To break through the sea of advertising clutter, a television commercial needs an amazing story or legendary characters – or both.

 

Sanlam’s new Wealthsmiths commercial takes viewers back to the scene of ‘The Rumble in the Jungle’, vividly recounting the eight-round fight between defending champion George Foreman and Muhammad Ali. The challenger’s initial defensive strategy sees Foreman’s strength wane, and calculating just the right moment to go into attack mode, Ali strikes and knocks out his opponent.

 

To bring the commercial to life, the King James Group called on leading visual solutions provider, Greatstock, to assist with rights and clearances of the iconic fight footage and the famous personalities involved.

 

A legendary fight

Original fight footage was edited with shots by Giant Films Production Company to craft a compelling storytelling of the seismic boxing event. The fight is recounted from the perspective of a man who witnessed the clash in Kinshasa in 1974. Live action scenes were shot in the same location to add authenticity.

 

“The project was challenging – especially dealing with international heavyweight personalities like Ali and Foreman”, says Managing Director of Greatstock, Margi Sheard. “It required an understanding of US law and practices, combined with strong negotiating skills.”

 

Greatstock’s production experience proved invaluable to the project, acting as a conduit between producer, personality and agency at every stage of script development. “We avoided many potential pitfalls by continuing negotiations during pre-production and shoot stages,” says Sheard. “The result is a fine-tuned commercial, with a stunning combination of authentic footage and creative production work.”

 

More than just stock

Greatstock has an excellent reputation in obtaining rights and clearances for famous personalities, sporting talent and rights holders for international events – including the likes of Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi and Ray Charles, and also bodies such as the International Olympics Committee, UEFA, and the European Space Agency.

 

"It’s essential to understand the legal requirements of agencies and production companies. The rights required by the client have to match the terms of the talent being cleared,” explains Sheard. “One of Greatstock’s services includes efficient and reliable clearances, to assist agencies and brands see their ideas come to life.”

 

Watch the Sanlam commercial here. For more information on Greatstock’s visual solutions, visit www.greatstock.co.za.