Coronation connects with South Africans in new campaign by Net#work BBDO celebrating the last 25 years

6 Mar 2018

Building upon last year's hugely impactful campaign about making South African's hard-earned money work for them, 'Trust Every Day' looks back over the past 25 years through the lens of a South African family. It is a highly charged emotional story of how, no matter the circumstance, we push on and achieve as individuals and a nation. The timeline mirrors that of Coronation, who first opened in 1993, their history proudly interwoven with the rich tapestry of South Africa over these tumultuous times.

The campaign breaks down the last 25 years into days that shook South Africa and the world. It tells the story of how, through it all, Coronation has worked to earn South Africa’s trust.

With the world experiencing what cultural experts have termed ‘a crisis of trust’ and, in the world of finance specifically, an increasing demand from consumers for greater accessibility and transparency, South Africans have lost trust in institutions, says BBDO South Africa Group CEO, Boniswa Pezisa. “The ‘Trust Every Day’ campaign takes Coronation out of a category that’s saturated with institutional story-telling, and offers a more human, empathetic point of view.”

“Right now, our country’s belief in better is being fed by a bristling optimism,” says Pezisa. “But, as easy as it is to be positive today, the test lies in having been positive yesterday, and committing to positivity again tomorrow. Coronation’s commitment is steadfast. The firm’s commitment to South Africa and its people, and the resulting trust-based relationships it has formed with its clients, is a story that very few companies can tell.”

According to Wendy Bergsteedt, Coronation Marketing Director, “2018 marks Coronation’s 25th anniversary as a proudly South African company, but it wasn’t simply about looking back. We wanted to empathise with South Africans going forward - to connect with a creative idea that celebrates this milestone, entrenching our ethos of trust while building on our prior campaign’s deep understanding of just how hard our clients work for their money.”

Every day is a good day to earn your trust, is the idea at the heart of the campaign.

According to copywriter, Alex Ingarfield, “It was key to build upon the successes of the previous campaign, so there was a very clear logic - From the day Coronation started 25 years ago, through the highs and the lows, Coronation works every day to earn your trust and make your money work for you.”

Beautifully observed and nuanced by one of South Africa’s most talented and passionate filmmakers, director Sunu Gonera of Egg Films, the TV ad takes the viewer on an emotional rollercoaster. From incredible days like the first democratic election, the roar of vuvuzelas at the World Cup, ratings agency upgrades, unbelievable triumphs at the Olympics, and all the other days that made us proud, optimistic South Africans, to the days we would rather forget like the 2008 financial crash, global recession, currency in freefall, downgrades and more.

It’s quite a thing reflects Mike Schalit, Creative Chief and co-founder of Net#work BBDO, to remind South Africans of where we’ve been. “To think we even started our agency in those crazy times and look where we are today, as people and as a country. When one looks back over the ups and downs of the last 25 years, it’s a timely reminder about perspective, that actually every day, no matter the day, is an opportunity. Especially in this case from an investment point of view.”

Talk about a history inextricably linked to that of our country as we once again ride a wave of optimism, the campaign broke this week.