Jägermeister Brings On the Night in South African Campaign from Darling Films

Gale Maimane effervescently captures young South African creativity and the feeling of our best nights for Jägermeister. 

Bold expression has long been part of South Africa’s artistic bloodline, especially where envisioned and pioneered by the country’s youth. Here, creative expression meets unwavering audacity — creating in the process something effervescent, magical, and simply undeniable! Like a night that gets etched into your skin and heart, living on in your memories as one of your best nights. There are a million and one ingredients that can culminate into one’s best night but having moved to being the top two premium spirit for young adults in South Africa, Jägermeister is sure to always be one of them.   

This is the story, spirit and feeling Darling TV’s Gale Maimane taps into with her directing of Umswenko and Glow Up for Jägermeister’s Best Nights campaign. The continuation of a creative collaboration first established when Gale directed the commercial for Jägermeister’s shot machine — featuring superstar and Pitori Maradona Focalistic — the brand’s Best Nights campaign shows Agency and Jägermeister’s unwavering trust in Gale Maimane’s distinct directorial vision, and the brand’s constant presence in South African nightlife.  

Featuring a kaleidoscope of interesting characters, prominent musicians, designers, DJs, and artists some handpicked by Maimane herself — including LVMH Prize winner and Designer Thebe Magugu, global Ama Piano sensation Uncle Waffles, Adiwele’s Young Stunna and the ever-charming Peach Van Pletzen — Gale’s work is a visual monument of South Africa’s buzzing nightlife culture, its contemporary creative moment and past, and an entry way into the possibilities of its abundant artistic and nightlife future.  To quote Lapeace Kakaza, Denstu CreativeDirector: “When the right ingredients come together, like Jagermeister & Mzansi = best nights. Gale's vision is layered with all the right ingredients and speaks directly Jagermeister's relationship with Mzansi.Jagermeister has built a strong relationships with Mzansi and Gale's vision just puts it together in such a proudly Mzansi's way... here's to many Best Nights.”

The work’s unique, fresh visual syntax also into current new media cultures such as Instagram and Tik Tok through the lens of the Arri 35 and its new technology. Using the Arri, each scene becomes distinct and textured with its own individual feeling which in-turn also reflects the manifold multiplicity of South African creativity, nightlife, and our identity. Speaking about her process Gale shares that: 

The aim was to create 8 visually arresting and uniquely feeling expressions of that perfect moment! When the vibe is undeniable, and the enjoyment is at its peak! I wanted each scene to feel like a world on its own, down to creating unique textures in picture, working with DOP Rory O’Grady to make unique profiles on the Arri 35. We curated the colour scheme as a nod to Jägermeister’s orange and green, layering it with cinematic richness. 

Gale’s commitment to the campaign surpassed what is usually expected from a director, from the music — With the help of acclaimed South African Film Composer, Zethu Mashika, we were able to create a score that captures the percussive power of iLog drum, knocking baselines and intoxicating lyrical adlibs that are intrinsic to Ama Piano and Gqom music — to the styling and even post effects, the young director was present for each part of the process. 

In the same way that culture is not stagnant but rather, evolves, shape-shifts and mutates in its contact with society — so too does art and the impulse of expression moving it forward. So too does what we think of as “our best nights”.