The commercials, which feature Pastor Mbhobho being interviewed by Zoot brand representative Sandy Ngema, focus on the brand's intense breath freshening attributes, and its ability to provide all-day confidence to even the most voluble of speakers.
His unique combination of comedy and religious conviction coupled with his ability to talk to his ‘congregation' in a language that they understand has earned him the respect - and the ear - of the country's youth market.
“Pastor Mbhobho is the perfect brand ambassador for Clorets. He is confident, funny, and all about spreading the good news - and this time, the good news is that Clorets is not only one of the easiest ways to ensure that you have all-day fresh breath confidence, but also one of the most affordable,” says Doug Place, Senior Brand Manager Chewing Gum Cadbury South Africa.
The Clorets two-piece pack, which sells for 50c on hawker tables, is the cheapest chewing gum offering in the country. It has recently been relaunched, with an improved product formulation, the introduction of the powerful Eliminator flavour, and upgraded and redesigned flow-wrap packaging that enables the gum to stay fresher for longer.
“The partnership with Pastor Mbhobho enables us to make light of the typically-embarrassing problem of bad breath, and rather focus on the confidence, as embodied by the good Pastor, that fresh breath brings,” says Place.
The commercials began flighting on March 1, on terrestrial channels.
About Pastor MbhobhoPastor Jacobus T Mbhobho, a 50-year old pastor from rural KwaZulu Natal, hasn't stopped talking since he took the youth market by storm with the launch of his spoken word album “Uzopetulwa!” in 2008. Since then, he's become a regular voice on the radio, first at Yfm and now with Ukhozi FM on the Linda Sibiya and Sbonga Zungu Breakfast show, the largest radio show in Africa, reaching seven million listeners!
In 2009, Pastor Mbhobho felt his message of positivity would be better heard on dance floors, and so he released a kwaito/house album called “Ayobaness”! And to ensure that he covered all his bases, he also starred in a movie called “Mbhobho finds his Ayobaness!”, directed by Rethabile Shongwe, a new film director working with Bonsai Entertainment.
