A new brand campaign advert for M-Net had viewers of the channel questioning just what it was they were watching when it launched on Wednesday. The brief was to “allow viewers to relate to M-Net’s magic in a way that was more personal and real”.
“We want our viewers to believe that magic happens in their own stories. There are definite parallels between the stories on-screen and our own. Who says that magic only happens in the movies?” says M-Net head of marketing and publicity, Mpeo Makape.
Ogilvy & Mather in Johannesburg was brought on board to give substance to the vision. Directed by Picture Tree Films’ short film and commercial director, JH Beetge, ‘My Life As A Movie, required over two months of pre-production before the two-day filming of the ad and features local celebrity Emmanuel Castis as the hero of the narrative.
“Just as every great movie is an emotional rollercoaster, so are our lives. The ad invites viewers to climb onboard and live the journey through each high and low on the spectrum of human emotion. Drawing upon the universality of human experience, the ad takes the audience on a personal adventure that we can all relate to on some level,” says creative director, Mariana O’Kelly.
Just as the narrator plays with the duality of movie and life content, so too was it important for the ad to be visually cinematic, while remaining real and sincere. “It’s not every day that a brand points out the dark and unpleasant sides of life. But we had to go down to go up again,” she says. “Such is life. Nevertheless, we hope the ad leaves people with a sense of hope and optimism, as well as the realisation that magic happens every single day – not just on the screen, but off-screen too.”
To view the ad, click here.
Credits:
Executive creative director: Fran Luckin
Creative director: Mariana O’Kelly
Copywriter: Stephanie van Niekerk
Art director: Renier Zandberg
Agency producer: Debbie Dannheiser
