WISH I DID THAT
May, June, July & August 2025
We all know the feeling when a piece of work drops and you think, “Damn, I wish I did that.” Instead of pretending we’re above it, we decided to lean in and turn those envy tingles into something worth celebrating. So we gathered some of South Africa’s sharpest creative minds, handed them some of the best work agencies have released over the last few months, and asked them to pick the pieces they wish they did. Here’s to giving credit where it’s due and maybe inspiring a little healthy jealousy along the way.
IDIDTHAT GUEST JUDGES
Thanks to our judges, Toni Hughes, Naledi Manama, Jake Bester and Melusi Mhlungu.
IDIDTHAT JUDGE
JAKE
BESTER
PARTNER & ECD
M&C SAATCHI ABEL
SOUTH AFRICA
1
IDIDTHAT JUDGE
NALEDI
MANAMA
GROUP HEAD ART DIRECTOR
INDEPENDANT
SOUTH AFRICA
4
IDIDTHAT JUDGE
MELUSI MHLUNGU
FOUNDER & CCO
WE ARE BIZARRE
SOUTH AFRICA
7
IDIDTHAT JUDGE
TONI
HUGHES
ECD
INDEPENDANT
SOUTH AFRICA
11
JAKE BESTER’S PICK
WISH I DID THAT
Judge’s Pick – Jake Bester
JUDGES COMMENT
“I really enjoyed the fresh take on ‘A.I.nthing For The Taste’ across all the KFC pieces and the ‘Forever Golf’ work really made me miss my VW. However, the judging brief was to choose a piece I wish I had done and that piece is ‘SAB 130’ by Boundless. We’ve all had the celebratory or birthday brief land on our desks more times than we can count and I just loved the scale and simplicity of how they brought this SAB milestone to life.”
AWARDED
10 December 2025
MELUSI MHLUNGU’S PICKS
WISH I DID THAT
Judge’s Pick – Melusi Mhlungu
JUDGES COMMENT
”I love how the story of a brand so deeply woven into South African culture is told in a way that feels authentically South African. The craft, the characters, the authenticity is just lovely.”
AWARDED
10 December 2025
WISH I DID THAT
Judge’s Pick – Melusi Mhlungu
JUDGES COMMENT
”I love everything about this piece of work. The insight, the idea and how it was executed in such a fresh way. It’s also lovely to see this brand constantly beautiful work over the years that’s culturally relevant to its audience.”
AWARDED
10 December 2025
ENTRANT: LePub Johannesburg
WISH I DID THAT
Judge’s Pick – Melusi Mhlungu
JUDGES COMMENT
”Very simple, very lovely. It’s such a smart, fresh use of data to turn what would have been an ordinary sponsorship billboard into a living, real-time experience.”
AWARDED
10 December 2025
ENTRANT: The Odd Number
WISH I DID THAT
Judge’s Pick – Melusi Mhlungu
JUDGES COMMENT
”This is such a brave piece of work, beautifully executed. It achieved exactly what it set out to do, getting the the outrage, creating the right conversation which made the idea even stronger.”
AWARDED
10 December 2025
WISH I DID THAT
Judge’s Pick – Melusi Mhlungu
JUDGES COMMENT
”In a time where everything feels complicated, it’s refreshing to see simple stories told in such a relatable way.”
AWARDED
10 December 2025
WISH I DID THAT
Judge’s Pick – Melusi Mhlungu
JUDGES COMMENT
”This piece was beautifully directed – so fun and so entertaining. It feels true to the brand, yet still manages to stand apart from everything they’ve done before.”
AWARDED
10 December 2025
WISH I DID THAT
Judge’s Pick – Melusi Mhlungu
JUDGES COMMENT
”What I love most about this piece of work is the detail and the craft – you can really feel the care that went into it. Its simple and clean and feels timeless, which is a hard thing to achieve brand identities especially for the purpose of this one.”
AWARDED
10 December 2025
NALEDI MANAMA’S PICKS
WISH I DID THAT
Judge’s Pick – Naledi Manama
JUDGES COMMENT
”What makes the ‘Liberty Humans Welcome’ campaign so refreshing is how simply and honestly it resonated with me. It strips away the jargon and the pressure of perfection, and instead celebrates real life; flaws, detours, surprises and all. It feels warm, modern, and genuinely human, reminding us that insurance should meet people where they are, not where they ‘should’ be. It’s punchy, relatable, and exactly the kind of voice the category needs right now.”
AWARDED
10 December 2025
WISH I DID THAT
Judge’s Pick – Naledi Manama
JUDGES COMMENT
”The Audi TikTok Test Drive campaign is just effortlessly cool. It takes something as ordinary as a test drive and turns it into a playful, thumb-driven moment that fits perfectly into how people actually use TikTok. It feels fresh, bold, and undeniably modern; the kind of idea that makes you smile because it’s so simple yet so smart.”
AWARDED
10 December 2025
WISH I DID THAT
Judge’s Pick – Naledi Manama
JUDGES COMMENT
”I love how VW’s ‘Forever Golf’ campaign leans into genuine cultural roots, it’s not just about launching a new car, it’s a love letter to decades of Golf stories as told through the framing of Sanaa Mothabisa’s lens. By asking South Africans to name the new Golf and celebrating the nicknames that emerged over eight generations, VW is handing over creative power to its community in such a warm, inclusive way. It’s smart, nostalgic, and beautifully human; a real tribute to the Golf’s legacy and its place in people’s lives.”
AWARDED
10 December 2025
WISH I DID THAT
Judge’s Pick – Naledi Manama
JUDGES COMMENT
”I love how Shoprite’s R5 Shampoo campaign is about more than just selling a product; it’s deeply human. By offering a 2‑in‑1 shampoo/concentrate for just R5 (which works out to R0.25 c per wash if my math is mathing correctly), the brand is making basic hygiene accessible to millions who previously had to choose between cleanliness and cost. It’s not just generosity, it’s restoring dignity, backed by real science, innovation, and social purpose. We need more initiatives like this.”
AWARDED
10 December 2025
TONI HUGHES’ PICKS
WISH I DID THAT
Judge’s Pick – Toni Hughes
JUDGES COMMENT
”Ag man, to capture character so authentically gave me all the feels. What a great initiative to showcase. And done so beautifully. Nice one guys.”
AWARDED
10 December 2025
WISH I DID THAT
Judge’s Pick – Toni Hughes
JUDGES COMMENT
”Wish I could have been in the helicopter…and in that massive truck.”
AWARDED
10 December 2025
WISH I DID THAT
Judge’s Pick – Toni Hughes
JUDGES COMMENT
”Wish I had been in that studio with the voice over artist for cop. Great performance.”
AWARDED
10 December 2025
WISH I DID THAT
Judge’s Pick – Toni Hughes
JUDGES COMMENT
”I felt so sorry for ‘Khumbuzile’. The writing here is so great.”
AWARDED
10 December 2025
WISH I DID THAT
Judge’s Pick – Toni Hughes
JUDGES COMMENT
”Culturally relevant, emotionally bonding. Yebo.”
AWARDED
10 December 2025
ENTRANT: LePub Johannesburg
WISH I DID THAT
Judge’s Pick – Toni Hughes
JUDGES COMMENT
”Cool art direction. Simple. Easy. Yay”
AWARDED
10 December 2025
WISH I DID THAT
Judge’s Pick – Toni Hughes
JUDGES COMMENT
”& up this goes in my books. Love the typography.”
AWARDED
10 December 2025
WISH I DID THAT
Judge’s Pick – Toni Hughes
JUDGES COMMENT
”So lekker. My VW is ‘Günter Holger Delux’ by the way. It’s a boy.”
AWARDED
10 December 2025
WISH I DID THAT
Judge’s Pick – Toni Hughes
JUDGES COMMENT
”Short. Sweet. Sterling.”
AWARDED
10 December 2025
WISH I DID THAT
Judge’s Pick – Toni Hughes
JUDGES COMMENT
”Fun like a mosquito bite. Brief, irritating, but oddly memorable.”
AWARDED
10 December 2025
ENTRANT: The Odd Number
WISH I DID THAT
Judge’s Pick – Toni Hughes
JUDGES COMMENT
”Real bravery. It’s rare to see work that feels both unapologetic and beautifully human. Love is love.”
AWARDED
10 December 2025