From pitch to production, right through to the finished product in less than four months, human.kind Advertising's launch campaign for Afrikaans short-term insurer Virseker promises to be one of the most memorable and talked-about campaigns of the year.
It all kicked off with a closely fought pitch, for which the team at human.kind Advertising roped in all available resources, including the services of the award-winning team at Baie-Lingual Blink Stefanus, who added their customary extra spice. The pitch went off without a hitch, and after a nerve-wracking wait, human.kind was finally awarded the Virseker account on 15 November 2010.
Then, with everybody already gearing down for the fast-approaching festive season, the folks at human.kind had to put their creative and production caps back on to plan and execute everything on the extensive to-do list for the Virseker launch, scheduled for early 2011. Not only were there big shoots and recordings for television, print and radio creative on the cards, but all other brand collateral and communication materials, from policy books to licence disk stickers, that needed to be designed and produced from scratch.
Cindy Lee, from Fresh Eye Film Productions, sat in the director's chair for the three television commercials shot for the launch. Her perfect casting and well-trained eye for spotting special comedic moments really brought the scripts to life. The shoot took place over two days and moved between various locations in and around Johannesburg. One of the highlights was definitely the fabulous performances by the recurring 'translation guru' character, played by Emo Adams. He dangled ninja-style from a crane, rode a horse into a custom-built boardroom and even streaked stark naked across a rugby training pitch.
Emo continued his role with brilliance during the photo shoot for the campaign's print material. These advertisements are all slice-of-life mini-dramas, harking back to the popular magazine serials of yesteryear such as Die Swart Luiperd. Just like the TV commercials, they feature everyday insurance-related scenarios in which misunderstandings between Afrikaans and English-speaking individuals have hilarious consequences.
The well-scripted radio ads were elevated a few notches by South African broadcasting legend, Riaan Cruywagen. His professionalism and passion for Afrikaans, shines through in the final product, which is sure to make South Africa sit up and take note of Virseker's unique short-term insurance offer.
The brand's name, Virseker, is a combination of the phrase 'vir seker' (for sure) and the Afrikaans word for being insured, verseker. It's their aim to inspire Afrikaans-speaking South Africans of all colours and backgrounds to be proud of their language. With human.kind's help as their advertising partner, Virseker wants to pioneer initiatives through the Virseker Trust, to boost and enrich Afrikaans and the lives of all those who speak it. Virseker's pay-off line "Jou versekering, jou mense, jou taal" powerfully speaks to the heart and minds of consumers, further cementing the brand's commitment to Afrikaans.
Virseker was officially launched on 1 March 2011, and has been well received, with loads of policies that have already been sold. human.kind Advertising is looking forward to a fruitful and long-lasting relationship with Virseker, to help navigate them towards making further inroads into the thriving Afrikaans market.
For more information, please contact: Deon Kruger Phone: +27 11 447 1211 E-mail:
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