Coronation Fund Managers is one of South Africa's largest active investment companies, similar to BlackRock. I have worked on their last 2 campaigns.
2017 Campaign
For years the South African financial industry has been releasing metaphor type ads, talking in lofty terms about the long term, trust or consistency but never actually mentioning money.
We realised that making money is hard work. Regardless of what you do for a living or where you are in your career – the chances are you have put in the hours, made sacrifices and dealt with all kind of pressures. This empathy formed the basis of the 2017 Coronation brand campaign.
We created a series of radio ads asking 'What goes into your money?
'Sounds like Hard Work' explored the all the things that go into our hard-earned money through sound. Those button pressing, truck delivering, printers printing, paper jamming, concierge bells trilling, door slamming, queues snaking, stamp banging, keyboard typing, phone ringing, cellphone pinging, running late, taxi grabbing kind of days.
Each one of the 40 sounds has been meticulously tuned to match the pitch of the corresponding note in the melody of the Coronation soundtrack. Together the sounds build to create an anthem of hard work.
'Someone has Joined the Conference' highlighted an aspect of hard work we’ve all had to deal with. Conference calls. That awkwardness of speaking at the same time. That frustration of people interrupting you. Topped only by the goddamn sheer annoyance of another person joining or leaving the conference when you’re trying to talk.
2018 Campaign
Building the empathy of the 2017 campaign, we looked at the reality of investing. With unstable politics, ratings downgrades and a fluctuating currency, South Africans felt uneasy about their money and their futures.
We realised that this volatility had always been there, or at least it had since Coronation started in 1993. South Africa has always been turbulent - today is no different to any other day in the last 25 years. And through it all, Coronation has grown South African's money, earning their trust.
The 2018 campaign told the story of the last 25 years through the lens of a South African family. The TV ad is a highly charged and emotional South African story of how, no matter the circumstance, South Africans push on and achieve as individuals, fund managers and a nation. It is a story of hope.
Awards
2017 Creative Circle Ad of the Month - Radio - Third
