An a cappella Christmas

24 November 2016 - 09:07 By SUTHENTIRA GOVENDER

If things go wrong this festive season, brush them off with a "Pa rum pum pum pum" - Ladysmith Black Mambazo style. The Grammy award-winning group have lent their voices to Pick n Pay's multimedia Christmas advertising campaign."It's all for a good cause," said Ladysmith Black Mambazo's Albert Mazibuko.Proceeds from the song, which can be downloaded from music platforms, will be donated to the Children's Hospital Trust."We are so excited to be part of a cause that will benefit disadvantaged people," said Mazibuko.The campaign is a light-hearted take on the year that was.The supermarket chain is following in the footsteps of elaborate international Christmas ad campaigns meant to touch their customers and add cheer or humour in the run-up to the holidays.Among the warm and fuzzy campaigns is Heathrow Airport's Coming Home for Christmas advert, which follows two much-loved and ageing teddy bears as they land at the airport and captures the moments leading up to the reunion of families at the arrivals gate.The advert has proven a massive hit on social media sites and has received more than 3.6million views on YouTube.Pick n Pay is hoping its campaign will resonate with South Africans, most of whom have had a turbulent year because of the political and economic landscape."The soundtrack to the campaign is a rewritten Little Drummer Boy, made famous by Boney M and heard in every South African mall at Christmas."Who better to sing it than Lady-smith Black Mambazo? We couldn't have chosen better," said Adrian Naude, Pick n Pay's marketing group executive.The advert shows a combination of scenes of South Africans at this time of the year, "whether it's going on holiday, getting the tree down, Christmas shopping, wrapping presents - all of the work and excitement the night before, and of course Christmas day itself", said Naude.Mazibuko said filming the advert "was a great experience"."It was wonderful doing something different. We filmed from 4am to midnight. It certainly was hard work. But hard work pays off," he said...

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