Ogilvy & Mather (O&M) Johannesburg’s creative group head Andrew Pearson talks about producing the Cell C’s first brand ad in years.
“Its aim is to celebrate not just the way cellphone technology connects all of us in inextricable ways and the role that connectivity plays in our lives, but also the people that are on Cell C’s network,” Pearson says. “This ad aims to showcase the way in which all our lives are richer because of the way we can now connect or unplug, anywhere, any time, and share those moments with whomever we choose.”
The ad was produced by Picture Tree and directed by JH Beetge, the same director who shot the M-Net’s “My Life As a Movie” ad.
“We all agreed that we didn’t just want to cast and import the usual “perfect” models and actors. This is an ad about real people from all walks of life across the country, so we made sure that most of the casting was done in the towns and cities we were going to shoot, with the people who live there,” says Pearson.
The crew travelled a total of 4 000 kilometres, from Jo’burg, to Upington, through the Northern Cape to the West Coast, then down from Doringbaai to Hermanus.
“It was a pretty tight schedule, as we only had five days to get all the shots we wanted, but somehow we still found time to shoot extra scenes, including getting super lucky when a 600-cart mining train decided to rumble past, at just the right moment.”
Campaign credits:
O&M Johannesburg
Creative Director – Louw le Roux
Agency Producer – Debbie Dannheisser
Copywriter/Creative Group Head – Andrew Pearson
Art Director – Darryn Rogers
Other
Production House – Picture Tree
Producer – Gary King
Director – JH Beetge
Lighting Cameraman – Werner Maritz
Post Production House – Upstairs Post
Editor – Kobus Loots
Sound Engineer – Dave Harris
Sound Studio – Frequency (Audio)
PRS Details – Rob Schroeder (Rob Roy Studio)
Translator – Deon Wiggett
Voice artists – Richard Lyson (Hobsons) and Frank Opperman (Leads)
