Wimpy, one of the country’s favourite casual dining family restaurants, is inspiring South Africans who never have enough time, to make the time for the ones that they love.
And, leading the campaign, is its first brand ad in five years.
Created by FCB Joburg, the #MakeTime campaign broke with a television commercial at the end of May flighting on SABC, eTV and DSTV channels in 60-second, 45-second and 30-second versions.
According to FCB Joburg Joint Chief Creative Officer, Ahmed Tilly, who led the creative team of Creative Director Suhana Gordhan, Art Director Jonathan Wolberg and Copywriter Paul Frade, #MakeTime was born of collaborative process between agency and client.
“Wimpy wanted to reinforce its credentials around family with a fresh and honest platform that the brand can own for years to come, not create a new brand purpose. This means reiterating that Wimpy has always been a family restaurant where great moments and memories are shared,” he said.
“In unpacking the brief, we realised that the biggest threat to family is ‘time poverty’. This came from the insight that the modern existence is so time pressed, are always juggling work and home life,” he said.
“Importantly, there’s barely time to spend with the people that matter to us. We take those people for granted and are so quick to be distracted by work, entertainment, our phones, social media and the rat-race of life.
“So, we asked the question ‘What if Wimpy was the brand that could help South Africans connect again?’ And from this, we found a way for Wimpy to be part of the solution to the modern syndrome.”
The ad, shot by Bouffant Films and finished by Fuel Content and Nova, draws viewers’ attention to those opportunities to connect that many of us don’t even realise we are missing. Featuring an emotive track composed track by Audio Militia, it gently tugs at viewers’ heart strings, demonstrating them that it doesn’t take much to show someone you care – and a meal at Wimpy is the best of those ways.
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Commenting on the #MakeTime campaign and the brand ad, Wimpy Marketing Manager, Luise Peters, said that, since the first restaurant opened in Durban in 1967, Wimpy has inspired families and friends to come together for shared moments over meals.
“For the past 50 years’ families have joined us for our Famous Wimpy Coffees, our Classic Breakfasts, our iconic Wimpy Burgers, Famous Grills and thick milkshakes,” she said.
“The truth is, we don’t just serve delicious meals. We’ve always served moments, family moments that are worth sharing, and this campaign has been such a joy to bring to life for us as a brand.
“We are first and foremost a family brand and for many years families have made the time to enjoy a meal at our stores nationwide. However, we recognise that as people get busier and the pace of life gets faster, even something as simple as making time to have a meal together can be difficult.
“We want to encourage families to take stock and realize that even though time may never seem enough, we need to make time for the ones that we love.”
Ahmed pointed out that a new brand campaign is a big deal for a retail business. However, with Wimpy turning 50 this year, it was the perfect time to remind South Africans what Wimpy is truly about.
“We created a beautifully considered and crafted piece of work that maintained authenticity and cast real, believable everyday South Africans. All kudos to our director, Dean Blumberg, who spread his net really wide and dedicated weeks to finding the right people for this TVC.
“Additionally, kudos to the brand: as an agency it is exciting when a client chooses to be brave and abandon old methods that aren’t necessarily delivering the results that they could.
“It is amazing to touch on an insight that means so much to so many people. We believe this is a powerful message for the brand, and one that Wimpy can truly own.
“When a brand wants to honour their true purpose, it can only lead to great things. So far, we have received an overwhelmingly positive reaction and we are really excited about the next part of our journey with Wimpy,” said Ahmed.