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by Oresti Patricios (@orestaki) Do you remember the era ‘BC’ — Before Cellphones? I can still visualise those fancy answering machines that allowed people to actually dial in and retrieve their messages. Some would take a lot of care with their greetings, mixing in some music, or putting on funny voices.

What about the heady rush when you got a message from that ‘special someone’? You would save it, and play it over and over… well, that’s if you were the romantic type. When cellphones came along, a great feature was that you now had your very own answering service, on the go, and an opportunity for more silliness, romance and invention.

Maximise airtime

Now, 20 years on, personal answering ‘machines’ have lost their novelty factor, and leaving and retrieving personal voice messages is viewed as an inconvenience. I mean, how many times have you phoned someone only to hear: “Please don’t leave a voice message. If you want me to call back, send me an SMS”?

Obviously, it’s in a cellphone company’s best interests to maximise airtime spent so, when Cell-C recently noted an increasing trend for people to drop calls instead of leaving messages, it wanted to sell the idea that leaving and listening to voicemail is something special.

*drumroll* Enter stage left the charming new advert by 1886 FCB Johannesburg, which aims to remind us all about what we adored about sending and receiving voice messages. The love. The pride. The excitement.

1886 FCB Johannesburg TVC for Cell C: “Don’t hang up — it’s more than a message”


Cell C – Voicemail from Jonty Pressinger on Vimeo.
The television ad has three or four short scenarios that are juxtaposed with relevant messages on the soundtrack; and the central theme of all of them, I suppose, is love. Not just romantic love, but also parental love and friendship.

The first scenario shows a young man as he goes about his first job in the ‘big city’. He is young and fresh-faced, and the montage takes us from early morning catching a train in the township, to working in town, to back home where he cooks for himself. One has a sense of a lonely but challenging lifestyle, although he is clearly doing well.

Juxtaposed

The voiceover juxtaposed with this story is that of the voice message being left by an older man — the young man’s father: “Just wanted to find out how things are going for you in the big city. You know, your mom and I and everyone, we’re just so proud of you, Son,” the voice says, before pausing to say, “I love you, Son. I know you can do this.”

Cell C Don't hang up screengrab 3This last sentence is over a poignant shot of the young man wiping steam off a bathroom mirror and looking at himself.

The second two scenarios are more upbeat, of youngsters getting together at a bowling alley, and another group getting into a car. The voice is that of a young man’s message to a friend, exhorting him to meet. “I haven’t seen you in ages, man, and… you know who’s going to be there… just saying, bro.” The shot at this point is of some pretty girls, so the implication isn’t lost.

Cell C Don't hang up screengrab 8The third scenario is of a solitary man getting into his car. It’s evening and the city lights sparkle in the background. He glances over his shoulder. On the soundtrack, the woman’s voice in the message is probably his girlfriend. She says, “I just called to say… I’m sorry. And I can’t wait to see you again.” At this point, the image of the man cuts to a young lady running into view and we see the two lovers reconciled against a backdrop of city lights.

Payoff line

The payoff line is “Don’t hang up. It’s more than a message.”

In its press release, FCB Johannesburg claims: “The results. Less people hung up, resulting in an increase in revenue for our client.” Whether this is just an uptick or a lasting change will be revealed in time; after all, the receiver of the message should want to listen to the message: communication is a two-way process.

The creative directors on this ad are Matthew Barnes and Toni Hughes, with art direction by Mark Livni and Leon Curling-Hope. Executive creative director is Stuart Stobbs and the director, Helen Raine.Kim Hinrichs’s cinematography and Mbeu Kambuwa’s copy support each other beautifully, providing a glimpse of ‘real’ people’s lives. They smartly illustrates how voicemail is more than just a message — it’s a way of showing love.

Now that’s what I’d call a powerful call to action.

A convincing message

I think this ad manages to tap into that most powerful of human emotions without descending into sentimentality. It cleverly delivers a convincing message that could change behaviour and have more people leaving messages instead of merely hanging up.

 

Oresti PatriciosAd of the Week, published on MarkLives every Wednesday, is penned by Oresti Patricios (@orestaki), the CEO of Ornico, a Brand Intelligence® firm that focuses on media, reputation and brand research.


If you are involved in making advertising that is smart, funny and/or engaging,
please let Oresti know about it at info@ornicogroup.co.za.


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