Cindy’s comment: ‘I’m always a sucker for great performances and Aadil Dhalech delivered with this spot for MTN MOMO. Surprisingly it did that without getting lost in the VFX or all the hard working sell (and there’s a lot of it). It’s a real joy to see good, subtle humour shine through (just love the security guard’s performance) and not take second place to a big or busy idea. The editing, narration, music and sound design all helped push the humour without labouring it. It’s not easy making such a memorable commercial that has so much to sell. All in all a commercial beautifully crafted.’

Kim’s comment: ‘This one caught my attention. I like that it drew me in and triggered a feeling. It’s a conversation starter and raises an awareness to be more cognizant of what we put out into the public domain, and that is part of the craft of the director. To use his voice to raise awareness and get messages across that he/she feels strongly about. I like that Monde wrote it himself. I liked the pace, the edit and the audio choices. Well done Monde.’

Bruno’s comment: ‘Entertainment. Ads that entertain have been a driving force in our ad world for so long. Lately, the link between the entertainment and the product has become more tenuous with pure entertainment overriding the product offering. However with DSTV serving up entertainment as its main product this spot by Monde links the two perfectly. A well-handled narrative with great characters and just the right dose of pun and punch round off this genre piece.’

Adam’s comment: ‘Brand AV’s or company manifesto films can at best be quite sterile, but this film by Mpho Twala and Vusi Twala is a beautiful capture of the essence of the Inveroche brand. We get taken on a sensual journey and the direction is just spot on. As you watch the film, you can even taste and smell the environment as Mpho and Vusi get our senses going. I really felt I got to know the brand more intimately because of this. A beautifully executed film where the directors manage to take us on a journey where the brand message doesn’t get forced. Even having the founder of Inveroche involved didn’t feel contrived and instead actually added sincerity to the film.’

Thibedi’s comment: ‘Like the song title, this film had me fixated throughout. Monde exploits the surrealness of emotions like hurt, loneliness and regret in a way that still leaves you smiling. His transitions are slick. The camera movement is simple yet engaging and at some point it even feels like the camera is inviting its subject to dance with it. The two-in-one music video combo can often go so wrong, but nothing feels out of place in this film.’

Lebogang’s comment: “This advert is so wholesome and I feel like only a person who believes in the project of humanity could have made it like this. Boy, it feels so good to see wholesome advertising. I felt young again, optimistic and now I wanna go to a bar (with good Covid protocols) and have a drink (yes, I will even drink that drink from the advert) and see my friends.”

Louis’ comment: “It’ss well put together, well crafted, good story”

Judge’s Comment: “I’m sure most people who follow IDIDTHAT will agree, that often with movies and tv, it’s hard to fully engage without some kind of opinion based on what we’ve learned in the production process.  So, maybe it was the timing, but when I first watched this piece of film, just before lockdown, I somehow viewed it as just a person watching an ad. Not somebody who made ads or had anything to do with ads. Just somebody watching one, and it’s been a long time since that happened. So like I said, it was probably the timing that put me in this mindset, but a nostalgic treatment, even though showing current times, made me appreciate all the things we have right now. Tonally, it made me feel positive going into lockdown and that everything was going to be all right. And the positivity in the performances took the edge off the fear and created a great sense of anticipation for what will be waiting for us, a reward on the other side. It was exactly what I needed to see and I think it made me feel exactly what was intended. Which is exactly what a beautifully crafted piece of film is meant to do. No matter how old or young, we are all experiencing things for the first time right now, so everything becomes a very personal account based on what we are feeling. Maybe in a different time I would have viewed the work differently, but a beautiful piece of craft is meant to make you feel something, and this made me feel something lovely right now. I’m sure it affected lots of other people the same way too. Well done.”
– IDIDTHAT Guest Judge: Jake Bester, Creative Partner / Executive Creative Director at M&C Saatchi Abel