Directed by Leigh Ogilvie of Frieze Films and conceptualised by Network BBDO, Chicken Licken’s latest TV ad depicts a funky lifestyle via a pair of shoes – the entire commercial is shot from the knee down.
Creative Director Graeme Jenner says: “The ad begins with a brand new pair of sneakers in a Chicken Licken store and follows them as they embark on a soulful, summer-long Chicken Licken-induced adventure.
“It’s amazing how much of a story you can tell without ever showing anyone's face. It was also important because Chicken Licken is broadening its target market, so being able to show a variety of scenes, fashions, parties and styles without ever revealing who the cool sneaker-wearer is, or even what race he is, was great.
“People all make their own different assumptions and we quite like that. And no, we're not telling.”
This guy parties, meets a girl and dances the night away. The ad ends with the shoes totally trashed and flung over a telephone wire and our hero clearly in need of ‘re-souling’.
Leigh Ogilvie directed the ad because, according to Jenner, “Leigh's got the soul. She feels it. She gets it. You need someone who understands the scene, who understands street-cred and has cred themselves. It's easy to spot a poser; you gotta keep it real and loose and she did an amazing job - a lot of planning goes in to making something feel loose and spontaneous.”
Michelle Kruger made her debut on this commercial as a producer and ensured a seamless production.
For the music Sibot and Spoek Mathambo reworked one of the world’s classic hip-hop tracks called ‘Rappers' Delight’ and added a bit of local flavour to it.
Jenner says working with Ogilvie and Kruger was an experience he looks forward to repeating: “They have such great energy and passion and once Ogilvie's commited to a board, you know she'll do anything to make it awesome.”
The ad begins flighting this month.
