Adding appeal through SA ‘pop culture' icons

Conceptualised and written by creative director Gerhard Myburgh the ad loosely follows the plot of one of the original South African comedies, Jamie Uys' ‘The Gods Must Be Crazy' and features, in various musical guises, the classic Afrikaans folk tune, ‘Ver in die ou Kalahari'.

“All of this,” says Myburgh, “to show Vodacom's commitment to bringing Springbok rugby to supporters everywhere. Hence, the phrase we like to use during strategic session ‘man in the seat' – the spectator seat at the stadium, the lounge seat at home, the high seat in a bar … and the cinema or car seat where he, or she, would have first seen the iconic movie.”

Expands on past message

The new ad expands on the message FCB Johannesburg has communicated for Vodacom in the past, that it is the ‘proud supporter of South African supporters'.

“However, we felt the time was right for an ad that spoke to the whole of South Africa, to highlights that – thanks to Vodacom's support for South African rugby – everyone is able to watch the Springboks in action.

“Of course, given the uniquely South African tone of Vodacom's advertising, we wanted a humorous and relevant execution. I think we've got it spot on in this latest commercial.”

The commercial opens on a light aircraft flying over the Kalahari. In it, are three Springboks – Breyten Paulse, Chiliboy Ralepelle and a fast asleep Schalk Burger, who wakes abruptly to fumble the rugby ball that Paulse tosses at him. The ball falls through the window to earth where it lands … on a Bushman's head.

In the movie, the Bushman didn't know what it was that hit him on the head, and so we suspect the same of this Bushman. He is pleased with the find, though, and tosses away his ostrich egg to more easily carry the ball to his village.

Here, he re-enacts the way in which the ball came to him, and we are certain the villagers are in awe of his find until a young boy shouts out a well-known – if you're a rugby player – refrain ‘Swing it, bru'. Hearing that, the ball's finder executes a perfect pass, and the rugby game begins.

“Fun to craft”

As the camera pulls outwards to show a wider angle of play, viewers see that the villagers have their own field – sand, of course – and poles. A wire toy car even becomes the remote controller utility bringing the sand on to the field for the conversion.

It is obvious these villagers know about rugby, and are passionate players and supporters of the game.

Says Myburgh: “It was fun to craft this ad, adding in little references here and there so that the viewer will find something new to watch each time the ad is flighted. Like the sand truck; who would take sand on to a sand field when there's a conversion to be made? We did; we thought it would add texture to the commercial in the same way that the piece of music we chose did.

“When the ad first begins, there's a single phrase of Karoo guitar blues. Then comes the traditional ‘squeeze box', and finally it crescendos as a Kaapse klopse brand rendition. It's music and cinema that only a South African would identity with, and it fits the ‘man in the seat' and Vodacom perfectly,” he concludes.