NESTLÉ CREMORA has launched a campaign to celebrate and embrace inclusivity for all people living in South Africa. Through the relaunch of Mzansi’s iconic advert “It’s Not Inside…It’s On Top”, the brand has taken a direction to be more inclusive while encouraging consumers to feel the Joy of Inclusion. 

There are five adverts in total represented by inclusion heroes, namely:

• Differently abled persons: ErikHolm
• Persons with Albinism: Palesa Mosiea
• Businesswoman: Mmatema Moremi
• Multi-Racial Couple: Phetogo Siane and Takara Brooke
• LGBTQIA+: Nomsa Butheluezi-Shezi

To enlighten us about the NESTLÉ CREMORA Joy of Inclusion campaign, is Consumer Communications and Marketing Excellence Director of Nestlé ESAR, Zumi Njongwe:

1. Tell us about the history of  NESTLÉ CREMORA

Since 1966, NESTLÉ CREMORA has been a family favourite helping families create beautiful memories with their loved ones through its rich and creamy taste. 

Over time, the brand became more than just a coffee and tea creamer as consumers started using it in food and baked goods. Through these multiple uses, the brand became ingrained in the culture and fabric of South African homes.  In 1985, NESTLÉ CREMORA launched its iconic TV campaign which would become a classic many decades to come. This was followed by a remake in 1998, showing similar creative but with a different cast as this was after the 1st democratic elections. What we know is that this work resonated with many people and cemented this brand in the zeitgeist of culture.

2. What is the new campaign that the brand has launched?

As we were thinking about our next communication, we found a great insight centred around how our consumers use JOY as fuel to help revitalise them to live their best lives. That together with this notion that one of JOY’s new articulations is about the freedom to be yourself, we found a big idea around this notion of ‘the joy of inclusion’. Therefore, we thought we would remake the classic but bring this idea to life. We know that South Africa has come a long way and we want to home in on the positive progresses we have achieved as a nation and the work we still need to do to ensure we are included.  With the Joy of Inclusion campaign, we don’t only want to embrace inclusivity, but we want to remind South Africans of how far we’ve come.

We hope that the reimagination of the classic adverts sparks positive attitudes in how we observe each other and drive acceptance regardless of our backgrounds, social statuses, race, differences, skin colour, sexual orientation, gender and so on.  All our cast have real stories to tell about their lives and honestly these where the stories we wanted to tell over a coffee, tea or delicious dish made with NESTLÉ CREMORA.

3. Who are the voices behind the NESTLÉ CREMORA new commercial?

The protagonists that we have chosen for the campaign are deliberate and they represent a territory in line with inclusivity. There are many people who are represented by each of the five NESTLÉ CREMORA protagonists namely Erik Holm (Differently-abled persons), Palesa Mosiea (persons with albinism) , Nomsa Buthelezi-Shezi (LGBTQIA+ community), Mmatema Moremi (Business woman) as well as Phetogo Siane and Takara Brooke (Multi-racial couple).

4. Why Joy of Inclusion?

Although we’ve come this far as a nation, we are not oblivious to the hard facts that most people struggle with accepting people for who and what they are. This campaign is about creating a platform that inspires people to go beyond stereotypes. The current generation has a new expectation of us and themselves. They know that there is no greater joy than the freedom to be yourself and to let others be themselves. So, we’re disrupting the old stereotypes that confined people because inclusion is the shared joy of our generation.

5. Inclusion is one of South Africa’s sensitive topics, why has the brand chosen to go into this territory of inclusion?

Looking back at the evolution of this campaign, you will note that both memorable adverts represent an era relating to that specific period of time. The 1985 advert speaks to the South Africa of then, while the 1998 version mirrors the South Africa of that time.

So, we thought why not reflect the times in which we are now operating though this idea of inclusion. We have truly evolved as a nation and as people, and we have certainly become more expressive about who and what we are – unapologetically so. Although the topic of inclusivity might be controversial in some sectors, our intent is to use the campaign to encourage and advocate for change or at least continued discussions about what inclusion looks like today. The brand’s heritage and light-hearted approach through this creative execution is bolstered by the real stories from our cast, and about their lived experiences to bring more gravitas to their conversations. 

We are delving into this territory, because it’s necessary and it’s important. We also believe that being inclusive in advertising isn’t only socially and morally right, it’s also good for business as inclusivity drives sales and brand building in the same way inclusive boards drive better decision making.

6. NESTLÉ CREMORA is a nostalgic brand; many people would probably associate the product with many special occasions of their lives. Why should Joy of Inclusion matter to everyday South Africans?

Most consumers want to be represented in culture, and we know that more than 79% of consumers want to see themselves represented in communication work, while more than 81% want brands that partner with other entities to resolve the problems they face. Those stats are very telling given the current reality where we see less than 1% of communication showing differently abled people. Women account for over 80% of purchase decisions but shown less frequently on communication work in the right portrayals (positive and constructive characterisations). We know that presence alone won’t help, but that together with showing the right perspective and characterisation, can help shape the way we view each other as well as accept each other with many other initiatives. It should matter to each one of us in many ways than one. Our world is changing, and our consumers are changing, and as marketers we also must change. Given our presence for over 50 years we have accepted this challenge and we will continue to do better across our brands as we learn and grow.

7. Where can we find more information on the campaign?

For more information visit www.cremora.co.za/EveryonesIncluded or on our social pages @CREMORASA.  DM