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Tough times ruin the story for SA's ad makers
Powerful storytelling is the common thread in the latest list of most-liked commercials, but budget cuts mean fewer advertisers are opting for this approach
Budget cutbacks and a greater emphasis on price and promotion over brand development are impeding the local advertising industry’s ability to make television ads that resonate with consumers. That’s the blunt view of one leading creative director as the Kantar Millward Brown Best-Liked Ads list for the first two quarters of 2017 is released. The upshot is that six ads in a combined list of 20 have been made by overseas agencies. The auto industry is most affected by this new economic paradigm as only one locally made car ad makes the list. In previous years the list was dominated by memorable car ads – always seen as a badge account for agencies. Nowadays it’s more cost effective to repurpose a global ad and channel marketing budget into below-the-line retail work and digital products where customer response is more measurable. Topping the list for Q2 is FCB Johannesburg’s ad for Toyota HiLux called "Tough-er My Son". The big-budget ad uses all the devices the brand has become famou...
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