Saturday's Tri-Nations victory against Australia was the setting for the launch of the new Castle Lager TV commercial. Titled 'War Cry', the ad attempts to harness the passion that our national teams inspire in us as South Africans.
Bafana-Bafana, the Springboks and the National Cricket Team are featured together - a feat Castle could accomplish given its sponsorship of all three of our national sports teams.
Developed by Ogilvy Johannesburg, the 60-second commercial provides a fly-on-the-wall experience of our elite sportsmen in their change rooms as they mentally prepare for the challenges on the field.
Senior Brand Manager Mike Middleton says the war cry that they sing, featuring the words "Hamba nathi mkhululi wethu" or "Go with us, our liberator", reflects the summoning up of the courage, inspiration and strength required to conquer the team they are about to face.
Middleton says: "Castle Lager, like our national sporting teams, is a proud icon of the very best South Africa has to offer. War Cry highlights the passion and pride that these national icons inspire in us as South Africans."
Production kicked off in May with the National Cricket Team, fresh from their tour of the West Indies, who were filmed singing at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. Next up were the Springboks, who exercised their vocal chords while on a training camp at Vodacom Park in Bloemfontein, while Bafana Bafana were put through their singing paces at Kings Park in Durban.
"Castle's passion for South African sport is well known and this commercial confirms our continued association and support of the three national teams," says SAB Sponsorship Manager Rob Fleming.
War Cry will be flighted on SABC 1, 2 and 3, e.tv and M-Net.
