The MMMob Approach

The project kicked off with the NBHD agency briefing the MMMob on the creative direction and emotional tone required for the campaign. The Director then developed a treatment which expanded the “Pets Make Life Better” concept into a series of grounded, cinematic moments designed to feel authentic.

The first major step was sourcing locations which could realistically suit the various scenes within the campaign. The Executive Producer and Director worked closely together, scouting homes (through Amazing Spaces and private property owners), mountain trails, beaches, and farmlands. Each location was photographed and filmed during scouts, before being submitted to the client and agency for final approval.

Casting was another key component of the project. The agency and client wanted the campaign to feel as real as possible, so rather than relying solely on traditional casting calls, Montego customers were invited to submit photos of themselves and their pets. The cast needed to feel believable and emotionally connected to their pets, while still being capable of handling the practical demands of production. This included sourcing active dog owners accustomed to trail running, a real guide dog and owner, children comfortable around animals, dogs capable of swimming, a pregnant woman with her pitbull, couples with pets, influencers alongside their animals, and even a puppy for the adoption sequence.

Finding the right animals (and ensuring their welfare) became a major part of pre-production. Professional animal handlers and welfare teams were brought onboard to ensure all health and safety protocols were followed throughout the shoot. One particularly meaningful scene required a real guide dog and owner. The team approached the SA Guide Dog Association, and after extensive discussions and approvals, they agreed to assist with the production.

The production also called for a very specific old-school vehicle for the Roadtrip sequence. After an extensive search turned up nothing suitable, the Executive Producer and Production Manager quite literally spotted a Morris Minor while driving to a meeting, chased down the owner in traffic, and negotiated a hire deal.

The logistics didn’t stop there. Camps Bay Beach required permits through the City of Cape Town Film Office, while coordination with another production taking place nearby had to be carefully managed. For the trail-running sequence, the team needed a location where a dog could safely run, a 4×4 could operate, and drones could fly freely; eventually landing on NV Film Studios at Lourensford as the perfect fit.

Shoot days were intense. Production took place over two 12-hour days, spanning four locations in total. The first day focused on multiple scenes within a single location setup, while the second day involved moving between three completely separate locations.
One standout moment saw the DOP jumping into a swimming pool alongside a child and dog to capture the perfect shot. Another involved navigating the busy Camps Bay strip while filming a blind man and his guide dog crossing the road safely. Production faced a curveball when the lead cat for the opening scene dropped out less than 24 hours before the shoot, resulting in the Director stepping in with his own cat to save the day. To add to the challenge, the team also needed to source a newly released model of the Toyota Prado for one of the scenes, but due to stock shortages at the time, none were available through traditional channels. Eventually, the Executive Producer turned to a 4×4 Facebook community and found a retired couple outside Cape Town willing to drive through and assist with the production.

Post-Production was handled in phases, with priority initially placed on the Brand Campaign TVC in order to meet broadcast deadlines. Once the hero edits were completed, the team moved into creating a suite of additional deliverables tailored for retail, digital and social media use. This included multiple cutdowns and format adaptations across vertical and widescreen outputs.

Deliverables

BRAND Film

– 1x 60sec Brand Film
• 16×9 crop [TV, IG, YT, FB, X, Website]
• 9×16 crop [IG Reels, TikTok]
– 2x 30sec Cut-downs
• 16×9 crop [TV, IG, YT, FB, X]
• 9×16 crop [IG Reels, TikTok]
– 8x 15sec Cut-downs
• 16×9 crop [TV, IG, YT, FB, X]
• 9×16 crop [IG Reels, TikTok]

RETAIL Film

– 1x 30sec Retail Film
• 16×9 crop [TV, IG, YT, FB, X, Website]
• 9×16 crop [IG Reels, TikTok]

BIRTHDAY Film

– 1x 30sec Brand Film
• 16×9 crop [TV, IG, YT, FB, X, Website]
• 9×16 crop [IG Reels, TikTok]

PHOTOS

– 40x Images
• 16×9, 9×16, 5×4, 1×1 crops

BTS Photos:
● BTS Photographer: Morné van Jaarsveld
● BTS Photographer: Zack van Jaarsveld
● BTS Photographer: Thoban Jappie

Key Takeaways

What made this project particularly unique was the scale of coordination involved. Multiple animals, children, vehicles, locations and moving environmental factors, all needed to align within a tight production schedule.

This job displayed the value of adaptability on set. Whether it was sourcing a last-minute hero cat, negotiating with taxi drivers over parking bays, or chasing down a vintage car in traffic, the MMMob crew consistently found solutions to keep the production moving forward.