Advertising News South Africa

Caltex mirrors our good clean habits

Caltex, in conjunction with Y&R (Cape Town), recently completed the production of a new international brand commercial that dramatises 'clean' as the Caltex brand intrinsic which extends into a metaphor that is demonstrated via a series of 'good, clean habits'.

Caltex Regional Integrated Marketing Manager Niall Kramer (Africa and Pakistan Region) says: "Traditionally Caltex approved creative concepts and then re-shot and re-cast those to suit the brand's various markets. In this case the local creative and production skills base is being used to create international material in one campaign.

"Strategically we have achieved integration between the Brand's global positioning and strong local relevance."

Y&R Creative Director Alan Mc Donald explains: "The creative idea communicated in this commercial is designed to reinforce the Caltex brand in a tradition of product quality and cleanliness. Our creative hook in linking Caltex to 'good clean habits' is via a series of subconscious human actions that subtly deliver the message 'just what the world needs more of - Good Clean Habits'."

Y&R Art Director Craig Murley expands on the concept in more detail: "This new commercial deals with the subconscious triggers that characterise behavioural habits which people demonstrate in their daily lives, such as the brushing of an apple on a lapel, wiping our feet before entering the front door and the polishing of your cutlery before eating or the cleaning of your spectacles."

Caltex Global Brand Communications Director James Taylor sums it all up: "The creative team achieved the important brand objective which was to find resonance across our African and Asian markets whilst remaining relevant to consumers in disparate parts of the world."

Director Jason Xenopoulos filmed the commercial on 35mm with a crew of 50 - including two cats - all on location in Cape Town. The commercial can be seen on television and in cinemas from 1 August 2005.

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