by Oresti Patricios (@orestaki) It goes without saying that Castle Lager is an iconic South African brand, and it has taken a lot of time, effort and money to achieve this status. The beer brand has knitted itself into the very lives and loves of its target market*, which is predominantly male, loves braaing and is addicted to sport.
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Today, Castle Lager is the premier sponsor of Bafana Bafana, team sponsor of the SA Cricket Team, and the associate sponsor of the Springboks. It is also the official beer supplier to the HSBC Sevens World Series Leg, Vodacom Super Rugby Tournament and the Premier Soccer League (PSL).
Naturally, the “Superfans” campaign, which has been running for several years, capitalises on the feel-good factor associated with sport. And this latest commercial is a goodie — it’s an epic journey, a hell of a tale, a real mini-movie with a spectacular ending.
In this latest spot, directed by Sunu Gonera of Egg Films for Ogilvy Johannesburg, four ‘Superfans’ are on their way to a soccer match in Cape Town when their car breaks down, frustratingly right in the middle of the arid Karoo. But the ad shows how teamwork and the Superfan spirit can change the fate and fortunes of a ‘Superfan’.
Ogilvy Johannesburg TVC for Castle Lager: “Castle Superfans”
The ‘mini-movie’ begins with the four friends abandoning their overheated, broken-down car at the side of the road and walking into town — a town called ‘Droogfontein’ (Dry Spring) no less. It’s hot: there is a haze rising up from the road and a tumbleweed drifts by. The pals arrive at an open-air pub, where whom should be enjoying a Castle Lager but three Proteas (cricket) players: AB de Villiers, David Miller and Aaron Phangiso.
“Hey guys, what’s going on?” asks De Villiers, and one chap explains their predicament. “Oh no — let’s see if I can make a plan,” says the Proteas captain. He gets on the phone and calls someone named Jannie. Moments later, a red 4×4 arrives, driven by none other than rugby heroes Jannie and Bismarck du Plessis.
The four pile into the back, and the SUV roars off through the Karoo. They get some assistance from a traffic cop, and eventually arrive at an airplane hangar. Naturally, one of them is afraid of flying and has to be virtually carried onto the plane by his mates.
The pilot has crazy eyes… I know I would never step into a light aircraft with someone who looks like that at the helm, but these are Superfans. They will do anything, go anywhere and take just about any risk to get to the game. Nothing’s going to stop them!
As the plane takes off, the music changes to “Best Day of My Life” by American Authors; it’s an upbeat song that matches the excitement and adventure of the scene.
The crazy-eyed pilot flies them right over Greenpoint Stadium in Cape Town, and tells them to jump (by this time, they are kitted out in parachute gear). For the chap with a fear of flying, this is too much, and he clutches onto the edges of the door. “Come on, we’re Castle Superfans!” yells his companion. “We never miss a game!”
It’s not clear if he’s pushed or if he jumped, but they all follow him down.
The four parachute into Greenpoint Stadium, just in time to interrupt the coin-toss. The entire Bafana Bafana team is there, with managers and officials: all their jaws hang slack at the sight of these unruly invaders.
The four stand up and look around: “Now what?” they seem to be thinking. A deathly hush hangs over the stadium. [The scene cuts momentarily back to the bar in Droogfontein, where the Du Plessis brothers have joined the aforementioned Proteas to watch the game on TV.] Will they be arrested?
One of the four guys spots a Castle banner that reads “It all comes together with a Castle”, and he takes inspiration from this.
“
Inqaba!” he yells, making a circular gesture with his finger. “Inqaba” is isiZulu for “castle”, and one can safely assume that the hand signal has to do with “another round”. The entire crowd erupts with applause, echoing the “Inqaba!” as a warcry. This ‘punchline’ continues the format of previous ads in the campaign, and it is a clever way of creating a sort of internal mythology.
The final shot is of a couple of Castle bottles being clinked, with the voiceover: “Here’s to a nation of Superfans. It all comes together with a Castle.”
The production is well-directed and is superbly cast. The creative is spot-on, from the ironic tumbleweed in Droogfontein to the guy in the crowd with a crown made from Castle Lager cans. The editing is well-paced and the cinematography — including some spectacular aerial shots — is flawless.
Each new iteration of the Superfan campaign builds upon the previous one, and fortifies the brand as likeable, fun and friendly — a double-blast of the vuvuzela to Sunu Gonera, Egg Films and Ogilvy Johannesburg!
So, cheers, folks. I’m off to go and drink a Castle Lager in celebration of this awesome branded flick.
Credits
Agency producer: Juliet Curtis
Executive creative director: Neo Mashigo
Creative director: Molefi Thulo
Copywriter: Tracy-Lynn King
Art director: Georja Bunger
Director: Sunu Gonera
Director of photography: Rory O’Grady
Production co art director: William Boyes
Production co producer: Martina Schieder
Executive producer: Kerry Hosford
Editing co & city: Riot, Cape Town
Editor: Gordon Midgley
Post production co & city: Blade, Johannesburg
*According to MBASkool, Castle Lager is targeted at “urban middle and upper middle individuals”.
Ad 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.
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Fabulous.