In a world of SAB adverts, such sincere and nuanced tributes are hard to come by, writes Chris Thurman SOUTH African Breweries (SAB) spends a lot of money on advertising, marketing and sponsorship. Indeed, the sheer volume of adverts produced by SAB over the years has ensured that, every now and then, it hits the right note (Nostradamus made so many predictions he was statistically guaranteed to get a few correct, and even a broken clock is accurate twice a day).Sometimes SAB has taken advantage of the national zeitgeist — remember white Mike and black George drinking Castle Lager together in 1990? Sometimes it has been bold enough to manufacture a unified national identity through idealised beer-drinking cricket, rugby and soccer supporters. SAB adverts can induce patriotic responses; they also run the risk of banality. Sometimes, they just get it horribly wrong.You’d think the brewing giant would have learned this lesson by now: it’s not a good idea to use Youth Day to try to prom...
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