Storytelling in advertising is what most people talk about, but not everyone gets it right. #MyLifeIn5Ads is a regular column that features professionals from all corners of the Marketing & advertising industry to give a Pat on marketing communications that resonates with them the most. This time we feature the multi-award-winning copywriter Tshepo Tumahole. Here’s what he had to say:
“This has probably been one of the most complex, yet effortless questions I have had to answer. It’s so unexpected and honestly, the answers should be obvious but yet it took me weeks to actually encapsulate my life into 5 ads. As someone in advertising, you always look at commercials for what they will mean to the public but once you have to look at them for what they meant to you is like asking a doctor to diagnose themselves”. – Tshepo Tumahale
Without further ado, here is his life in 5 Ads:
Chapter 1: Sasol – Live forever. Live football
I was still in primary school when this commercial came out and I remember how we started calling one of my friends ‘My computer’ because of this. We had even started incorporating some of the moves from the ad when we would play soccer against each other. This was a commercial that really cut-through for me. I can’t imagine why any soccer-loving kid would not enjoy watching this commercial.
Chapter 2: MTN – Potsotso
Talk to me, don’t talk at me. This is one of those commercials that really represented black people. Yes, we are singing and dancing in the commercial but it wasn’t intended to be stereotypical at all and it doesn’t feel like it is. For me once again, as a kid watching this commercial, I felt represented. My reality was being embraced.
Chapter 3: Chicken Licken – Ernesto
This is probably the only commercial I knew word-for-word from top to tail, probably because the entire commercial only had one word. I didn’t understand anything about concepts when this commercial came out but I knew that I loved ads and I loved this one in particular. In retrospect, I realise how this ad influenced me in my career because I always strive for simplicity because brilliant ideas are always the simplest.
Chapter 4: FNB – Start imagining
Most of the commercials I enjoyed were about football, clearly! Before I get into it, doesn’t this kid look like Siya Kolisi? Okay, so personally I have had many instances where I have been the youngest person in the boardroom and that requires one to be really confident. I have always liked this commercial for the confidence that the kid expressed. I wanted to become a footballer growing up, so you can imagine the influence this commercial had on me.
Chapter 5: Castle Lager – Hamba Nathi
First things first, I envy whoever was on the set of this commercial. So how did it influence my life? To this day, I feel like the only thing better than writing an award-winning commercial is shooting a commercial with your heroes.
I hope this list gives you a clear picture of the things I enjoy and who I am. If it doesn’t, I will just say have humour, representation, simplicity, motivation or sports, and your commercial will form part of my life forever…maybe.
