Partnering with commercial director, Mpho Twala from Rudeboy Collective, Riverbed Agency produced a TVC that spoke to the convenience of frozen vegetable and frozen potato brand Harvestime within a very familiar South African context of a young wife trying to impress her husband’s relatives.
While the word Makoti describes a young married woman or a new wife, it is also a word abundant in culture and expectation. Traditionally, Makoti plays a vital role in the home, having to take care of the dishes, washing and cooking, as well as her new family. ‘Harvestime recognises that in modern society, Makoti still wants to impress her new family with their favourite dishes, but as time is usually tight, we have gone the extra mile to do some of the work for her, so that she can spend more time adding her magic touch,’ said Jabulile Gwala from Harvestime.
Targeting young, emerging couples and mothers across LSM 4–7, the latest Harvestime TVC promotes Harvestime’s value without compromising on quality. These home cooks are driven to express love and care for their family and a desire to feel appreciated and admired for making a delicious meal or side dish.
Bridget Johnson, the agency’s ECD, said, ‘Everyone can relate to the stress and anxiety of meeting the in-laws for the first time. While it is a universal situation, our creative had to embody the cultural and typical South African nuances that we knew our audience would resonate with. Twala is a seasoned storyteller with a knack of landing authentic characters and humour that connects. As such, the casting was crucial. We wanted the audience to see their own family members in this story, and associate it with their own experiences.’
‘It is always such a privilege to create work that entertains and stirs up emotion – connecting in a meaningful way. Working with Mpumi Ngwenya, the creative lead on this brief, our creative team is proud to have crafted a little moment of connection on behalf of our client. It’s what keeps our jobs real,’ added Johnson.
