27 November 2023
Inspired by the plight and heroism displayed by the people of Stanford, after floods devastated the town in September 2023, Checkers has released a new festive season TV commercial and mini-documentary to celebrate the remarkable resilience of this Western Cape community.
Working with local landowners, the heritage association, businesses along the main street and the municipality, Checkers installed a spectacular solar-powered festive light display that uses almost 70 000 bulbs and lights up the whole main street.
Members of the community were invited to gather around long tables under the stars to share in a country-style feast. Time was spent remembering the pain, recognising the heroes, and finally - rejoicing in renewal as the switch was flipped to illuminate trees and store fronts, wire and metal sculptures of life-sized African animals, twinkling star lights, and magnificent Christmas trees, all around.
This evening was filmed, and the story of recovery and hope is beautifully told in Checkers’ annual festive season commercial.
In addition to the lights bringing extra joy to the community, Checkers aims to amplify tourism with a festive attraction that will draw additional visitors to the still-recovering village.
With the crew based in Stanford for many weeks, the initiative directly benefited local accommodation venues and restaurants, as well as provided additional income for local community members who were employed in various roles for the duration of the film shoot and light installation.
You can visit the town of Stanford to see the light installation until the first week of January 2024.
Production credits:
Agency: 99c
Marius van Rensburg, Chief Creative Officer
Krige van Rensburg, Group Creative Director
Marjolein Rossouw, Creative Director
Wilton Brandt, Deputy Creative Director
Bradley Ford, Account Director
Hylton Heather, Production Director
Melissa Curtis, Broadcast Producer
Read more about the solar-powered festive light display intallation in Stanford, promoting tourism and bringing joy to the community.