2.0 Media's, CEO Peter Gird and Creative Director, Jason Xenopoulos, completed the production of a new TV Commercial to position the Eastern Cape as a prime tourism and investment destination for the Eastern Cape Development Corporation this month.

Shot in remote locations during the first four months of 2009, the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) commercial represents the collaboration between 2.0 and up-and-coming East London based ad agency, SMG Africa. The team was commissioned and awarded the work after a rigorous pitching process to create the concept and produce a commercial that not only had to incorporate the beauty of the Eastern Cape but had to successfully showcase the development projects and achievements that have taken place in the region to date.

Commercial shows tourism, business potential of province

The TV commercial showcases the tourism and business potential of the Eastern Cape through the eyes of a young child, with the ad opening on a school bus in a busy city where we find a school boy daydreaming about a magnificent place his father has told him about: a place that has breathtaking waterfalls and mountains, and where the people work hard to build a beautiful land.

Says Gird: "This was an important project for us, not only in terms of our working with SMG Africa, but in respect to creating a commercial that maintained the correct balance between tourism and investment". While the 'Make it Yours' payoff line reinforces both elements, the strength of the advert is captured by the breathtaking scenery caught up in the commercial's cinematography."

Commercial took months to shoot because of the remote locations

"Shooting this commercial was a GI Joe production," comments Xenopoulos. "The commercial took months to shoot due to the region's remote locations and erratic weather conditions. The initial idea was to shoot it as a road trip, but after months of recceing we had to rely on helicopters to get to some of the less accessible locations. What started out being a simple six week project ended up being a great deal longer and more physically taxing, including the fact that both Peter and I contracted tick-bite fever!"

Director Jason Xenopoulos, producer Peter Gird highly experienced

Award-winning filmmaker and director, Xenopoulos launched 2.0 Media with veteran producer, Gird in October last year. By tapping into their joint wealth of experience, the 2.0 team is focused on playing an active role in working with ad agencies by producing innovative TV ads.

Says Xenopoulos, "With Peter's wealth of production experience and 2.0's brilliant production team, I am able to focus full-time on shooting high end commercials, which has always been a passion of mine. The 2.0 strategy is taking shape whereby we hope to play an active role in working with Ad Agencies by bridging the gap between traditional media and the rapidly evolving new media marketplace, offering a fresh approach to traditional advertising where branded entertainment, viral and social marketing are proving to be impactful."

"I predict that advertising will become far more collaborative in the future, bringing together talented professionals from different disciplines, without the burden of housing these specialised resources on a full time basis," comments Gird. "It's not unlike employing a Television Production company to produce a commercial, except that we offer a multidimensional set of creative solutions with the added benefit of being able to execute them."

2.0 Media's production team is headed up by award winning producer, Dana van Vreeden while Britt Ballantyne heads up the 2.0 research team and plays a vital strategic role with directors in the creative process.