Ad agency J Walter Thompson (JWT) and art director Sarel Dalport, copywriter Freedom Masiba art director and Ben Du Plessis (Art Director) recently took on brand powerhouse Loxion Kulca as one of their clients and together they also formed a sub-brand, Roots.
The essence of the Roots brand is to help unemployed women in Soweto earn an income by hand knitting scarves, which are sent to New York and sold in various GAP stores, as a Roots product.
Commercials production company, Picture Tree has also become involved in Roots by funding and producing the commercial for the sub-brand.
“The message of the Roots brand is a simple, emotive one,” says Gary King, wwner and executive producer of Picture Tree. “We all need to get back to our roots, not forget about them, and not get swept up into a world of hi-tec consumerism. We need to make local, buy local and be local. We have to remember where we come from.”
The commercial, shot using a stop frame technique, was directed by Oscar Strauss and produced by Jackie Hindle-Nel, sees a knitted teddy bear walking through his house to the door, unravelling whilst on his journey. It was shot on the Canon 5D by a very patient Willie Nel and edited by Tessa Ford.
The music was done by Greg Reveret from Frequency and the teddy bear was knitted by Sylvia Lachner.
