Have you ever stopped to think, and I mean really think, about where your food comes from? When you go grocery shopping and add items to your cart or basket, do you ever wonder where the food was grown and sourced from? Was it produced locally or imported? How long did it take to get to the grocery store, and how did it get there?
The journey from farm to table begins with the farmer. As consumers, most of us are entirely dependent on farmers to grow fresh produce and provide us with a variety of food sources such as grain, eggs, milk and meat. Farmers feed our nation and without them, there would be no food.
I received an invitation to attend the launch of GWK’s new TV advert, Old MacDonald Has A Farm. The launch was quite different to the ones I usually attend, and as I have a keen interest in food (some of my regular readers may have noticed this), I was curious to find out more about GWK and how this agricultural company works closely with not only farmers themselves, but with everyone that is involved in the industry.
Farm workers that put in long hours in the fields and on the farm, vets who take care of the livestock, mechanics, food scientists and drivers that deliver the end product to the stores. It literally takes an army of dedicated, hard-working and motivated people to run a farm successfully.
Take a moment to think about how challenging it must be to own and run a farm with the recent droughts in the Western Cape. Many areas in South Africa are still experiencing severe droughts and the knock-on effects it has on the farming community as a whole.
GWK launched the first highly successful ad in 2015, This Man Is Building A Rocket, which tells the story of agriculture in South Africa and the incredible work that farmers do.
The new ad, Old MacDonald Has a Farm, is nothing short of brilliant, heart-warming and truly inspirational, not to mention #ProudlySouthAfrican.
The inspiring stories that I heard about farmers and South African agriculture certainly gave me food for thought. It made me realize just how important farmers are to the community and that they need all the support they can get from organizations such as GWK.
Michélle van Breda, Editor of popular SARIE magazine, was keen for her team to get onboard with GWK and the new TV ad. The magazine is all about inspiration and celebrated their 70th anniversary this year. They wanted to cut through all the clutter and share the unique stories of South African farmers with their large audience.
She mentioned that they wanted to make a valuable contribution to this project. They did so by travelling around South Africa to interview farmers, getting to know the person behind the farmer, someone that has interests and hobbies, just like you and I. Keep an eye out for the full story in SARIE magazine.
“Four years ago, GWK’s animated TV advertisement acknowledging South African farmers and other people in agriculture for the work they are doing to feed the nation, was awarded one Loerie and three Pendoring advertising awards.
Now, GWK is proud to release the follow-up animated film, Old MacDonald Has A Farm, which promises to leave an even bigger impression on South African viewers.
In 2015 GWK shifted the public’s focus towards farmers by telling the story of South African agriculture and the amazing work these people do. They did this with an animated advertisement, This Man Is Building A Rocket, which told the story of Frank, the farmer, his son, Frikkie, and their dog, Flip.
The message was clear: Farmers are building rockets, because without them, the rest of the world (like scientists) won’t have the food to feed their minds to build rockets or do the work needed to build a better future.
This year, the world is introduced to Old MacDonald, Frank’s father. Old MacDonald Has A Farm gives insight to where Frank’s passion for farming was born, how agriculture has changed over time, how technology has changed the world of food supply, and how knowledge is exchanged between generations.
GWK has partnered with the agency MullenLowe and animators Bewilder TV, with the support of John Deere Financial and Valley Irrigation, to create this heartfelt, creative, animated advertisement as a tribute to every person working in agriculture.
Neil de Klerk, executive head of GWK Group marketing and communications, compares the approach to the new film to farmers improving their yields. “How do you improve something that is already great?” he says about the follow-up advertisement. “That is what farmers are faced with daily. Also, both advertisements were produced by local talent, which is something we can be very proud of.”
De Klerk says being awarded for the first advertisement was an honour for GWK and its partners in the project, “but the reaction to the advertisement from people from all walks of life was really special and dear to us. We hope the new advertisement will also speak to people’s hearts.”
Kirk Gainsford, MullenLowe’s creative director, confirms that the success of the first advertisement made the production of the second one both terrifying and exciting. “We knew we couldn’t make something as good as the last one, we had to make something better.”
“After we received the new storyline from the agency, it has taken us two years to develop the new set, characters, farm and props,” says Ruan Vermeulen from Bewilder about this enormous project.
The story unfolds over 90 seconds using a combination of different animation techniques, including stop-frame.
“This project is dedicated to every person working in agriculture to ensure a better future for all of us,” says De Klerk.
Old MacDonald Has A Farm is launched on GWK’s social media platforms on Friday, 27 September. The first TV screening will take place during the first episode of the new programme GWK is part of, called Ons Boere, Ons Inspirasie, broadcasted on kykNET starting 3 October.”
ISSUED FOR GWK BY: Leana Bezuidenhout, leanab@gwk.co.za
Yours in Food
xoxo
#Sponsored
