Pepe Marais and Khensani Nobanda talk about their professional relationship. Gallo Images

Bold concepts

Their journey was recently highlighted at the Loeries by Pepe Marais, co-founder and group chief creative officer of Joe Public, and Khensani Nobanda, group executive for marketing and corporate affairs at Nedbank.

Their most notable work, Money Secrets, originated from a bold concept called Confessions, which aimed to open up conversations about money management through a gripping film.

Nobanda recounted the early days of the campaign, noting how it began organically without any grand expectations. “I remember Pepe and the team coming to Nedbank and presenting the campaign. They said to me only a brave CMO can do this type of work, I was like these people are so manipulative!”

Despite initial skepticism, Nobanda was drawn to the idea, believing that “in order for you to manage your money better you must talk about it, and you must know what's happening.”

However, securing support from Nedbank's then CEO, Mike Brown, proved challenging. While he shared her enthusiasm, he had concerns about the name Confessions.“He felt it had too much of a religious connotation, so how do we move from confessions to money secrets? It’s actually Mike who came up with secrets.”

#Loeries: All the winners, VW's Bridget Harpur named marketer of the year

20 hours

Despite pushback from top executives who feared the campaign might harm the brand, Nobanda decided to trust her gut and run with it. This decision culminated in Nedbank winning its first Loeries Grand Prix.

Marais emphasised the importance of flexibility in the creative process: “The biggest thing in my world is making sure we get that brief through, and the biggest thing in Khensi’s world is the bank's top 300 leaders believing that this is a complete piece of rubbish. So it’s important for us as creatives to realise what we deal with in our different world.”

He added that although they did not want to, reworking the brief led them to a better outcome: “By having to rework the brief, we actually found that the new name worked better. Leading to a lesson that Plan B is sometimes better than Plan A.”

Throughout their relationship, Nobanda learned the necessity of saying "no" when instincts suggest a campaign might not resonate. “You sit in rooms with people like Dr. Pepe Marais, and think, oh he’s the creative, I can’t say no. Say no!” Marais echoed her sentiment: “Being wrong and willing to be wrong is the greatest step of creativity for sure.”

Taking risks

Although Nobanda has always been mindful of the sensitivities surrounding South Africa's painful history in campaigns, she acknowledges that taking risks can be essential when approached with empathy and care. This understanding inspired their emotional campaign for the 2024 Youth Month.

Reflecting on past campaigns like their 2023 digital ads, Nobanda expressed gratitude for missteps that taught valuable lessons. “When we look back now we are grateful we have missed the mark. By drinking our own kool-aid, we realised that this is the work we will produce.” She acknowledged that while good metrics suggested success, “creatively we missed the mark.” Yet, positive feedback from clients continues to be a rewarding aspect of their partnership.

Ultimately, their shared journey has led to a unique growth contract centered on mutual values. Nobanda expressed pride in their collaboration, which culminated in four Loerie awards this week.