New ad shows a minute in the life of Senegalese brand Kirène

Overt product placement is often seen as a bad thing in modern advertising, with agencies tending to favour more subtle brand-building than this. Yet sometimes it can work, as is the case with Fait de Sénégal, a new ad for Senegal’s leading drinks brand, Kirène.

Directed and produced entirely in Senegal, the ad takes us into the heart of capital Dakar as we explore one midday minute – marked at the beginning and end of the film by an analogue clock – that takes in different perspectives from across the city.

Set to the classic rhythms of Orchestra Baobab, in that minute the film takes in teeming markets, snaking traffic, street weavers, rollerblading youth, a newborn’s first birthday, plus airline workers arriving at the airport. Kirène water runs through every scene as an essential thread of daily life, a technique that manages to feel authentic rather than grating.

The film was directed by Kes-Tchaas Eccleston and Xavier Damase, and written, directed and produced end to end in Senegal, by a Senegalese team. “We work with many brands and on a lot of advertising, but with this film we wanted to show that world class work can be produced entirely in West Africa, telling our own stories,” says producer Ibra Dia. “That is the whole point for us at Couro Prod.”

Credits:
Production: Couro Prod
Directors: Kes-Tchaas Eccleston, Xavier Damase
DoP: Sam Meyer
Producer: Ibra Dia
Editing: Xavier Damase, Kes-Tchaas Eccleston
Colour: Thomas Kumeling (Doma)
VFX: Lucas Hrubizna
Sound Design & Mix: Oskar Justesen
Music: Orchestra Baobab