Sting, based in Johannesburg, will operate as an independent unit backed by TBWA\ with the ability to create video content at speed from creative ideation through to production. As part of the TBWA\ collective, Sting will also be able to leverage the agencies’ strategic and creative collective in an agile and pragmatic way for clients.
Luca Gallarelli, TBWA\South Africa GCEO, adds: “Sting is a natural extension of our growing culture. With the speed of change in South Africa, it is increasingly critical to scale up our in-house ability to unleash creative possibilities focusing on video content. Add to this our hard nosed ability to work within budgets, timelines and streamlined processes, Sting offers clients a compelling avenue for their creative needs. We are very excited to launch Sting as part of our collective.”
“In an attention-deficit economy, great storytelling is what keeps consumers glued to the content. The biggest opportunity for brands is to close that unnatural separation between concept and execution particularly as it relates to video, animated and digital content.”
Raphael Gavin will lead the content production unit as the executive producer. With over 12 years of experience in advertising, Gavin was instrumental in securing and growing clients such as Hollard, Incredible Connection, MTN, BMW and Bradlows. Gavin will work with a collective of young film directors within the company and has forged strong alliances within the industry to build Sting’s capabilities and extend service offerings.
Raphael Gavin says: “I’m thrilled at the opportunity to head TBWA\’s content production unit. Brands today are competing with everything in modern culture for attention, and they need content that is timely, culturally relevant, on brand and in-tune. That’s what Sting, an agile filmmaking collective built to produce creative and engaging content at the speed of culture, will deliver. The studio will add to the creative strength that makes the TBWA\South Africa collective so unique.”
Sting Content Productions was soft launched in January this year. During the past six months, it has built scale and infrastructure as well as proved to be a vital resource in and through the Covid-19 pandemic for clients. It also enjoys backing from TBWA and Omnicom's extensive network of other production teams covering 15 offerings worldwide lending scale and world-class capability.
