For a moment, Sandton’s bustling streets may have looked more like the African bush – but the zebras trotting around weren’t real. Investec’s latest creative campaign had South Africans doing a double take, proving once again that innovation and a touch of magic can turn the ordinary into something extraordinary.
Johannesburg, South Africa (04 February 2025) – Sometimes, brands do really cool things that get people talking and we love to feature them! Even though we’re not affiliated with Investec, their recent social media post has certainly turned heads – and for good reason.
No, there weren’t real zebras roaming the streets of Sandton. But for a moment, if you saw the video, you may have felt like they were.
To celebrate International Zebra Day, Investec brought its iconic brand symbol to life in a way that was both creative and unexpected. A dazzling display of wild zebras appeared to trot across the busy intersection outside the bank’s Sandton headquarters – all thanks to cutting-edge computer-generated imagery (CGI). The striking visual was the result of a collaboration between Investec, its lead creative agency Leagas Delaney, and the CGI wizards at RunFlyJump, who created an out-of-this-world Out of Home experience.
“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.
“We are thrilled with the engagement the video has received, clearly demonstrating that our clients and stakeholders share our affection for our brand icon.”
And he’s not wrong! The video has already amassed over 3.9 million views and reached more than 4.8 million social media users across Investec’s Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and X channels.
You can watch it below:
But it wasn’t just the digital zebras causing excitement. The campaign sparked an internal celebration too, with Investec employees in 12 countries joining in on the fun. Staff members proudly embraced the theme, donning black and white outfits, stripes, and even full zebra costumes in honour of the day.
“Our offices in 12 countries around the world were abuzz with excitement last week as our people donned black and white, stripes, and even full zebra costumes to celebrate,” Mokgwatsane added.
“This annual occasion allows our people to express their pride in the organisation they represent, as they continue to bring our purpose ‘to create enduring worth’ to life.”
It’s a refreshing reminder that sometimes, a little creativity and playfulness can spark joy, not just for a company’s employees but for an entire country watching along. And while the zebras may not have been real, the excitement they generated certainly was.
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