Advertising Company news South Africa

Kantar announces South Africa's Top 20 Best Liked Ads for 2019

Kantar's Best Liked Ads celebrates South Africa's favourite TV commercials. These are the ads that have been rated as the best liked by the South African audience, whom we believe to be the most important critic - the person who ultimately chooses to buy your brand or not.

The way you make me feel…

Remembering and rebellion topped the qualities of the year’s hero ads, with liquid messaging at the very top of the list. Sasol’s ‘This isn't just any fuel, #ThisIsGlugGlug’ by FCB Joburg was not only the top ad of Q2 2019 but also the overall best liked ad for the year, filled with all the wide-eyed wonder and nostalgic feel-good magic of the original ‘glug-glug’ ad of 1991.

This renewed take on that much-loved classic proves the oft-quoted Maya Angelou true: “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” We know that people feel first and think second, and ads that are creative and emotionally engaging tend to work better and build memorable and lasting impressions.

The same clearly holds true for brands and flows smoothly into the year’s second-best: Heineken’s ‘Unmissable’ by Publicis Milan for the Uefa League, also the star ad of Q1 of 2019. This piece of communication’s star power links to the universal truth that watched kettles never boil and your team is most likely to score that all-important equalising goal when your attention is momentarily diverted from the on-screen action.

Making a run for it

Nonetheless, whether you saw it happen live with your own eyes or not, it’s still something to celebrate – something you can’t help but do when seeing the year’s overall third-spot contender, Edgars’ spunky ‘Don't tell me what to do’ by VMLY&R, featuring the colourful Tsonga chameleon Sho Madjozi, who has changed the SA fashion and music game alike and brought a taste for local flavour to global palates.

Little wonder that dance culture is such a core component of the nation’s essence. But we also feel the beat of intensifying the action, especially if you’re as driven as the feisty female athletes associated with Nike’s ‘Dream Crazier’ mantra by Wieden + Kennedy, even more of a win when reflected on in #WomensMonth: "If they think your dreams are crazy, show them what crazy dreams can do."

Then again, you may not be as keen on the treadmill as the competitive gymers in Ogilvy SA’s ‘Treadmill’ work for Cadbury Lunch Bar but you’ll certainly be entertained as they slide neatly into fourth spot for the year. But it’s Vodacom’s ‘It’s a tie’ by Openfield Marketing, cinching fifth position overall, which proves VR and AR may well be the way of the future when it comes to sport, especially with remote living now the way of the world and many feeling they’re starting to live at work rather than working from home.

Next stop, adventure!

That sense of adventure and urge to rebel was another strong thread in the advertising that kept us entertained last year, felt strongly in sixth place with Savanna’s #RulesDontApply by HelloFCB+ and Tropika’s ‘School of Smooth’ by Joe Public, coming in ninth for the year and the highest ranked ad of the final quarter of last year. We want to close our eyes to the chaos and picture ourselves lulled by the sound of waves and the tasty tropics far, far away. It’s a trend that’s bound to continue as the nation’s eyes have been largely turned inward as a result of all the mayhem and upheaval of 2020.

That delicious storytelling air of ‘take me away’ also wafts through in Nespresso’s ‘Really George’ from McCann New York, with the Game-of-Thrones-esque update on the epic coffee quest featuring George Clooney and Natalie Dormer rated the top ad of Q3 and coming in 13th spot overall for the year. Escapism at its best.

Congratulations to the following brands and agencies:

#1 Ad for 2019

Sasol This isn't just any fuel. #ThisIsGlugGlug
FCB Joburg

#2 Ad for 2019

Heineken Unmissable
Publicis Milan

#3 Ad for 2019

Edgars Don't tell me what to do
VMLY&R

Kantar announces South Africa's Top 20 Best Liked Ads for 2019

Top 20 of 2019

RANK AD CREATIVE AGENCY
1Sasol “This isn't just any fuel. #ThisIsGlugGlug”FCB Joburg
2Heineken “Unmissable”Publicis Milan
3Edgars “Don't tell me what to do”VMLY&R
4Cadbury Lunchbar "Treadmill"Ogilvy South Africa
5Vodacom “It's a tie”Openfield Marketing Johannesburg
6Savanna “#RulesDontApply”HelloFCB+
7Wimpy “Great getaway grill’r”FoxP2 Joburg
8Nike “Dream crazier”Wieden + Kennedy Portland
9Tropika “School of smooth”Joe Public
10Debonairs “Cram-decker”FCB Joburg
11Future Life “… is the future of breakfast”Old Friends Young Talent
12Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate “Mom's birthday”Ogilvy South Africa
13Nespresso “Really George”McCann New York
14FNB “Extended family”FoxP2 Joburg
15Tastic and David Tlale “#My Heritage 2019”DNA Brand Architects
16Heineken “Rugby World Cup 2019 - You don’t need to know the rules to enjoy the game”Publicis Italy
17Amstel “Timeless (wedding)”VMLY&R
18KFC “Nach'yo usual cheese, nach'your usual cheese burger”Ogilvy South Africa
19Takealot “Think tech, think Takealot.com”M&C Saatchi Abel
20Spur “Flagbearer”99c



The winners were announced at Kantar’s #GetMediaRight webinar, “The more things change, the more they stay the same. New vs old media: Influencers, gaming and TV, where should brands focus?”, where the team from Kantar explore the impact of influencer marketing for brands, the world of e-sports and gaming and the biggest debate of all, whether TV still deserves massive support. Or not? Click here to watch on demand.

Click here to view a PDF of all the ads.

Adtrack™ is Kantar's proprietary advertising testing system, evaluating the impact and liking of all brand advertising in South Africa for over 35 years. The resultant database stands at over 100,000 TV adverts tested, and more than 1.1 million interviews conducted, making this database one of the largest of its kind in the world. Find out how your creative and media benchmarks against the competition! Adtrack is the most comprehensive and sophisticated post launch evaluation and planning efficiency tool available. A commissioned Adtrack study offers deeper insight and understanding on the performance and effectiveness of your ads. Through the use of Kantar’s Media Optimiser tool, we are able to recommend the optimal future flighting of ads, to maximise your return on investments. Adtrack studies are available across all media channels.

For enquires about Adtrack, contact

Monique Claassen
Director Media and Digital
moc.ratnak@nessaalc.euqinom

Kantar
Kantar is the world's leading evidence-based insights and consulting company. We have a complete, unique and rounded understanding of how people think, feel and act; globally and locally in over 90 markets. By combining the deep expertise of our people, our data resources and benchmarks, our innovative analytics and technology we help our clients understand people and inspire growth.
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