A love story analogy

Titled “Beautiful”, the commercial depicts a young boy's fascination with a seemingly plain Jane. At first, the attraction is unclear as he dotes on her. But he persists, despite being teased by his classmates and he even defends her honor – which ultimately wins her over. At the end of the commercial his motivation for wooing her becomes apparent as the little girl's mother is revealed. She is absolutely beautiful – a good indication of what the little girl might ultimately grow up to look like.

Based on adage

In essence, it's a simple analogy of Allan Gray's investment philosophy and long-term approach of seeing potential and then having the necessary patience to reap real rewards. The message is portrayed in a story that is based on the old adage: If you want to know what a girl is going to look like one day, look at her mother.

“The commercial follows on very well from previous campaigns and is a captivating expression of the long-term nature of Allan Gray's investment approach. It has all the values we look for in a commercial such as warmth, emotion, and honesty; and conveys a strong, simple message wrapped up in a human truth people can relate to,” explains Tracy Hirst, marketing manager at Allan Gray.

The commercial was developed by ad agency King James and shot on location in Buenos Aires by Velocity's Keith Rose, who also introduced grain to give it an older cinematic feel. According to Rose, “What stands out the most for me is working with the children who are not actors. It was their first time in front of the camera and they did not speak English so this presented some challenges. But, I think the resultant performances are authentic and bring a certain sensitivity to a single minded idea that works. And sometimes you just get lucky”.

Fourth by Velocity

“Beautiful” is the fourth Allan Gray television commercial Velocity has produced for King James.

“We wanted to create a piece of communication that didn't feel like a traditional ad, but rather an honest portrayal – as if you're watching a real story unfold, complete with highs and lows. Everyone from King James, Velocity, Deliverance and B&S Studios, pulled together to create something that feels completely fresh,” says Devin Kennedy, creative director of King James.