by Oresti Patricios (@orestaki) The latest campaign by Nedbank is an extension of last year’s “Ke Yona” campaign, which we also named Ad of the Week. This year, the concept has evolved, featuring the aspirational slogan, “Make things that really matter happen”, and communicating this is the ad “Making Things Really Happen: Bathtime”.
Any parent understands how important it is to be a part of a child’s growing years. It’s an almost instinctive pull that a baby has, that makes you want to spend time with him or her, watching this life that you have been part of creating.
Joe Public TVC for Nedbank: “Making Things Really Happen: Bathtime”
The television spot I saw recently relays the heartwarming story of a young man, called David Lesedi, who works in the city. He tells his story in the voiceover to this poignant and beautifully shot ad from Joe Public.
“It takes me a very long time to get home from work,” Lesedi says. As he talks to this universal longing to come home early and be with one’s children, we see him getting on a bus, getting off it and walking hurriedly through the city. Lesedi then moves on to catch a taxi, but the sky gets dark. It is a long ride home in that taxi, and the young father eventually does arrive home, but well after nightfall.
Dad runs up the stairs of his home, and opens a door to his child’s room. There’s a heart-tugging moment when you see the disappointed look on Lesedi’s face. In voiceover, he says: “So I miss the thing that really matters to me. Every day.” The camera cuts to his young wife tucking their baby in: the child is fast asleep.
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The next day, Lesedi has a smile as he walks down the street. “But today,” he voices, “thanks to Nedbank, my dream has come true.” This time the shot of Dad running up the stairs is beautifully lit with sunlight because it is still daytime.
When he opens the door, his baby is still being bathed. His wife looks at him quizzically, surprised at his sudden appearance. “Babe,” he says, holding up his new car keys with a telling look. “Wow! Daddy’s got a car!” she exclaims.
The Nedbank payoff line follows in text and in a voiceover: “You too can make things that really matter happen. Simply open and use a Nedbank account, tell us your dream, and you could win it.” This is supported by an SMS number for the competition.
Nedbank has earmarked R4-million for the prizes, which will help clients of the bank to realise one of their dreams.
Slogan extension
The payoff line is an extension of Nedbank’s slogan, “Make things happen”, adding “things that really matter” to great effect. By embracing its clients’ dreams and aspirations, Nedbank smartly positions itself as a bank that understands the “things that really matter” — getting to the heart of what each individual cares about.
So, it’s not just about the car; rather it’s about getting home in time for your child’s bath routine and to put the young one to bed. It’s about understanding the value of time, especially time spent with loved ones.
Being present and bearing witness to one’s family is more than a basic human need; it is an archetypal longing. Sharing in this way is about offering our children presence, and saying that they are important enough to be with, to be listened to and to be understood. This campaign cleverly positions Nedbank as incredibly human.
Gone is the monolithic institution so readily associated with a bank. In its place is an organisation with a heart that understands me as an individual and grants me that psychological visibility — simply because it recognises that I have dreams and aspirations that are not trivial. In that moment, I too feel understood and seen.
Congratulations then to Nedbank’s agency Joe Public for a brilliant, beautiful ad. But, then again, we wouldn’t expect anything less — it certainly sets the gold standard in advertising.
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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