Playing out like a short film, ABSA’s new Investment Banking commercial is the tale of a vigneron creating champagne.
From seed to harvesting to uncorking the bottle, the TVC uses visual and subliminal methodologies to bring out the way in which thought, nature and commerce overcome problems demonstrating how those associated with award-winning wines can equate to those involved in the investment banking profession. It does so by focusing on how insight, understanding and determination are the way to overcome whatever problems one may encounter, and then produce winning results. Augmenting the story told through the visuals is a voiceover consisting of the words of renowned philosopher Allan Watts, used with permission from his son Mark. “We took from actual recordings of many speeches Alan Watts gave in the 50s and 60s and put together a single cohesive message,” says director Sam Coleman of Giant Films.
Crafting the concept for the campaign, Coleman knew that the words and distinctive voice of Watts would lend the required gravitas he and Johannesburg agency, The Jupiter Drawing Room, were searching for. Under the slogan Strive for the Exceptional, Watt’s voice and thoughts direct the message in the commercial to meet the standards of the brand.
Copywriter at Jupiter, Matthew Bouch explains that the brief was to create a TV commercial to position Absa’s Investment management division, and its creative platform: Strive for the Exceptional. “This is an area in which the standard of advertising, conceptually and production wise, is incredibly high. So from the word go we knew we had to tell a story of scale and one rich in narrative,” says Bouch. “The challenge with this was finding a story that also allowed us to touch on the many nuances of investment management: process, determination, teamwork and expertise.”
He says their idea was to tell the story of a champagne farmer and his journey to produce a fine sparkling wine. “This is a craft that embodies the same values as investment management, and through his journey we were able to bring all of these facets to life,” explains Bouch. “Dramatic as our final product is, we worked with actual champagne farmers to ensure that everything is based in fact. The cutting of vines, the grafting of new buds, and even the hail canon, are all actual processes and techniques that are called on to grow the right grapes, and turn them into an exceptional vintage champagne.”
The TVC was filmed in the areas of Muratie, Knorrhoek and Natte Valleij, near Stellenbosch in the Western Cape. “Authenticity was a key word in the treatment, as a result we consulted with various professionals that helped us with the process of champagne making,” says producer Boris Vossgatter of Giant Films. Authenticity was the biggest challenge faced aside from being able to film at harvest time.
“From the start getting the best performer for the job was critical, and locking a date down was important as we needed grapes on the vines prior to harvest. This became a moving target using previous records,” explains Vossgatter. “What el nino did the previous year with a warmer summer, was that it made the grapes ripen faster and thus the harvest was done weeks earlier.”
Filming was done over five days in the first week of February. The TVC was released on 4 June 2016.
The commercial was filmed using an Alexa Mini with a Ronin rig. “This gave us a loose feel to the camera movement,” says Vossgatter. “Jamie Ramsay was instrumental in that.” Ramsay, the DOP, requested the Alexa Mini and says the Ronin works best with smaller cameras.
Clear skies are turned grey by Wicked Pixels who created the storm in which the hail cannon is utilised to disrupt the formation of hailstones as a storm threatens the combined work of man and nature in producing award winning vines. The music accompanying the voiceover was composed by Simon Malherbe of Freqncy.
Throughout the TVC nature is clearly shown to be what it is: unpredictable, sometimes an ally but all too often a foe; while at the same time a good understanding of nature enables one to harness the benefits conferred by it. This analogy is a simple yet powerful way in which to demonstrate the pitfalls involved in the investment banking industry, which is beset with problems and opportunities that can turn around at short notice, just like nature. Attention to detail, cinematography, post and passion combine to convey a portrait of lifelong lessons as we see a man map out the elusive road to the exceptional.
Key crew:
- Production
- Director: Sam Coleman
- Producer: Boris Vossgatter
- Production Manager: Carnita Ferrara
- AD: Mike Hoyte
- DOP: Jamie Ramsay
- Copywriter: Matthew Bouch
- Grip: Allan Gray
- Gaffer: Gilles Boisacq
- Art director: Darryl Hammer
- Wardrobe: Laura Meek
- Make up: Anette Keet
- Unit: Julia and Riaan Serfontein
Post production:
- Editor: Kobus Loots
- Colourist: Nic Apostoli
- Online: Charmaine Greyling
- Sound: Simon Malherbe
- Sound Design: Louis Enslin
Key companies:
- Agency: Jupiter Drawing Room
- Production: Giant films
- Post Production: Upstairs post/ludus
- Video effects: Wicked Pixels
- Casting: Traffic studio
- Sound: Freqncy
