Y&R South Africa's Cape Town office recently produced another hard-hitting film for Western Cape government, titled 'Ubuthakathi' meaning 'sorcery'. The film is an effort by local government to reduce pedestrian road deaths involving alcohol this festive season and the messaging is focused around 'alcohol and roads don't mix.'
‘Ubuthakathi’ tells the story of how a night out with a group of friends ends in shocking tragedy. The film is part of December’s #BoozeFreeRoads theme of the Safely Home Calendar, the province’s year-round road safety communication strategy. More than 600 pedestrians are killed on Western Cape roads every year, with most of these victims being under the influence of alcohol.
Y&R Cape Town’s creative director, Nkanyezi Masango commented, “Most people have seen ‘Don’t drink and drive’ ads but ‘Don’t drink and walk’ is a new message to put out there. Essentially, it is about how alcohol affects you and how the booze itself is a form of ‘Ubuthakathi’. Once you are intoxicated, you become a frightening version of yourself that can lead to devastating consequences.”
Remarking on the film, Graham Lang, Y&R South Africa’s CCO, says, “This is another brave film from a client that is willing to push the boundaries for a very necessary reason. It has been a privilege to collaborate on a project that aims to break destructive behavior patterns in the hope that we can make our roads safer for all.”
The creative team from Y&R was Nkanyezi Masango, Gareth Cohen and Graham Lang. The film was directed by Keith Rose from Velocity Films and can be viewed at below. It premiered on 1 December 2016 on SABC 1 and eTV
