There’ nothing like summer, and a South African summer? Well, that is simply sublime – sea, sunshine, friends and good times. The recent Vodacom commercial is a celebration of the good life and great summer loving, with the tag line: “Love someone, Love Summer’.
The commercial was produced by The Bomb Shelter Productions and directed by Teboho Mahlatsi. Mahlatsi explains that the brief from agency Draft FCB was to create a musical number that makes reference to the film Grease. “The concept was to do a musical to Grease, but in an African context. The opportunity to do a great musical with brilliant visuals and a good storyline really appealed to me.’
Mahlatsi elaborates that because of the musical and singing elements, it was vital to be well prepared and have great choreography. “David Matamela did the choreography and it was important to work with the cast to rehearse the piece for about a week and a half before the shoot. It was also a big cast, so making sure that everyone knew what was expected of them was a priority.’
The commercial makes use of the famous Grease song, Summer Loving. Mahlatsi adds: “The whole feel of the spot is celebration and vibrancy. Our two leads were chosen because they are great performers and singers. The commercial is full of life and colour, and is set against the African backdrop of a taxi rank and a love affair between the lead taxi driver and female cop.’
Mahlatsi says they decided to cast “real’ people. “I did not go for the cosmetic look but instead the leads, for instance, were chosen for their character and expression. The taxi driver is a skinny man and the cop voluptuous. This brings in some humour.’
Mahlatsi adds that before shooting the commercial he watched Grease many times to pick out his favourite scenes and lyrics, and then incorporated these into his vision. “I was very specific of what I wanted to cover. I selected the shots and the music with a lot of care. I established the vision first and then looked at all the detail.’
The commercial was shot on 35mm with dolly and hand-held camera. Mahlatsi explains his style: “Because we wanted to capture the vibrancy of an African setting, I used both hand-held – so that the DOP could capture the energy of the performances – and then also long crane and dolly shots. The DOP, Werner Maritz ,did a fantastic job, along with art director Dimitri Repanis. The whole crew must be commended for their work.’
This is the second commercial Bomb and Mahlatsi have shot for Vodacom. Mahlatsi concludes: “It was a great shoot. There is something special about working with cast and crew and seeing one’s vision come to life. I always direct with the audience in mind and I think they will really enjoy this commercial.’ –
