Santam's new ad campaign lightens the load with laughs

"Imagine a woman walking along with her washing machine on her head, too scared to leave her possessions unguarded at home; a businessman taking his photocopier as hand luggage onto a plane, or a surfer with his Volkswagen Beetle on his back," said Steve Zietsman, Santam's head of Marketing and Communication.

The concept was to parody everyday situations using humorous creative license.

"The message is that without Santam's cover you're constantly hassled with your possessions - they're on your mind, weighing you down. But with our flexible products, professional and passionate service, and financially sustainable brand, you can be freed of your worries and rest assured," Zietsman noted.

Santam's advertising agency, FCB Cape Town, recruited Giaco Angelini, one of South Africa's best special effects directors, to create the simple message.

"Everything viewers see is real - there are no digital effects. The household and office items were put on people's backs using cranes and cables, which were edited out afterwards."

More than 50 people worked behind the scenes and about 20 actors were used to shoot the campaign over four days. Filming took place in Cape Town's Company Gardens, at Kalk Bay, at the airport and in the small town of Riebeek-Kasteel, about an hour's drive from the Mother City.

The theme song was produced especially for Santam by former Springbok Nude Girl's lead guitarist, Theo Krause, and directed by current SA chart topping group, Freshly Ground.