Spur's documentary-style flag bearer commercial recognised as one of South Africa's Best Liked Ads

The list features TV commercials that have been rated as the best liked by the South African audience.

“We are extremely proud to have produced work that resonated deeply with the South African public. The magic that can be found when exploring the diverse paths of South Africa, and the people who walk them, is what made producing this story such a privilege, and we are happy that this magic connected with audiences,” says Marius van Rensburg, chief creative officer at 99c.

Titled ‘The Story of Inam and Khwezi’, the commercial narrates the heart-warming real-life story of Inam Lamani, a Spur Flag Bearer Programme competition winner, who had the unique opportunity of carrying the South African flag in front of a full stadium at a national Springbok rugby game.

Once there, Inam excitedly dons his flag bearer gear and carries a flag onto the field in front of thousands of spectators, with his family proudly cheering him on from the sidelines.

“With the support of the Springbok Supporters Club, Spur is proud to have given many children the amazing opportunity to be flag bearers on match day. The commercial tells a documentary-style authentic story of a family coming together in support of their child and nation. We are all very proud of the work,” says Sacha du Plessis, chief marketing officer at Spur Corp.

Spur Steak Ranches worked closely with 99c to develop the conceptual route the commercial took. “Spur was very involved with how the commercial took form. This allowed us to shift part of our focus from storytelling in the traditional advertising sense, towards reflecting the brand’s community impact in a genuine and hyperreal manner,” adds Van Rensburg.

“The story’s integrity lies in the fact that it’s real, and that the people on-screen are playing themselves. The production crew therefore had to be as unobtrusive as possible, to ensure the emotions captured were genuine and not exaggerated by the presence of cameras,” explains Van Rensburg.

He goes on to congratulate all the agencies featured on the list, and further adds that it is a great time to be in advertising, looking at the amazing work the industry has produced in Q3 and Q4.

“As an agency, we always strive to produce hard-working and visually impactful communication. We are super proud of our creative leaders and teams, who worked hard to authentically tell Inam’s story,” concludes Van Rensburg.