Castle Lite has a reputation for making major announcements surrounding music and entertainment. When they weren’t bringing Drake to the country for a one-night only performance, they were inviting a select few to their “island” in Plett. So, naturally, when the brand invited the media to a special announcement this week, everyone speculated about the epic-ness of what was going to be revealed.
“Will it be A$AP Rocky?”
“Nah, too niche.”
“Hm. Drake again?”
“Maybe.”
And so the speculations went until we decided to go and look at the name tags on a table on the stage at the venue. Lebo Rasethaba next to $tilo Magolide next to Vaughn Croeser. A film director, a rapper and the brand’s marketing manager. Wait, no Drake tag? Ha!
Turns out the brand might be done with their subtle marketing through concerts. Now, they’re being direct with the product information and not hiding that they’re tagging the selling point onto whatever’s hot in the streets. The point of the campaign is to let people know that the liquor is lagered at -2.5°C. The method that this information is delivered in is through a music video shot in a sub-zero climate.
$tilo Magolide and his Boyzn Bucks crew are definitely IT right now so it makes sense to involve the rapper and Rasethaba’s Future Sounds of Mzansi documentary makes him one to watch. A song called Ziyabanda was recorded and, together with the video, will be released on the Castle Lite website today.
It’s interesting that Rasethaba used actual ice to mimic sounds in the music – like a snare. And while the product placement in the video for Ziyabanda isn’t all that corny, it still comes off as just a long beer ad.
Croeser said the question they asked themselves was: “How can we bring the concept of lagering – which is quite boring – to life?”
A video shoot at an ice rink in the East Rand was the answer. “I’ve always been a huge fan of Sub-Zero from Mortal Kombat,” said $tilo, “Ice has always been my thing. So writing (lyrics) about ice became easier because I thought of myself as Sub-Zero and Scorpion was about to get it! And then I bodied the track.”
It’s suspect to me that there was a constant mention of the producer of the song as “the producer of the song” and a refusal to name him, even though his camera-shyness and soundscape lead me to believe it’s Sibot – someone whom I don’t know personally, but believe his values are anti-corporation.
Maybe hosting a whole press conference for the announcement of a free download and video drop is the brand’s way of putting South African music on a larger scale since they would’ve done the same for Drake coming back.
Or maybe the other shoe has finally dropped and brands are back to openly seeking association with participants of sub-cultures in ways that don’t naturally gel.
You be the judge.
l The Ziyabanda video and free download drops on www.castlelite.co.za today.