Making videos at The Public Pool

The campaign, which was conceptualized by Kastner & Partners in Cape Town, showcases the dubious talents of some of South Africa's best-kept comedy secrets.

The Public Pool produced a series of 13 viral video spots to attract interest in the Mentos International Comedy Festival and drive traffic to the festival's website. Each of the 13 virals features a different member of the public having a crack at stand-up comedy, with some very unfunny results.

According to Public Pool director Craig Ferguson, bringing the concept to life was tricky: "We were looking for people who were so bad it was funny. We knew most of the jokes would be lame, but we really wanted to show people crashing and burning. There's nothing more hilarious than seeing a guy's face drop as it dawns on him that he's not funny. And when you throw in some brutally unimpressed audience responses, the results are priceless."

The Public Pool is a partnership between director Craig Ferguson and producer Phil Bresler. Both hail from agency backgrounds, where they spotted the need for a new breed of production company that focuses on communicating strong ideas without insisting on Hollywood-size budgets.

Bresler believes that while the pressure to deliver impactful communications is greater than ever, the budgets and time frames are shrinking: "The reality is the demand for lavish 35mm productions is dwindling. There will always be a call for really high-end work, but a lot of clients are looking for more inventive and cost-effective ways of reaching their audiences."

That's where production companies like The Public Pool come in. With a firm grip on digital filmmaking techniques, full in-house post facilities and a manifesto to deliver knockout film, video and animation communications no matter what the budget, more and more brands are discovering that The Public Pool is a pretty good place to make new friends.