Football scout journeys to Africa
Saatchi & Saatchi¹s 'Scout¹ is narrated by UK West End star Danny Webb and begins with Webb arriving at an African airport, as Mr Tommy Howe, a football scout. Journeying to Africa in search of the Greatness in one player, he eventually finds its presence everywhere.
As Howe¹s driver shows him through the city, he passes impromptu football matches taking place all around, on the side of the street, in a hotel car park. As the story continues, Webb¹s driver, a spectator at the official match becomes the unexpected hero, seizing his opportunity to demonstrate his own exceptional skill when the ball comes his way on the sideline.
"We wanted this next iteration of Greatness to be an inspirational, uplifting story of passion and self belief from the world of African Football," says Anton Crone, Saatchi & Saatchi Cape Town executive creative director. "To achieve this we worked with our African network to send creative teams exploring in Africa to uncover real insights from the real people we wanted to connect with. The fascinating, authentic stories they came back with were alive with optimism and were the inspiration for our work."
Crone says that Guinness is an iconic brand with a strong legacy in Africa. "This is confirmed by the fact that four out of the top ten Guinness markets in the World are in Africa - a significant market amplified by Guinness's growing association with the Greatness of African football," he adds.
According to Simon Breckon, Guinness Nigeria marketing director, this latest work builds on the Guinness Greatness strategy across Africa; particularly in Nigeria, further driving affinity with the brand. "Scout brings together the Greatness of African football with the Greatness of Guinness in a way we know will appeal to all football fans and inspire them to step up and realise their potential," he says.
The commercial was shot in Nairobi, Mombassa and Malindi. The footballers featured are all local amateur players from Nigeria and Kenya, put through a four-day bootcamp with football choreographer Mike Delaney.
Following the release in Nigeria, 'Scout¹ has aired across the pan-African region in Ghana, Kenya, Cameroon, Uganda and throughout 13 venture markets including Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cote d¹Ivoire, Congo Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone and Togo.
The commercial also picked up 'Ad of the Month' from the Creative Circle for December 2009.
