
He is so passionate about the “Chibok girls” that was why he spearheaded the agency’s CSR initiative tagged ‘Boko Halal’. Its aimed at deploying intellect and ideas to combat the Boko Haram insurgency.
Alausa’s presentation which screened some of Adebola’s brilliant campaigns for MTN (DDB) and Indomie (Noah’s Ark) indeed opened the floor for an out-pouring of emotion and tributes at the well- attended night facilitated by DDB and Noah’s Ark.
Tunde Dosekun, DDB who also worked with Adebola says “Adebola was incredibly passionate about the industry in which most of us has lost interest. He is ever willing to see the good in others. He was an incredible person and I am indeed grateful for all he did while he was alive”.
Similarly, Tunde Sule, Creative Director, DDB Lagos extols Adebola’s virtues while alive “He was fearless, courageous, dependable and ambitious. He was one of the very few creative guys who get excited about briefs, always ready and willing to prove a point especially with those briefs. He indeed recorded several firsts. I dare say he left his marks on the sand of time”.
Chuma Obumselu, Creative Director, BBDO also shared fun and remarkable memories of working with Adebola and how he (Adebola) resigned from DDB to nowhere! He left the job based on some individual differences between him and his then expatriate creative director at DDB Lagos. I doubt if anyone who was around will forget in a hurry, the mail Adebola sent to his boss. He was a guy that says it the way he feels without mincing words.
Nnamdi Ndu, MD, Chini Productions, Cannes representative in Nigeria, says “He was the first Nigerian to win the Miami Ad School scholarship. Great dreams live forever. Those that bear great dreams will live forever”.
He silently influenced my life in Advertising. We discussed on the soft and hard issues of life. He teased me a lot and spurred me on in life. Until he died I never realized we were friends. It was like he knew he was not going to live long, he worked like he was 50 years- Febechi.
Kunle Shittu, fondly fondly called KS, Adebola’s mentor, gleefully but painfully revealed how the Late Adebola despite unco-operative boss at initial stage of his career, worked his way through to achieve professional excellence through a dint of hardwork. KS made some donations to support the event.
For Yomi Saromi, his bosom friend of many years, the story never ends, “I don’t know, I don’t know” he repeated quite often but he betrayed emotions. “We were always together right from school. He is a goal getter and a motivator. He motivates you to achieve goals you often though were beyond your reach”. He is behind my PhD pursuit at the University of Lagos he revealed.
He adds “He had so much passion for the job that even when he was sick and hospitalized, the moment he was a bit relieved from the pains, the next thing he thinks and talks about was the work, he often tells me ‘Let’s review’ while on sick bed.
Possibly for want of the right opening words, Lanre Adisa, CEO, Noah’s Ark, Adebola’s last employer, says “It just happened! He was different”. For him Adebola gave us (those who came across him) faith in our trade. You do not find much people who showed passion as Adebola did. He reminiscences, “I remember him presenting their Young Lion’s entry I was on the jury, he was passionate and insistent. I was happy when Bolaji told me of his plan to work with us on his return from the Miami Ad School about Nine months ago”.
“He saw something in us and believed we could work together. He believed in putting Nigeria on the global map and looked for soul mates (who shared the same vision) wherever he went. He was very hungry for doing great things”.
Continuing, Adisa, who appreciates the fact that the industry could come together to celebrate Adebola, added that the deceased was on fire, he sees him as a very remarkable guy with everyone he worked with or come across. “He sort and became relevant in all he did. Adebola’s records of achievement as a copywriter dispel the myth (his belief) that people who read Mass Communication don’t make fantastic copywriters”
Capping the day, Lanre Adisa revealed that Noah’s Ark will institute a annual prize Award for the graduating “Best Student in Advertising” at Adebola’s Alma mata, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta while an annual lecture will also be instituted to immortalize his name and remind all and those coming behind what Adebola Babatunde (1993 -2014) stood for.
Michael Weinzettl of the Miami Ad School who says the following about Adebola, “the prodigiously talented young man whose untimely death means a terrible loss for the West African creative community could look back on with pride”. The followingh are some of the awards won by Adebola:
2009 – Nigeria’s Young Lions Film winner
2009 – Cannes Young Lions Film Finalist
2011 – First Nigerian published in Lürzer’s Archive (Vol. 6/2011)
2012 – Lürzer’s Archive Student of the Year Nominee
2012 – Silver at the YoungGlory Award (Round 3) Miami Ad School
2012 – Silver Star
2012 – Best Online Advert, Chip Shop Awards
2013 – Shortlist, Golden Award of Montreux
2014 – Lürzer’s Archive Student of the Year Nominee.
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