Mzansi's most-loved fast-food brand, Chicken Licken, is looking to find a South African man his soul mate

The tender, yet witty ad campaign speaks to the hearts of hundreds and thousands of South Africans also looking for love and with the help of a dating app called Tender, created especially for the campaign, Chicken Licken hopes to find Jamie’s soul mate.

Finding Jamie was no easy feat and relied on creative partner Joe Public, and production company Star Films Director Tebza and cast coordinator Mlindelwa Mahlangu to assist. Because Jamie is not an actor he was not cast under usual circumstances. Both teams used personal contacts, referrals and social media to shortlist 16 potential candidates, with Jamie eventually being their star choice.

The TV ad sees Jamie waking up in his home, walking down the street he lives on, and catching a taxi to work just like he does every day. It even co-stars some of his family and friends. On his journey it seems like love is all around him. In fact, the only person that looks like they need love, is Jamie. This is painfully pointed out by his “inner voice”, played by the wonderfully euphonious Msaki, who follows him wherever he goes singing her rendition of “What Jamie needs now, is love, sweet love.”

From the traffic lights to the clouds, from the bikers to the air dancers, everyone seems to have found their someone, except poor Jamie. Who at the end of the commercial finds himself sitting on a bench, alone in a park. Here Jamie finally meets what could be the love of his life only to realise he is simply in the middle of someone else’s meet cute - another couple who has found a little love with the Love Me Tender burger from Chicken Licken. The commercial ends with a simple call to action: Help Jamie Find Love at tenderapp.co.za.

Chicken Licken is now asking all South Africans looking for love, to create a profile on the Tender app, and stand a chance of becoming Jamie’s soul mate.

The integrated campaign will run for the next eight weeks and includes social media, digital, outdoor, TV and radio. The public will get to vote for their best matches, as will Jamie, until he finds the one. Their identity will be kept top secret and will be revealed in a surprise conclusion indicative of Chicken Licken’s authentic brand storytelling.

“Chicken Licken is a brand that is lovingly referred to as Mzansi’s soul food. And if the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, then using a Chicken Licken Tender burger to find Jamie his soul mate makes complete sense,” says Xolisa Dyeshana, Joe Public chief creative officer. “The campaign will not be measured on KPI’s, or targets, or sales, or even ROI’s. This campaign has one goal and one goal alone. To find Jamie love.”

If you enjoy a love story, and you think you are a good match or that you know someone who is then please send them over to tenderapp.co.za.

Campaign credits:

Group chief creative officer: Pepe Marais
Chief creative officer: Xolisa Dyeshana
Creative director: Cameron Fraser
Creative director: Gareth O’Callaghan
Creative director: Tshepo Tumahole
Creative director: Tshepo Mogorosi
Integrated copywriter: Nomfundo Myeni
Creative business director: Amber Mackeurtan
Head of TV production: Di Cole
Director: Tebza Malope
Producer: Petar J / Adam Thal
Prod house: The Star Film Co
DOP: Rory O Grady
Art director: Bobby Cardoso
Editor: Saki Bergh
Post: Left Post
Online: Keno Naidoo
Music studio: Audio Militia
Music engineer: Simz Kulla
Music supervisor: Marc Algranti
Music performance: Msaki
Audio studio: Audio Militia
Final mix engineer: Simz Kulla