According to the site, the new advert is an extension of the theme which the company began in 2008, of illustrating the benefits of time. Similar to its previous adverts over the last few years, it not only focuses on Allan Gray, but on the investor as an integral part of its investment philosophy. The ad uses a fairytale to illustrate the wisdom of life, while subtly reinforcing the importance of time in the journey to creating wealth.
The human truth of the impatience of youth is portrayed noticeably in the advert. It tells the story of an ordinary girl from a middle-class family who, at every stage of her life, wishes that 'time would fly'. She discovers a way of travelling through time to the point in her life at which she wants to be. She uses her 'technique' of 'blowing' her nose to create an energy field which 'pops' her forward in time to hurry time along.
Advertising agency, King James, and production company, Velocity Films, researched different reference actions and filming techniques to allude to passing through time. They had to make this particular time-lapse their own, ultimately deciding on the nose 'blow'.
Wanting to be older and speed time away is an emotional phenomenon many experience when we are growing up; then comes the turning point. Allan Gray uses this phenomenon in its advertising to deepen understanding, not just to build awareness of the company. As the investor, you have no control over the speed at which time passes, you can't leapfrog years like the protagonist, or push them back as she may have wanted to do. But you can decide today to make a long-term decision that will influence your future.
The ad is used to illustrate a truth about life, aims to evoke an emotional response from the viewer and is a subtle call to action: you don't realise how quickly time passes so don't put things off for too long. There are no short cuts in life, but time can work its magic for those who allow it to, and who are focused on the long term.
View the ad at www.allangray.co.za/tvadvertising/timeflies/.
