South African Tourism’s new Reconsider South Africa TV commercial asks the
question, “What is Beauty?’
Is it a sound, a look, or a feeling; a characteristic or a quality; a virtue or a vice?
Is true beauty something visible that we can see, touch, taste and appreciate
with our senses, or something so precious, eternal, and profound that it defies
classification?
Some claim that if you’ve seen one tourism brand video you’ve seen them all,
especially since every major destination wants us to think that their country is
the most beautiful place in the world.
Ireland-Davenport commissioned Adam Howard of Howard Music to compose an
emotional score for the global TVC that would help set it apart from other
tourism marketing drives.
Director Dean Blumberg of Velocity Afrika shot the film, and worked closely with
Howard. Along with breathtaking cinematography to score to, he gave Howard
full creative licence to fuse it all together into one fresh, powerful and moving
score. Howard explains: “Although the piece was briefed to be
cinematic/orchestral in style – we had to be very careful how we added the
South African musical ideas – not forcing them into the piece – to let them
happen naturally – in sympathy with the visuals.
To express the emotional journey, Howard started with a catchy piano motif and
layered the track with subtle sonic treats reminiscent of SA, like the distant
strum of a Maskandi guitar, an African drum, and the amazing voice of Margaret
Motasage on vocals at the very end.
Howard recorded the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra string section, and as
with all previous SA Tourism spots, the piece required him to work in echoes of
the National Anthem at the very end without it sounding forced.
“It was an honour to compose the music for a TVC that still makes me feel proud
to be a South African every time I watch it (with or without my music and British
Passport!). Working with such a distinguished array of local talent on something
I’m personally passionate about was a real treat,’ Howard says.
