No way, they've got Jack Black!

There are certain gems that I appreciate till the very last drop. One such gem, goes by the name of Jack Black Beer. This micro-brewed beer has enjoyed my top of mind awareness ever since I was introduced to it, little over a year ago. Every time I find Jack Black at a restaurant, I get somewhat excited (well, pretty much like those guys in that Heineken TVC). Simply put, I shout out loud (in my mind, of course):

No way, they've got Jack Black!

Jack Black is certainly my preferred draught to order. It's exclusivity intrigued me, so I did a bit of research on the brand. I found that Jack Black Beer is a local initiative, in fact, it's brewed in the Western Cape.

As I haven't really seen any advertising for the brand, I decided to scamp up a few ideas using my No way, they've got Jack Black! notion as a concept base.

Let's call these Jack Black scamps, The No Way Campaign. The campaign will launch with the initial print ads, then the radio spot followed by the television commercial.

Print

 

Radio

Television

Open on a viby club scene with two guys standing at a crowded, trendy bar. As the camera moves closer to focus on them, the one Guy notices something and stares directly at the screen (viewer). He squints his eyes, trying to get a better look.

He tries to get his Friend's attention by bumping him, while he's struggling to speak due to overwhelming excitement. He keeps looking directly at the screen, then points and shouts:


Guy:        (excited; can barely contain himself)

 
Look, look, look!


But, the Friend doesn't know what to look at, so he casually asks with a confused expression:

Friend:    (confused)
   
Look at what?

The Guy points again.

Guy:        (quick response; hysterically excited)

Look there!

The Friend turns around, his eyes glance over the screen, but he doesn't notice anything. The Guy is hysterical at this stage, as he can't contain his excitement anymore. The problem is, the more excited he gets the harder he finds it to verbalise what he's looking at. Eventually, he manages to get these words out:

Guy:        (overwhelmed; finds it hard to put to words what he is seeing)

I... I can't... I can't believe my eyes...

The Guy keeps looking at the screen and smiles. The Friend keeps his nonchalant attitude, although he does look a little concerned. He asks the Guy in a calm and collected way:

Friend:    (nonchalant; yet inquisitive)

What are you on about, man?

The Guy prepares himself to break the news to his Friend. This is the big build up, and he is trying really hard to find the correct words. He manages the following:

Guy:        (lots of effort; struggles)

They... they've got...

Then suddenly, the Friend turns his head towards the camera again and finally notices (although he doesn't know that it is what the Guy intended to show him). His face lights up as he interrupts the Guy:

Friend:    (surprised and excited; emphasise No Way)
 

No way, they've got Jack Black.

The camera moves a bit back, revealing a beer tap.  The two guys are blurred into the background, in order to focus on the beer tap as the hero. The logo is prominent: Jack Black. The announcer states the following while the camera focuses on the beer tap:

ANNCR:    (similar to the movie man voice)
 

Yes way. Jack Black's premium micro-brews are made in small batches, using only the finest natural ingredients to ensure refreshing quality.

Fade out to black, with the Jack Black logo superimposed on the blank background.

ANNCR:    (pay-off line; emphasise No Way as if he's really surprised)
 

Jack Black. Premium Beer.

End.
 

Then, after the introduction of the brand into the market, posters will be put up in places that stock Jack Black Beer. People who have seen or heard the ads, will get it immediately.

Run Better

New Balance specialises in manufacturing running shoes that assist runners to run with the utmost comfort. I created a little clip to capture a runner's monologue, explaining why this person chooses to run. The runner's confidence comes from the knowing that New Balance will be there every step of the way, allowing the runner to face the extra mile.

 The script reads:

People usually ask me:
What are you running from?
The thing is, I don't run from anything.
I run towards my destination.
So, when people ask me:
What are you running from?
I usually say, I run from whatever it is that keeps you from running.

Run Better.

Piquant

Small cars have been big in Europe for ages. I remember after my dad's first trip to Spain, he had a photo of one of these small cars. Then another, of him and some of his travel companions next to it. It was something fresh and exciting, it was something you wanted to pose next to for photographs.

Nowadays, small cars are everywhere! Thanks to its numerous cost effective offerings (like low fuel consumption), small cars have become a popular choice for many a first-time buyer.

I scamped up two print ads for Kia Picanto. I used the word Piquant as my concept line, as the word itself means exciting to the mind. I wanted to communicate that there is more to this little car than what meets the eye - with a simple, stimulating execution that will excite your mind.

 

Tough Protection

It's a seldom acknowledged fact, but some people are tougher than others. As it comes with the territory, many individuals (especially males) pride themselves on being tough - or even, being the Toughest.

I took this into consideration when scamping a few ideas for Labello, focussing on their range developed for men. I wanted to communicate that to be tough, you need Tough Protection.

 

 

I had this in mind for the airwaves:

...while the adaption for TV land will follow a similar scenario:

Open on an early morning kitchen scene in a modern apartment. We join a young woman as she walks into the room, yawning. She's dressed snug, although she shivers a bit from the early morning cold.

She starts boiling the kettle and sits down on at the kitchen counter. Then, the door opens and her flat mate (a young man) walks in, wearing a running vest. She looks surprised to see him wearing so little on such a cold morning:

FV: Where have you been - and where is your jacket? It's freezing!

He smiles in a nonchalant manner as he makes his way to the counter where she is sitting. He's calm and collected, and replies in a self-assertive manner:

MV: It's only nippy when you step out, but you can't feel it after the 10th k.

The kettle is done boiling and sounds a hoot. She looks at him with a confused expression, yawning, then asks inquisitively:

FV: 10th kilometer? Doing what?

He is enjoying the attention, and says with gusto:

MV: Jogging, of course.

The camera follows her eyes, and focuses on the ground at his feet. He is barefoot. She can't believe what she's seeing and exclaims at the top of her lungs:

FV: But you're not wearing any shoes!

He nods and looks very chuffed with himself, stating confidently:

MV: Yeah, I find it easier to run that way.

He takes out his Labello for Men (the camera focuses on the product, clearly showing that it is Labello for Men) and applies it to his lips. An epic crescendo starts building in the background, while a voiceover reads:

ANNCR (similar to the movie man voice):
Having soft lips doesn't make you a softy.
Labello for Men takes active care of your lips
so that you don't have to worry about it.

Then the scene fades to a black background with the Labello for Men logo superimposed. The pay-off line, Tough Protection, appears in white underneath the logo. The voiceover reads the brand name and pay-off line with assurance. End.

Upset?

Here is a quick scamp I made for Imodium, with a fun approach to pharmaceutical products. It's a little conceptual, but you don't have to wreck your brain to understand it.

Make sleepless nights a thing of the past

Adjustable beds are manufactured to provide the utmost comfort, and are regularly recommended by the medical profession to people suffering from different aches and pains. Adjust4Sleep beds have been designed to help reduce pain and improve sleep.

After some research, I found that ancient Egyptians believed that dreams were answers delivered to them from deities. These answers would help them solve problems in their lives and give them direction.

I believe in dramatising a selling proposition, as straight-up retail shouts too much. I wanted to communicate these beds as the answer to sleepless nights of pain and agitation. Make sleepless nights a thing of the past is a concept line I created for this brand (and it has been used in their retail ads), so this scamp is simply to romance the idea.

I've also come up with a story line for a television commercial.

Open on a desert scene, situated somewhere in Egypt. A human figure is shown in the distance, digging. It looks like an extremely hot day, especially to be out in the desert. As we move closer, we see our hero sitting on his knees digging for something that he seems determined to find. He looks tense and nervous, while sweat is pouring down his forehead (as if he is in pain).

A drop of sweat falls on the sand, but doesn't sink into or wet the sand. There is a slight rumbling sound and our hero looks around - concerned. Then, the sand starts to part and an ancient doorway is revealed, rising up from the sand. Hieroglyphics cover the walls of this portal (a portal to peaceful sleep).

The explorer sports an overwhelmed expression as he quickly makes his way to the entrance. He lights up his torch, and then we follow his finger as it touches the hieroglyphics on the wall. Then, his finger stops and the camera focuses in on a hieroglyphic.

The Adjust4Sleep logo is revealed. His hand caresses the logo on the wall.

Suddenly, we jump to a morning scenario in a modern bedroom where our hero has just woken up, looking relaxed and comfortable. It was a dream all along. As the camera moves over the bed, the Adjust4Sleep mattress is showcased (as one would do in a retail ad). The camera stops on the bedside table, where our hero's electronic hand-control is neatly placed. The screen fades to white, with the Adjust4Sleep superimposed. The pay-off line, Make sleepless nights a thing of the past, appears underneath the logo.

Treat people with epilepsy the same as people without epilepsy

It's hard to imagine what someone with epilepsy actually goes through when they experience a seizure, and not to mention the post-drama they have to face when surrounded by curious onlookers.

Sadly, people with epilepsy are often judged on their condition - and not on who they are as people with ambitions and potential. It's a condition that causes a lot of confusion, and I wanted create a campaign with a simple call to action. Treat people with epilepsy the same as people without epilepsy speaks for itself, and that is exactly what I wanted to convey.

If you can help out in any way or want to know more about the work of Epilepsy South Africa, look them up over here.

Nothing short of a Revolution

When you are given a brief to communicate the uniqueness of a product, you kind of have to shrug - especially if this product belongs to a category that is already so overwhelmed with me-too products!

Imagine this: a brand wine, shown on Bloubergstrand, strategically placed with Table Mountain in the background. The brand name and its logo was already decided, Capetonian Wines was set to stun the masses. All we needed was an apt pay-off line to communicate that it was unique.

BUT...

The logo, which was a replica of the Royal Air Force roundel, gave me an idea of a brand that is out to be individual - to stand out from the category. Was I the only one in the boardroom who could see the possibilities this brand offered? Well, I stated my case and we worked on my suggestion - to link the brand to the 60s Mod Movement.

Why? In Cape Town’s young professional market (which the brand aimed to target), the similarities to the 60s Mod Culture is undeniable. For instance, Mods had a self-conscious and critical attitude. They personalised existing styles and symbols (like the Royal Air Force roundel) in a pop art fashion. Elements that classified this group of hip youngsters, included their fashion sense (they often wore tailor-made suits), pop music that jumped cultural boundaries, and Italian motor scooters (like Vespa).

This sounds like Cape Town to me. And that is what I wanted to represent with this brand, a wine that is as unique as the Capetonians who purchase it.

The pay-off line, Nothing short of a Revolution, pays homage to the rebellious style of the Mods, while complimenting Cape Town’s cunning sense of individuality.