Winner of the Creative Circle’s Ad of the Year, BP’s 2010 FIFA World Cup “SA United’ ad uses real people picked off the streets, malls, etc. to play on typical South African stereotypes. Created by Ogilvy Johannesburg, the idea behind the campaign was to bring all South Africans together.
Creative Circle committee member Fran Luckin said the advert was chosen due to its fresh approach, and the fact that it could run as a campaign in which each version had its own unique character and appeal.
According to BP Brand and Insights Manager Tristao Abro, what really sets the creative apart was the use of “real’ people in the ad. “The car guards were legitimate car guards, the divas were legitimate divas plucked from the malls of Sandton. This allowed us to genuinely highlight the differences between the nation’s subcultures that come together to make us a “characterful’ nation.
“South Africa is rich in natural beauty and cultural diversity. We as a company we want to acknowledge and celebrate this diversity and unite people in a spirit of good sportsmanship. Sport is one of the few things that has succeeded in uniting South Africa. We hope the campaign makes people smile and warm towards our brand by showing how BP’s sponsorship goes beyond the game and extends into emotive and relevant “nation-building’ space.’
The advert was conceptualised off the back of BP’s involvement in the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup. BP is the official fuel sponsor of the games, which will run off BP diesel fuelled generators.
