One could argue that in South Africa Nando’s is more famous for its ads than its chicken – and there is nothing wrong with the latter! The fast food chain is notorious for bringing out print ads that reflect recent headlines and scandals. When a fire at the public broadcaster SABC destroyed equipment and the stages of the popular daily soap Isidingo, Nando’s was ready with a response – and one that pokes fun at its own recent drama with local television channels.

“Sorry SABC. We know how much you hate fire starters,” the poster proclaims. It then continues to explain that sadly you can’t ban them all – exactly what happened a few weeks ago with one of Nando’s own ads.

The infamous ‘xenophobic’ television ad, which joked about South Africa’s attitude towards foreigners – even though almost everyone in the country are originally from somewhere else – were refused by the SABC. eTV and Multichoice subsequently followed, all citing fears that it might ignite attacks on foreigners. The decisions were panned across the board by the public and freedom of speech groups.

But Nando’s, as usual, found a more creative way to address the controversy by joking about the fire.

“Pity you can’t ban them all,” the poster continues. “But just in case, we’d like to make it clear we had nothing to do with this. We prefer igniting public debate, not studios.”

By James Francis