TVC captures essence of warranty claim

"Many brands overpromise and under deliver, which influences consumer expectations of what they see and hear in advertising campaigns. We had to find a way to let viewers know that the client's warranty is sincere and unprecedented in the industry," says Francois Boshoff, Grey Africa creative director.

Idea

The creative team came up with the idea of a car disappearing in pieces, made possible by superior production and a few special effects. "As far as we know, the concept had never been used in any film or TVC. Ultimately, we want the message to resonate with the audience by showing them that even if their car 'disappears right in front of their eyes', there's no need to worry with," explains Boshoff.

Grey Africa enlisted the expertise of production company, Giant Films, with Sam Coleman as director and Laura Sampson as producer, to translate it into a workable visual platform. One would expect the special effects of a disappearing car to be computer-generated, but Coleman chose for the majority of the effects to happen live during filming, with parts of the car literally flying off. Luthuli Dlamini was cast as the lead actor in the TVC and portrays a motorist whose vehicle literally disappears, piece by piece, while he is driving it.

Shot in Joburg

Downtown Johannesburg with its big city, gritty urban feel provided the backdrop for the TVC. "Shooting in downtown Jozi on a Saturday evening can be tricky, especially when you close off a road that taxi drivers use every day. Other than some rather impatient taxi drivers and a touch of Cape Town weather, the eight hour shoot progressed very smoothly," says Boshoff.

"We are delighted with the result," says Jacqui Nel of Cartrack. "The team at Grey Africa and Giant Films have done an excellent job. The TVC has begun flighting on a bouquet of DSTV channels and I have no doubt that the message it conveys about our warranty will be as memorable as the commercial," Nel concludes.

View the TVC