M&C Saatchi Abel kicked off the festive cheer with its Takealot.com Jingle Kelz Christmas advertisement that has a razor-sharp sense of humour and demonstrated that it is on the pulse of the social reality in the country.
Set in her upmarket Johannesburg home, the story involves Kelz speaking to the viewers in her signature style. The advert and set allude to a white Christmas and poke fun with highly nuanced South African jokes. One of the highlights is the Christmas jersey Kelz is wearing, and has proven to be a hit with viewers, along with a host of other clever devices throughout the advert.
This is the second time satirist, comedian and writer Lesego Tlhabi has featured in a Takealot.com advertisement, and Gordon Ray, Creative Partner of M&C Saatchi Abel said, ‘We worked with Tlhabi on a Takealot.com advert earlier this year, where her Coconut Kelz character took viewers on a tour of the Takealot.com warehouse. Kelz is a white Sandton woman trapped in a black woman’s body, perfect for appealing to South Africans. Her sharp wit and hilarious commentary on topical issues makes her a fresh choice for Takealot.com. Notorious for not liking to struggle, we felt Kelz was the perfect person to show viewers what convenience looks like in a funny, satirical jab at contemporary South Africa that appeals to a broad range of viewers.’
The Christmas holidays are very important in South Africa, and M&C Saatchi Abel’s brief was to create an advert that would stand out from the other festive season adverts on TV, something that ‘would cut through the noise,’ said Ray. ‘Shopping for gifts during Christmas time is known to be a schlep, having to deal with crowds, queues and lots of carrying. So, the idea was to show how Takealot.com removes the struggle of festive shopping by offering thousands of products that can be delivered straight to your door.’
Founding partner and CEO Mike Abel said, ‘At the end of the day, our job is to create value for our clients, and it certainly helps that we are able to have fun while doing it.’
