Ufone 5G has won two honours at the Dragons of Asia Awards 2026 for campaigns featuring Pakistani cricket stars. The wins recognise its ‘Super 5’ and ‘Babar Azam’s Lost Phone’ campaigns.
Pak Telecom Mobile Limited (PTML), which operates Ufone, secured a Gold Dragon in the ‘Best in Media’ category for Super 5. Babar Azam’s Lost Phone earned a Black Dragon in ‘Marketing Discipline’.
Ufone said it was the only Pakistani telecom brand to win Gold at this year’s regional awards. Associated Press of Pakistan also reported the distinction.
Super 5 turns cricket speculation into a reveal
The Super 5 campaign promoted a package allowing customers to share data, calls and SMS with four friends or family members.
It featured comedian and television host Tabish Hashmi alongside Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Abdul Razzaq and Saeed Ajmal. All four cricketers belonged to Pakistan’s 2009 ICC T20 World Cup-winning squad.
The campaign launched in February 2026 with social media teasers featuring the former players discussing a mysterious “selection”. Their hints prompted speculation about a possible cricket comeback.
The advertisement then revealed a different contest: the players wanted places in Hashmi’s Super 5 group.
Ufone ran the campaign across Pakistani television channels and digital platforms. According to the company, it attracted coverage from multiple digital outlets and generated millions of online views.
Babar’s lost phone draws international attention
The second campaign promoted Ufone’s Weekly Grand Offer and launched in February 2025.
It began with Babar announcing on social media that he had lost his phone and contacts. A subsequent reveal showed the announcement formed part of a Ufone advertisement.
The campaign followed Babar searching for his phone alongside fans before introducing the offer. Ufone said it attracted international interest and exceeded 10 million views.
Both campaigns encouraged audiences to speculate, react and share from their opening day, according to the company. They used humour, familiar personalities and staged reveals to turn product promotions into stories audiences followed.
Recognition for locally developed ideas
Dragons of Asia recognises results-focused marketing communications. Its judging framework assesses strategy, concept, execution and results, with four judges reviewing each entry.
Syed Atif Raza, Chief Commercial Officer, PTML, said:
“We wanted our campaigns to be something people would talk about, not just watch. Our approach is to understand consumer behavior, challenge conventional thinking and back ideas that stand out. Having this work recognized at the Dragons of Asia is a proud moment for us, and it is encouraging to see locally developed ideas earn international recognition. It strengthens our ambition to take our work beyond Pakistan’s borders. I commend the Brands and Media teams, and our agency partners, whose strategic thinking, creativity and execution brought these ideas to life.”
