The TV advert shot in Ghana showcases the talents of Ghanaian craftsmen, artists, musicians and dancers on an international stage. There were over 370 cast members – from Tinny the Hip-Life star, to farmers and community members – plus 64 on the production team including the Head Designer and an Assistant Director.
So who are the stars of the show?
Jasper Teshie, Artist from Accra, Ghana
Nothing sums up the vibrancy and the spirit of Ghana better than the wonderfully bright, colourful hand-painted signs that adorn so many of Ghana’s streets. Which is why we decided to produce all of our posters in this style – hand-painted on real walls in Accra, Ghana, by local Ghanaian artists. One of the artists is Jasper Teshie. Find out more about Jasper’s life on our blog.
Tinny
Tinny is one of Ghana’s leading musical lights - an artist who has achieved a rhythmically agreeable fusion of his native traditional ‘high-life’ music with the mainstream hip-hop rhythm to produce his own unique ‘hip-life’ sound. So fresh and original is Tinny’s sound that the likes of American hip-hop icon Ja Rule are already queuing up to work with him. Way to go, Tinny! Zingolo!
The crowd
We got as many local people as we could involved in the advert. This included cocoa farmers, a local dance group and as many villagers as wanted to take part. Of course Tinny took centre stage and really got everyone on their feet dancing too!
The Carving
Wood carving is a big deal in Ghana; it is a centuries-old vocation as well as a revered art form which gains expression in different traditions, styles and meanings. Even wood carvings that are totally functional, like chairs, are sculptured with loads of symbolism and meaning.
It is a fact that indigenous Ghanaian stools were traditionally named after the matriarch of the home and were instrumental in tracing the ancestry of family members.
On our travels we came across this curious-looking carving of a human head. With its moustache and a wink in his eye, we were taken with its playfulness. But when we realised that the head actually had drums for ears, we knew that we had to include a lookalike in our musical celebration. Local sculptors and artists helped us recreate this head for the starring role in the ad.