Xiaomi ‘A Dynamic Device for a Diverse People’
IDIDTHAT Craft Awards March 2025 – View Showcase
ABOUT THE PROJECT
We live in a diverse country with millions of people, 11 official language and endless pronunciations of the simplest words. We took a Chinese brand and asked ourselves how to derive uniquely South African quirks into the work and came up with a beloved TVC execution that explores how different people would simply say the name ‘Xiaomi’. It’s insightful and relatable and makes a meal out of the art of simplicity. And no matter who you are, how you speak or where you’re from (South Africa, specifically) this is a dynamic device for a wonderfully diverse people.
NOTE FOR THE JUDGES
Both written AND directed by Shilo Maloney (JumpShip & Lucky Hustle), this fun, efficient and infectious ad is crafted with different South Africans in mind! It doesn’t waste a single second landing punchline after punchline and doing as much possible to tap into diversity without ever forgetting the fact that the device is the hero – all in 60 seconds.
We played with different accents (e.g. The Bryanston white lady), loose tropes (The staunch Zulu Husband) and cultural idiosyncrasies (The Xhosa clicks) and crafted an upbeat piece that pokes fun at the very people that inspired the work.
This is a unique way to also advertise a smartphone device and we consistently made sure its features are centrepieces to the narrative – but comedy and relatability were the ultimate focus here that we’re proud to share with our people.
