Savanna Cider, with its crisp, dry and daringly witty sense of humour, is known for uplifting the nation through humour. This light-hearted perspective on life and the introduction of Siyavanna South Africa – “We get you; we are on the same page” – has enabled Savanna to effortlessly tap into everyday situations and bring them to life. Think of Savanna as the social commentator around South Africans’ everyday life.
Introducing its latest television commercial, My friend, Savanna is tackling the #MyFriendZone. Not the one you are probably thinking about (sitting on your couch surrounded by wet tissues after your crush rejects you) – the other kind; the multiple friends South Africans tend make going around their daily business. The barman, the receptionist arriving at the office park at the same time as you every morning, or that regular spotting you a mile away to help you carry your bags. Each person becomes your friend, buddy, bafo, nja yam, bru or chana. This is all good and well but one crucial question never gets asked: “What is your name?”
No issue. Let’s just put them in the #MyFriendZone. No issue, of course, until a name is required. “As a friendly nation, it is hard to imagine that nobody has ever been in this situation – you could also be in the #MyFriendZone. The television commercial brings to life this everyday occurrence and will leave South Africans with that ahaaaa moment – the penny drops, and we can relate to both having a friend and being a friend,” says Eugene Lenford, Marketing Manager at Savanna. “People connect with ads that make them feel something, and subtle clever humour that makes you think is one of the surest ways to cause an emotive response. As South Africans, we don’t take ourselves too seriously, so humour is our superpower.”
Savanna has never wavered in its commitment to nurture, support and encourage comedic talent in this country while remaining culturally relevant and inclusive of a generation that has grown up with the internet. Over the past year, Savanna has taken on many human truths with a crisp and witty perspective. Entertaining South Africans during Level 5 lockdown with the Savanna Virtual Comedy Bar (people were lonely and looking for an outlet), launching the Siyavanna Institute of Influence (the big deal around being an influencer in this era) and Savatical (we all need to rest, bafwethu, rest) – all of which added to cement Savanna as the biggest cider brand in the country.
“We love South Africa and its people, but what we love even more is observing national quirks. We will continue to point these out and to bring forward a light-hearted perspective on life,” concluded Lenford.
It’s dry, but you can drink it.
