By: Natasha Archary

Switch Energy drinks’ latest ad campaign has taken South Africans’ shared experiences and frustrations, and turned them into a funny yet relevant talking point.
Taking a stab at the country’s current government who hold ribbon cutting ceremonies for the installation of a tap, the ad makes a clever play on words, calling on South Africans to “imagine what would happen if we switched.”
The ad opens at “government’s Head Quarters” and starts up with officials sleeping at their desks, not working, ignoring the state of our roads, lack of housing, poor public health facilities, unemployment and crime.
After requesting that an empty water bottle be switched (pun intended), a handy man refills the bottle with the energy drink which then changes the pace of everyone within HQ.
Within seconds of having a sip of the energy drink, the government officials are recharged and begin work to commission the fixing of potholes, providing houses, boosting the economy, and actually delivering services that were promised.
The ad is cleverly scripted and makes several hilarious jokes about the way the country is currently being run.
This isn’t the first ad by the energy drink brand, and their previous ad campaigns included scenarios which focused on Home Affairs and the loadshedding crisis.



