20 South African fashion designers collaborate on new Castle Lite campaign- Money Calling
Egg Films’ Lebogang Rasethaba directed Money Calling, a new multi-format video which includes several TVCs and a music video featuring South African hip hop stars Nadia Nakai, Frank Casino and music producer Dellz.
Money Calling is set in a mysterious, moody, cold world of high fashion, rituals, and a council of elders. The house is icy and futuristic as ever, with high-fashion pieces from over 20 South African designers, including the likes of Black Coffee, Chulaap, David Tlale, Kiara Gounder, Kisua, Kumkani, and Thebe Magugu.
“For the first time, authenticity doesn’t feel like a boardroom dream; it feels like something we were able to achieve just by the sheer scale of collaboration,” says Rasethaba.
Nakai and Casino both recently shared the stage with Chance the Rapper at the #CastleLiteUnlocks concert. Nakai was nominated for Best Music Video at this year’s South African Music Awards (SAMAs), while Casino won Best Remix at last year’s South African Hip Hop Awards for Whole Thing with Riky Rick.
Money Calling earned a Special Mention at the ididtht Craft Awards, where guest judge Stuart Stobbs, chief creative officer at 1886 Advertising, said, “Wow, a song and a music video that have been made for a brand but don’t seem like they’ve been made by a brand! Great job. Lebo and Egg have masterfully crafted some real kick-ass Wakanda-like imagery. Also, love the constant icefall that ties every shot together in a dreamy, chilly, afrofuture fantasy wonderland.”
This campaign for Castle Lite’s new resealable 910ml bottle was Lebo’s fourth for Ogilvy and the brand. “This kind of campaign was only possible because of the level of trust and mutual appreciation we’ve developed over time,” says Rasethaba.
Rory O’Grady shot the ad, which was edited by William Kalmer at Post Modern and finished at BlackGinger. Gabrielle de Gersigny and Candice Lee Waldman oversaw the wardrobe, while Chris Bass was the production designer, earning special praise from Nakai on Instagram, where she posted, “How amazing is the styling and art direction?”
For Ogilvy, Nicholas Wittenberg was executive creative director, Neil White was the associate creative director and copywriter, and Mark Haefele was the creative group head and art director, with Sharon Martin producing.
About Lebogang Rasethaba
Rasethaba grew up in South Africa, spent five years in China completing his master’s in film studies, and returned to his mother continent with a remarkable skill set and a handy fluency in Mandarin.
Since then, he has made his mark on the advertising world, winning Creative Circle Ad of the Year, working with a spread of international brands, and featuring regularly on sites like Highsnobiety, i-D, Nowness and Vice.
His Sons of Kemet music video was screened at TED Global in 2017, while Lebogang has also completed four feature-length documentaries, The People Vs Patriarchy, The People Vs The Rainbow Nation, Future Sound of Mzansi, and Prisoner 46764: The Untold Legacy of Andrew Mlangeni. Rasethaba’s documentary work brings him closer to people’s lived experiences and adds a sense of realism to his commercials.
“There is this intensely creative, unapologetically young and curious energy in South Africa that I sense and subscribe to; it’s really infectious and I point my camera in that direction.”
Credits-
Campaign: Money Calling
Client: SAB
Agency: Ogilvy & Mather CPT
City & country: JHB, South Africa
Agency producer: Sharon Martin
Executive Creative Director: Nicholas Wittenberg
Associate Creative Director (copywriter): Neil White
Creative Group Head (Art Director): Mark Haefele
Director: Lebogang Rasethaba
Director of photography: Rory O’ Grady
Production co art director: Chris Bass
Production co producer: Julia Schnurr
Executive producer: Colin Howard
Editing company & city: Post Modern (JHB)
Editor: William Kalmer
Post production co & city: BlackGinger (CPT)
Music & music publisher: Dellz /Nadia Nakai / Frank Casino
Other credits: Wardrobe by Gabrielle De Gersigny & Candice Lee Waldman
