Pete’s comment: ‘From the moment the letterboxing retreated revealing the cityscape, I was transfixed. While the meticulous craft and detail in every aspect of this piece was impeccable, it was the direction that fused all the elements together that made this piece truly special and why I feel this is the craft winner for November. When the craft is of such a high level, it becomes almost invisible, leaving one just totally immersed in the story. This piece truly honours the Bank Heist genre, with every shot, every character and every lighting set up so carefully considered, resulting in a blockbuster feel that could sit comfortably in a Christopher Nolan piece like Dark Knight Rises.’

Tessa’s comment: ‘Red Bull deserves a special mention for its brilliant direction and sharp editing. It’s packed with nuanced comedic moments, elevated by a great sound design and a well-crafted edit. It brings an exciting and vibrant possibility to life for South Africa. Well done to Sam Coleman for putting such a big VFX board together with editor Andrew Kirkby – a fantastic team up!’

Xander’s comment: ‘Really well written spot. Made me have a little lol and left me with a smile and a bit of SA pride. If I could award production design and art direction too I would, pity they didn’t enter.’

James’ comment: ‘Anton really is a master of comedic direction. The performances for me are stand out and the narrative had me engaged from beginning to end with really strong decisions in every department adding another superbly crafted spot to the Chicken Licken canon.  (Full disclosure;  Pressure Cooker Studios handled the music for this spot but I couldn’t let that hold back a well deserved craft mention for direction).’

Hylton’s comment: ‘Although a solid campaign for KFC overall, “Boot” stood out for me as the best of the bunch. It’s so refreshing to see screen time being utilised to tell a story. So many scripts are jam packed with wall to wall vignettes, or way too much narrative for its duration – so to see a simple, singular story about a person unable to resist tucking into some KFC, felt like I was watching a scene from a movie. The one taker, locked off camera works a treat, effortlessly combined with a Tarantino-esque inside the boot POV. I loved the camera remaining in the closed boot with the KFC bucket, building suspense while awaiting the inevitable. A good looking spot with a great cinematic canvass, and personally, knowing how difficult it can be to get those appetite appeal consumption shots, she really looks like she’s digging that KFC. Sam nailed it.’

Claudi’s comment: ‘The entire story is told beautifully in one shot, with absolutely no gimmicks. I love the restraint. We see the block of flats in the distance, the long walk with the cumbersome tuba, the trusty chair waiting for him to arrive. And then that moment when the birds fly off, as he produces the first few notes. Everything is wonderfully constructed and timed, and the simplicity of it really cuts through. A very well-crafted story, well-told.’

Peter’s comment: ‘Sam’s VW GTI 8 spot Vrrr Pha! is the latest take on an iconic classic. The production touches, music and filmography dish out a joyful celebration of humour and personality whilst building on the cars existing speed and performance memory structures.’

Fausto’s comment: “This spot is just solid all the way through for me, it’s a Covid ad without bashing us over the head about it. I think the more subdued, subtle performances here were really great and I loved the duo of opposing characters. Simple and sweet, but solidly crafted. It made me chuckle and smile, which is sometimes what we need.”

Fran’s comment: “I thought the effect of setting the action in what looked like a dark tunnel was a really smart way of getting across the isolation and loneliness experienced by the runner in Lane 8 – and also the claustrophobia of having nothing to distract the runner from his / her own thoughts and anxieties.”

Louis’ comment: “Its close second for me for overall Best in Craft. Working with kids is generally challenging, so I can appreciate the work that went into this piece and getting that performance from the lead character. The idea is so simple, yet so effective. The bells and whistles do not always equate to a good piece of work. Crafting something simple is often more hard work. Well done!”

Tseliso’s comment: “This is a simple story and pretends to be nothing else. The performance and cast are what make this stand out. The boy holds the piece together brilliantly, without seeming to try hard at it. Even though the majority of the ad is on the youngster, it still felt like the man was the lead character. Any director that can get a performance like that out of a child gets my vote. Well done Aadil.”

Judges Comment: “I love the performances of the boss and her granny, and dad’s little shrug. A well-contained story, with just the right amount of sass.”

Judges Comment: “I have to honest here: I’m a sucker for a spot with a bit of physical comedy where a person in a supermarket knocks things over. This piece is just funny. And although lots of people TRY to be funny, few of them are. Well done Aadil. Not everyone can direct comedy, but you’ve done a great job here. SA has a shortage of directors who can do comedy, and you’re one of them. Keep up the great work.”

Judges Comment: “It’s great to laugh out loud at an ad. It’s a hard reaction to achieve but this one does it brilliantly. It fully embraces the unreal and that lack of compromise is what makes the humour awesome. If Jordan Peele saw his meme coming to life, he’d be proud.”

Judges Comment: “It seems this was the month of lighthearted work and Hansa really showed up with this piece. For a brand we haven’t seen in a while, I thoroughly enjoyed this and it made me appreciate and understand the new direction that Hansa is going in.”

Judges Comment: “An Art Nouveau commercial, with a beautiful and clever treatment. We’re bombarded with so much that it takes a lot to hold the viewers’ attention and not skip a commercial. This piece succeeds, and it’s partly because it doesn’t feel like an ad. You can see the love that went into it, proof that you don’t need big budgets to make great work, you need passion. I’m off to buy some earrings and start smoking.”

Judges Comment: “It seems like it’s been a while since I watched a funny SA ad. And this one is a goodie. The casting is great, the funny moments land, there’s a perfect amount of weirdness and the tie up at the end is rather smart. I enjoyed watching this and I’m sure the rest of the country will too.”

AWARDED: CRAFT MENTION (DIRECTION)
Patriot | Anton Visser
SPCA ‘Get This’ Campaign
IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Tim Beckerling, Creative Director at Network BBDO
April 2017

Judges Comment: “This campaign shows you can choose your best friend but not your family. The performances of the leads are dry, funny and real and the contrast between them and the characters that are introduced to the scenes to land the idea are nicely timed. Some good old comedy to support a cause that’s close to my heart. Cheers dudes, nicely done.”