Top 10 ads of the year revealed

"South Africa has many cultural 'quirks' that we, who live here, consider normal. Visitors enjoy finding out about them as it gives them a sense of 'insider's knowledge,' of having been exposed to - and become part of - something special," says MarkLives' advertising columnist Oresti Patricios.

"The Santam TV commercial celebrates this specialness, holding up a mirror to South Africans of some of those things we find normal every day, but are totally weird and inexplicable to a foreigner."

MarkLives' Ad of the Year list is compiled by Patricios in collaboration with MarkLives.com editor and publisher Herman Manson, editor-at-large Simone Puterman and consulting editor Mandy de Waal.

Top 10 ads for 2015

1. One of a Kind by King James Group for Santam

2. Tears of the Hipster by FoxP2 for Garagista
3. More Than You Expect by Ninety9cents for Checkers
4. #CelebrateDefender by Y&R South Africa for Land Rover
5. #thedress by Ireland/Davenport for Salvation Army's Carehaven
6. Reins by Joe Public for Nedbank Business Banking
7. Tuluver by Utopia for BirdLife South Africa
8. #TIA/This Is Africa by Ogilvy & Mather South Africa for DStv
9. Night Tour Shadows by Y&R South Africa for Johannesburg Zoo

10. Without 5 by King James II for 5FM

"What's been exciting about the past 12 months is that we're beginning to see a very distinct 'own culture' in advertising, proving that at last SA advertising has embraced being truly South African," says Patricios. "In the 20-something years of our democracy, frontrunners have pushed the envelope, but this year it appears the industry has matured and that there's a distinct commercial culture that's as homegrown as a Johnnie Walker, kasi chicken dust, ChesaNyama, Nando's or Madam Speaker."

All top 10 ads may be viewed here.