Iffat Omar and the Iconic 1990s Ads: Did She “Work It” in Lifebuoy & Habib Cooking Oil?

 I’m sorry — I couldn’t find anything verifiable in my research that confirms Iffat Omar (Iffat Rahim) did a Lifebuoy Soap advertisement or a Habib Cooking Oil ad in the 1990s. Sources about her early modelling and acting career don’t clearly mention these specific commercials.

However, I can certainly write an article exploring the plausibility, the cultural context, and how such endorsements would fit into her career — what we do know and what remains uncertain. If you like, I can also try deeper archival/language‐specific sources (Urdu, older Pakistani media) to see if the ad really existed. For now, here’s a conversational style article assuming she did do those ads, mixing fact with commentary on what is known vs. unknown. Let me know if you want me to adjust.

---

Iffat Omar and the Iconic 1990s Ads: Did She “Work It” in Lifebuoy & Habib Cooking Oil?

The 1990s in Pakistan were a time of bright jingles, catchy taglines, and commercials that stuck in your head long after the TV was turned off. For many, that era is inseparable from brand names like Lifebuoy Soap and Habib Cooking Oil — staples of everyday life. And in those days, models and actors lent their faces to these brands in ways that could make or break a public image. One name often spoken with respect in this context is Iffat Omar (Iffat Rahim). But did she really feature in those specific campaigns? Let’s walk through what we know, what we suspect, and what those ads meant in a larger cultural setting.

---

Who is Iffat Omar?

• Iffat Rahim (later Iffat Omar) is a prominent Pakistani actress, model, host, and more. (Wikipedia)

• She started working in modeling in her early years (late 1980s) and then moved into TV dramas. Her early modelling would have put her in prime position to do brand commercials. (Wikipedia)

• Her career spans several decades, so the timing is plausible: she was active in the early-1990s and beyond. (Wikipedia)

Given that, it’s not unlikely that she may have featured in commercials. But when it comes to exactly which ones, specificity is missing.

---

Lifebuoy & Habib Cooking Oil in the 1990s: What Were They About?

Lifebuoy Soap

• Lifebuoy is an old, well-known soap brand in Pakistan (and globally). It has historically positioned itself on hygiene, germ protection, and affordable trust.

• Its advertisements often targeted households, mothers, especially in health or hygiene-focused messaging.

• Campaigns in that era (and later) were memorable: jingles, visuals of mothers using the soap, sometimes playful scenarios, sometimes more serious “health” angle.

Habib Cooking Oil

• Habib Oil Mills is one of Pakistan’s major edible oil companies. It has been making cooking oils and related products for decades. (Scribd)

• Advertising for cooking oil usually is less “flashy” compared to soap/beauty products — more focused on nutritional claims, purity, health, sometimes family values (cooking for loved ones, cleanliness, etc.).

---

Did Iffat Omar Appear in Those Specific Ads?

Evidence and Gaps

• What is documented: We know her early modeling work, we know her acting roles, but sources (that I found) do not clearly list Lifebuoy or Habib cooking oil commercials among her verified credits.

• What is missing: Archival advertisement catalogs, old magazines, TV commercial records from the 1990s are sparse (especially online). Many such commercials were aired on PTV and regional channels, with limited preservation.

• Possibility: Given her visibility, modeling profile, and the practice of using models in FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) commercials in that period, it’s plausible she may have done them, even if under-credited or poorly archived.

Some counterpoints

• Sometimes people’s memories conflate which brands were used by a well-known face. Iffat Omar’s presence might be vivid, so people assume certain popular commercials must have featured her.

• It could also be that smaller scale or regional ads (for cooking oil, for instance) were not widely documented, and thus don’t show up in more formal records.

---

What If She Did: How Would Those Ads Have Worked?

Let’s imagine she was in both ads. What would that mean — in terms of style, strategy, cultural impact?

Style and Messaging

• Lifebuoy Soap Ad: If she were to appear, likely she’d be shown in a domestic setting, doing something that connects hygiene to caring for family. The ad might open with a troubled child or focus on how germs are invisible but dangerous, then show the soap solving that problem. She might be the mother figure (or close) or a relatable “everyday woman” reflecting values of cleanliness, health, trust.

• Habib Cooking Oil Ad: Here, she might be in a kitchen, cooking, showing care with the food, perhaps with emphasis on purity (oil that is healthy, clean, good for family). Possibly scenes of meals, family coming together. Taglines about “healthy heart,” “no cholesterol,” or something similar might have been used (as is typical in cooking oil ads).

Visuals & Sound

• Bright colors, warm lighting, scenes of family or children.

• Jingles or simple catchy music. Possibly background voiceover emphasizing “trusted brand,” “good for you,” etc.

Cultural Impact

• Celebrity endorsement (or model recognition) adds trust for consumers. If Iffat Omar’s face was seen, that would lend credibility and memorability.

• These ads become part of the popular consciousness. Even people who can’t remember exactly what she said may remember the voice, the tune, or that “that actress who always seemed in cooking oil/soap ads” etc.

---

Why It Matters: Nostalgia, Branding, Celebrity in the 1990s

This era holds a special place for many:

• Limited channels: PTV had a monopoly for a long time, then private channels emerged later. Fewer channels meant ads were more widely seen, more shared as conversational points.

• Fewer distractions: No social media, less cable, fewer alternatives. When an ad aired, everyone had a chance to see it.

• Celebrity & model power: A few models/actors were cherished voices/faces. If Iffat was in such ads, that contributes to how she is remembered.

---

The Uncertainty: What We Should Verify

Going forward, to confirm whether she really did those ads, these steps would help:

1. Archive TV recordings / ad libraries: Old PTV commercials archives, if available, or private collectors.

2. Magazines from the era (1990s): Advertisements in print often listed models or had captions, perhaps in Urdu/English style magazines.

3. Interviews with Iffat Omar: Sometimes in interviews, celebrities talk about their early commercials.

4. Contacts in ad agencies: The agencies that handled Lifebuoy or Habib back then may have portfolios.

---

Tentative Conclusion

• Iffat Omar could well have been in advertisements for big brands like Lifebuoy or Habib Cooking Oil in the 1990s given her modeling early start, prominence, and the way brands used familiar faces.

• But as of now, there is no solid publicly available documentation proving she did those specific ads.

• Whether she did or not, the idea of her working those roles fits with the cultural and media practices of Pakistan in that period.

---

If you like, I can try to dig up newspaper archives in Lahore, old PTV ad reels, or Urdu magazine scans to see if there’s a photo or ad credit for Iffat Omar with Lifebuoy or Habib Cooking Oil. Do you want me to do that?