IDIDTHAT Creative News
The stories shaping our advertising, production and marketing world. We cover the work, the craft, and the humans behind it, without the boring bits. Want us to tell your next story? Let’s talk.
Why big brands are going Bananas
Less than two years in, Bananas is working with Castle Lager, KFC, Heinz and now Truworths. We spoke to the OG Bananas, Saf Sindhi and Justin Gomes about why some very established brands are putting their trust in a very new kind of agency.
Behind Woolworths’ six-part ‘Made in Italy’ Docuseries
Woolworths, in partnership with Big Sky Productions and The Video Cartel, takes us inside the month-long Italian shoot that grew into six half-hour films for M-Net.
Nkgabiseng Motau on ten years of Think Creative Africa and why South African advertising needs to trust itself more
In this one, Nkgabiseng Motau gets into what ten years of running Think Creative Africa has taught her, why courage is often the thing separating Bronze from Gold, the South African work she wishes she’d made, the person who opened an important door early in her career and why our industry could probably do with trusting its own culture a little more. She’s one of our faves and after reading this, we think she’ll be one of yours too.
Open Chair Safety Allies
Loeries Creative Week is around the corner. And we’d all like to celebrate and have a good time without any fear or threat for our safety. Let’s be blunt - no one needs another Veli Ngubane incident.
Why Thembalethu Msibi wants South African advertising to stop translating culture
We sat down with Thembalethu Msibi, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of BlackSwan and Jury President of the 2026 iPendoring Awards, to talk about why South African advertising still treats indigenous language work as an afterthought, and what it will take to change that.
Tshepo Tumahole and Tshepo Mogorosi SAID THAT
Meet Tshepo²: same first name, different disciplines, plenty of creative tension and a shared love of making work that feels really South African. Tshepo Tumahole and Tshepo Mogorosi have been making award-winning work together at Joe Public for almost a decade, first as Copywriter and Art Director, now as Creative Directors. Clearly, pairing two Tshepos was a very good idea.
Dear Advertising
How you Chommie? It’s been a while since we hung out. You, me and a wild idea. Thriving. Just like the old days.
Koketso Masisi SAID THAT
Koketso Masisi has strong views on what makes an idea worth fighting for, as she should, she’s ECD of Retroviral after all. We talk craft, choosing directors, the marketers who make the work better and the South African ad she wishes she’d made. She also gives us the work she’s proudest of, who deserves a shoutout right now, and what’s exciting her about our industry.
Girls in Film South Africa and Blackboard create space for the next generation of filmmakers
Girls in Film South Africa and Blackboard are continuing their commitment to creating greater access to the creative industries through a masterclass programme that brought young creatives into conversation with working filmmakers and industry practitioner
HELLO_COLAB wins Brutal Fruit TV campaign for Africa, new work
HELLO_COLAB has landed Brutal Fruit’s new Africa-wide ‘Pink Table’ campaign, producing a TV commercial, more than 300 images, 24 dedicated social videos, traditional billboards, a 3D billboard and multiple edits for just about every screen you can think of.
Beyond delivery: why the creative industry’s next advantage is in ad operations
One campaign can now mean hundreds of assets, specs, approvals and rights to manage. XR Africa, led by Mike Smit, is helping producers take that complexity off their hands, from delivery and metadata to rights and distribution.
The sound of South African advertising? There’s a good chance Simon Ringrose had something to do with it
Simon Ringrose, aka Sibot, has spent more than two decades shaping the sound of South African advertising through his studio SayThankYou. From scratch DJ and Max Normal to Gold Loeries, Damon Albarn, Mr Eazi and making music from blocks of ice, we caught up with Simon about one seriously interesting career.
Cannes Lions Grand Prix work produced by South African crew
Chances are, you have already heard of Coinbase’s ‘Your Way Out’ ad. It won the Cannes Lions Film Craft Grand Prix, collected five more Lions and has since landed a Primetime Emmy nomination. What you may not have heard is just how much of it was made by South Africans. We go behind the scenes with service company, Gatehouse.
Nothing hits like Extra Cold. Except maybe a snowball.
Castle Lite has taken ‘Nothing hits like Extra Cold’ very literally, making it snow across Nigeria, Tanzania and Mozambique in its latest campaign. Created by Boundless and directed by Darling Films’ Chloe Coetsee, ‘Nothing hits like Extra Cold’ turns that first icy sip into a full-blown bar snowstorm.
Pete Case has seen advertising change a lot. Here’s what hasn’t.
So, what has more than three decades of making work, building agencies and leading creative people taught Pete Case? Quite a lot, as it turns out. We spoke to Pete, CEO & Creative Chairman of Ogilvy South Africa, about why South African creatives travel so well, the ideas that still give him goosebumps, what great marketers get right, protecting humans in the age of AI, surviving an industry full of ‘Nos’, and why you’ll occasionally find one of South Africa’s most powerful advertising leaders in his garage fiddling with a petrol engine.
What the hell did Fausto Becatti feed this Pick n Pay ad?
We caught up with Bioscope director Fausto Becatti and Executive Producer Daniel Kaplan to go behind the scenes of their new ad featuring the Springboks, the one that had us asking, "Woah, is that a Pick n Pay ad?"
Why producers keep calling Cherry Picked first (and why Cape Town should too)
Founded by Cherise Haskins, Cherry Picked Locations has become one of Joburg’s go-to location agencies over the past decade. Now, after building a growing portfolio of locations in Cape Town, Cherry Picked is bringing that same hands-on approach to the Mother City.
Before Creative Circle’s Full Circle: Inside the jury room with Jabulani Sigege
As we gear up for Full Circle, we asked Cannes Lions 2026 Audio & Radio juror Jabulani Sigege to share a few reflections from inside the jury room. From what separated the winning work to why South African creativity is uniquely positioned on the global stage, here are three lessons he brought home from Cannes.
The work behind the work: creating the conditions for creativity
Robyn Campbell has spent her career doing the things most people never see. She started in fashion design, moved through the early days of digital, led agencies, and now serves as Senior Vice President at Publicis Groupe Africa. She’s become an expert in the invisible work behind great creativity: building teams, shaping culture, backing people and protecting ideas long enough for them to become exceptional. In this conversation, Robyn shares how her definition of creative taste has evolved, why the hardest leadership happens behind the scenes, what separates good work from great work in a jury room, and the one thing about South African creativity she hopes we never lose.
400 women, one room, and an unusual cohort from SA’s creative industry.
On 5 August, The Forum in Bryanston will bring together Nedbank’s Khensani Nobanda, MaXhosa Africa’s Lihle Ngxokolo-Nqini, Rachel Kolisi and Carla Venter, alongside a growing crowd from across South Africa’s advertising, marketing, production and creative industries. With tickets selling fast and only a limited number remaining, now's the time to secure your seat.
Corona. It’s Sunset Time.
To celebrate Corona’s belief that life is best lived beyond our screens, Boundless created a series of living posters that turned the setting sun into the brand itself. Captured at the exact moment the sun kissed the horizon over the city, long winter shadows stretched across the streets to create the silhouette of a Corona bottle, leading you to the sunset.
Creative Circle’s Full Circle event is back
The Creative Circle Full Circle 2026, in partnership with Ster-Kinekor, hosts a selection of jury members, as they take the audience inside the jury rooms, through an inspiring showcase of the top trends, insights and award-winning work from Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
Director Jason Fialkov makes Carbon Films home
Director Jason Fialkov has rejoined Carbon Films after several years working independently. The move reunites him with the team behind some of his most recognised work. And while there were plenty of practical reasons for returning, Jason sums it up by saying, "I miss the family."
Spitfire’s director AK put Joburg’s new virtual production studio, VRtuosus, to work
Spitfire’s Director AK recently used the new VRtuosus studio in Hyde Park on a shoot for Profmed featuring Springbok prop Ox Nche, becoming one of the first South African commercial directors to put VRtuosus through the real test.