The SABC has explained that it pulled a cartoon advert for the Fish & Chip Company featuring an animated Jacob Zuma because it was too similar to their regular broadcasts and would cause confusion. “The president is shown sitting giggling and saying nothing of importance,” said a spokesperson. “Everyone would think it was a bit from the last State of the Nation address.”
This morning the state broadcaster confirmed that it banned a Fish & Chip company advertisement which showed a cartoon President Zuma eating a fast-food dinner in Nkandla because it was too lifelike.
“The ad’s production values, camera work and content are identical to our local programming, which would likely lead many viewers to believe that they were watching a documentary insert,” explained Shirley Knott-Wright..
The short cartoon shows Jacob Zuma, his wives and children eating bucketloads of fish and chips in luxurious surroundings.
“When we screened it to a test audience, half of them thought it was an episode of ‘People Of The South’,” Knott-Wright said. “The other half just thought it showed tea-time at Parliament.”
In addition to the SABC’s concerns, an ANC spokesman explained that there were worries that viewers could come away from the advert with the wrong idea about the president’s lifestyle.
“We are concerned that our more gullible voters might watch the ad and actually think the president lives in an opulent compound scoffing fried fish with ten wives and 60 children,” said Dudu Skhotane.
“This is pure racism. He lives in an opulent palace, not a compound.”
Meanwhile, former Youth League leader Julius Malema is said to be “sad and jealous” at the news that the President was featured in an advert for the Fish & Chip Company.
“Juju has been campaigning to be the face of KFC for over a year,” confided an ANCYL source. “After all, he has already been the body of KFC for almost a decade.”
Malema has reportedly written to the Fish & Chip Company to inform them that he will allow them to use an animated version of himself in any of their advertisements, in exchange for a year’s supply of snoek and Portuguese rolls.
Advertising experts have confirmed that Malema would be an excellent branding fit with the Fish & Chip Company franchise.
“It’s perfect,” said ad exec Lamborghini Kleinpiel. “Everyone thinks he’s fishy and he’s got a helluva chip on his shoulder.”
