Bank dazzles with its creative ‘zebra crossing’ idea in Sandton CBD

Or so it was until recently, when the global conservation community celebrated International Zebra Day and one of the busiest intersections in Sandton swapped the roar of traffic for the clip-clop of Zebra hooves. Or so it seemed. 

Investec, the Sandton-based international banking and wealth management group, has long had a zebra as its brand icon. So, International Zebra Day seemed the appropriate time to do something out of the ordinary. 

The marketing team and its support agencies set to work, and soon a video appeared of a dazzle (the correct name for a ‘herd’) of zebras roaming the streets of Sandton – including making a remarkably well-ordered crossing (was it a ‘zebra crossing’?) in front of Investec’s head office.  

The result of computer-generated imagery 

Only they weren’t there at all. The video and imagery were the result of computer-generated imagery (CGI) created by RunJumpFly, a digital content studio, in collaboration with creative agency Leagas Delaney and, of course, the Investec marketing team. 

The video appeared across the company’s digital channels and social media platforms, creating significant interest and attracting thousands of likes and shares, as well as hundreds of comments. “Great advertisement! You nailed it”, read one Facebook post. “In business nothing is legit or trusted until it’s written in black and white. Smart choice for a symbol”, commented another social media user.  

“Investec is always exploring innovative ways for our brand to show up as freshly consistent, and there’s nothing more out of the ordinary than seeing the striking African zebra in the heart of the city,” said Investec’s Group Chief Marketing Officer, Abey Mokgwatsane, as quoted by the Good Things Guy website. 

“We are thrilled with the engagement the video has received, clearly demonstrating that our clients and stakeholders share our affection for our brand icon.” 

You can watch the video on YouTube here or on Facebook here.