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#BehindtheCampaign: Check into easy with City Lodge Hotels
Life is undeniably hard, but there's a place where everything becomes easy – City Lodge Hotels. This is the inspiration behind the latest campaign, Life is hard. Check into easy.

Executive creative director at TBWA\Hunt Lascaris, Steph Van Niekerk said this campaign will resonate with people who just need a break.
Barrage of problems
"It’s an acknowledgment that sooner or later we all have to face up to life’s endless barrage of problems, big and small. And while the big ones are big – it’s the relentlessness of the little things that just don’t work out the way they should that can push you over the edge, to a place where you just don’t have words anymore.
"The innovative use of subtitles instead of dialogue, acknowledge that feeling we’ve all had of having nothing more to say against the relentlessness of the mundane every day – and that we just need a break," said Van Niekerk.
She said they aim to position City Lodge Hotels as a solution to the stresses of everyday life and that the ad is aimed to Africans between the ages of 24 to 45.
"We are targeting people who travel for work and leisure, whether it be for a good old holiday or a quick escape. The pandemic has changed the face of travel and remote working has allowed us to combine business and leisure. The new campaign aims to speak to that new kind of traveller too," concludes Van Niekerk.
TVC Credits
Client: City Lodge
- Agency -TBWA\Hunt Lascaris
- Brand - City Lodge Hotels Group
- Group marketing manager - Colleen Goodman
- Digital marketing coordinator - Tammy Taylor
Agency: TBWA\Hunt Lascaris
- Chief creative officer - Carl Willoughby
- Executive creative director - Steph van Niekerk
- Copywriter - Tyler Lambert
- Art director - Kevin Radebe
Account management team:
- Business unit directo - Cretienne Uys
- Group account director - Alet van Jaarsveld
- Account management intern - Rohma Hasan
- Agency producer - Nonhlanhla Khanye
Film production: Giant Films
- Director - Karien Cherry
- Executive producer - Emma Lundy, Cindy Gabriel
- Producer - Jon Ronbeck
- Production manager - Amo Mbutuma
- Director of photography - Jason Prins
- Production art director - Keenan McAdam
- Stylist | costume design - Amy Zama
- Production assistant - Johannes Matila
Post Production company: Strangelove
- Editor - Xander Vander
- Post producer - Bevil Swartz
- Grade - Nic Apostoli
Music Track All Ads:
- Junior Mintz – Lost in Love
- Original Publisher: Extrement Music Library Ltd.
Sound Company: Sterling Sound
- Sound engineer - Lorens Persson
- Post production online - Charmaine Greyling
- Post production artist - Charmaine Greyling

About Karabo Ledwaba
Karabo Ledwaba is a Marketing and Media Editor at Bizcommunity and award-winning journalist. Before joining the publication she worked at Sowetan as a content producer and reporter. She was also responsible for the leadership page at SMag, Sowetan's lifestyle magazine. Contact her at karabo@bizcommunity.comRelated
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