Gill Anti-Dandruff shampoo’s new campaign continues the product’s previous tongue-in-cheek direction by using hyperbole and humour to focus on the product’s effectiveness. Created by Draftfcb Johannesburg, the campaign leans towards the middle to upper class male consumer and was designed to synergise with sport.
Developed by the creative team of Gerhard Myburgh, Kevin Yong and Michelle Kreuiter, the campaign currently comprises two 15″ commercials, one centred around a batsman scoring his century and the other featuring a rugby team warming up before a big game.
The first television ad features a batsman scoring his century, his partner runs up to congratulate him by patting him on the back, as he does so a big “puff’ of dandruff comes off his back. The pay-off line “Try Gill, it works beautifully’ appears on the screen as a Gill pack falls onto the cricket pitch clearing up the chalk markings around the wicket.
The second commercial depicts a rugby team pulling up their socks, bandaging knees and jumping up and down in anticipation for their big game. The camera pans across the players and we see the last player jumping and as he jumps dandruff falls all around his feet. Again, cue the pay-off line as the shampoo falls onto the rugby field clearing up the chalk markings on the ground.
To harness the potential of digital media, both commercials have been posted on the Gill website (gillhygiene.co.za) and sarugby.com, and youtube. According to account director, Jean Veitch, the cost-effective campaign’s unexpected humour and association and support of South African sport has been well received.
