Orchids and Onions – Harvestime’s city slicker wooing the gogos is a winner

The best advertising is that which encompasses some basic human truth… because it speaks to a common, shared experience. Because of this, it can often open the door to a consumer’s mind as, instinctively, that consumer feels the brand “knows me”.

A basic human truth across all cultures is that of busybody relatives hovering around a young married, or about-to-be-married, couple.

Volkswagen is capitalising on that with its T-Cross TV ad, which features a young couple fleeing in their car, pursued by Mom and Dad who want to know “when are you getting married?” and “when are you having kids?”

Harvestime, the vegetable producer which is part of the McCain group, has done a similar thing with its latest ad for its mixed vegetables. But, this time, it has an African cultural spin.

We see a group of busybody women travelling to the city. They are off to meet their friend’s son and his makoti – his new wife. She, though, comes from “the city” and the ladies make it plain to their friend that they think her son may have made a mistake.

“Can she cook?” is the main thing which seems to concern them, because a makoti’s role is to look after the house and ensure everyone is fed.

It has been that way since time immemorial – but they clearly worry that these urban people of today will have lost touch with their culture.

One of the women even comes prepared with her own collection of fresh vegetables … “we might need these”.

As they sit down to the “city stew”, they are not aware, as we are, that the young wife has put everything together using Harvestime veggies. They start with a cynical look but that quickly changes as they realise the stew is as good as anything they could produce.

The husband’s mother proclaims the “city stew” to be excellent, while one of her friends gives the young man the sign that his chosen one has passed the test… she is a “good makoti”.

It’s a simple ad, based around a simple human truth, but put into the contemporary South African context. It’s also a nod to the fact that not all South Africa’s black consumers are “black diamonds” swanning around in Range Rovers. Many are ordinary people living ordinary lives and trying to marry culture and modernity, rural and urban.

For that authenticity, as well as the fact that the ad showcases the product well, the Harvestime ad gets an Orchid.

So too does Riverbed agency, which worked with the brand on the concept – and another to director Mpho Twala from Rudeboy Collective for bringing it to life.

Totalsports may have tried to signal its virtue in opposing racism and brutality this week by announcing it was removing posters of Springbok Eben Etzebeth from all of its stores around the country … but the move may well backfire.

In pious, sanctimonious tones, the company – which is part of The Foschini Group of retailers – said it was not taking sides in the Etzebeth case (he is accused of assault and racism following an incident at a pub on the West Coast a few months ago). However, the incident had, it said, been felt in its stores. Therefore, it was removing all posters and cardboard cut-outs of the Bok lock.

Well, actually, you clever Cape Town white liberal ponytails who decided on this weapons-grade grovelling, you are taking sides by removing the artwork, because you are saying, in effect, you believe Etzebeth is guilty. All, of course, long before any court has pronounced on the matter.

In other words, justice means nothing to you.

That’s the flip side of the message you are conveying. And that’s the one that many people – and not just die-hard Etzebeth supporters – are hearing.

An unanswered question is: why did it take you so long (right until days before the Rugby World Cup final) to feel outraged?

The problem for you, Totalsports, is that you just look cynical in trying to take advantage of a national issue.

And the fact that your position has been magnified via social media – and now evolved to the point where the entire Foschini group may be facing a boycott from a certain section of the country – means this was shooting yourself in the foot in a marketing sense.

You have also vastly overestimated (possibly thanks to the snake oil shills out there) the importance of a brand “doing good”.

Most people don’t care about that – they care about your prices and service. Judging from some of the comments I’ve seen on social media, those aren’t that marvellous.

So, you get an Onion from me.

Brendan Seery.

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