Tax year end is the noisiest moment in Sage's calendar. We made one advert to cut through it, fast: scripted and heavily pre-produced, then shot in a single half-day with a real Sage customer performing on camera and on voiceover.
One advert for the busiest season of the year
Tax year end is comfortably the noisiest moment in Sage's whole calendar, the point where every accounting brand is shouting at the same small-business owners at once. Sage asked ThinkStory to make one advert that could carry a powerful campaign through it, and to make it fast. It was advert production on a very short timeline, an exciting, high-energy project run with a tight, capable crew. The brief was simple to say and hard to do: cut through the noise, and do it against the clock.
The loudest, most crowded moment in Sage's marketing year
One advert to anchor the whole tax-year-end campaign
A single half-day to film it, and no room for a reshoot
A real Sage customer in front of the camera
Rather than cast an actor, we built the advert around a real, existing Sage client, who did both the on-camera performance and the voiceover. Working with him directly, our job was as much about people as production: most business owners are not used to a camera or a microphone, so we spent the time to make him genuinely comfortable in both. That comfort is what makes the difference on screen, because an at-ease person reads as real, and a real person is exactly what an advert in a crowded season needs.
One half-day to get it right
We had a single half-day to film the entire advert, which meant there was no margin for figuring things out on the day. Everything had to be right before we arrived. So the real work happened in pre-production: we did a lot of it, tightening the script until it was on track, planning every shot, and making sure every last detail was sorted in advance. When the clock is that tight, preparation is the whole game, and ours had to be perfect.
Pre-production that made the day possible
All the planning paid off when it counted. Because the scripting and the shot list were locked before the shoot, the half-day ran to plan and we captured everything the advert needed without scrambling. A tight crew who knew exactly what they were there to do turned a near-impossible schedule into a smooth, productive shoot. It is the least glamorous part of a shoot and the reason the glamorous part works. Fast does not have to mean rushed, as long as the thinking is done up front.
A campaign that cut through
The result was a single, strong advert delivered at speed, ready to anchor Sage's tax-year-end campaign at the exact moment their audience is hardest to reach. It carried a real Sage customer's voice and face, made against a tight clock by a small crew who cared about getting it right. That is what a good campaign asset does: it earns attention rather than demanding it. The noisiest moment in Sage's calendar became a moment they could own, with one advert built to be worth watching. On Sage's own YouTube channel, the advert has since passed 6.3 million views.
You put everything into pre-production. For Sage's tax-year-end advert we locked the script and planned every shot in advance, so a single half-day shoot ran to plan with no time wasted on set.
Should you use a real customer in an advert?
A real customer brings a credibility an actor cannot fake. For Sage we cast an existing client for both the on-camera performance and the voiceover, and spent the time to make him comfortable so he came across naturally.
How do you make a seasonal advert stand out?
Be worth watching when everything around you is selling. For Sage's busiest season we built one advert around a real customer, warm and human, made to cut through a tax-year-end window where every brand is shouting at once.
SuccessStory
Turn happy clients into your best sales pitch.
Testimonial-style videos that build trust and close deals. From R50,000.
I really enjoyed working with ThinkStory on our eBooks and customer video testimonials. They were a strategic and collaborative partner from the start. They are always well-prepared, proactive, and clear in their communication. I appreciated how quickly they responded to feedback and how easy it was to work with them, even under tight timelines.
They regularly shared helpful guidance and insights that strengthened our campaigns and helped us stay aligned with our goals. The final deliverables were consistently high quality, on-brand, and impactful. Overall, it felt like working with a true extension of our internal team.
Anele MalingaNCA Marketing ManagerSage Accounting
Our collaboration with ThinkStory has become an indispensable part of how we approach content strategy and creative execution at Sage. It's more than just delivering projects. It's a deeply strategic relationship grounded in thoughtful conversations, shared goals, and a genuine drive to elevate our work for our HR & Payroll, Accounting & Finance and Small product portfolios.
From impactful video testimonials and polished written content to compelling presentations and tailored advert development, ThinkStory has consistently delivered with excellence across multiple formats and campaigns. Their agility in implementing stakeholder feedback, often within hours, is a game-changer, and their dedication to quality never comes with friction or unnecessary costs.
What sets ThinkStory apart is not just their creative expertise, but their commitment to guiding us with valuable insights and improvements that enhance every project. Their counsel is as trusted as their craftsmanship, and the outcome is always something we're proud to showcase.
Working with the ThinkStory team is effortless and energising. There's a human warmth behind the professionalism that makes them our go-to partner, not just for the work, but for the trust, reliability, and shared pride in every deliverable.
I have found ThinkStory to be very knowledgeable in different fields regarding video, written and thought leadership content. They are always providing valuable insights and improvements to the different projects we run with them which makes our job easier.
I absolutely love working with ThinkStory, not just for the work they do but also the human and connection aspect they bring when working with us as a client. ThinkStory will always be my go-to agency for video and written content and their final outcome.
We look forward to many more standout collaborations ahead.
Working with ThinkStory has been a truly collaborative and strategic experience. From developing our Sage Spotlight Success Stories, across video, written, and design formats, to crafting compelling presentations and speechwriting support, they've consistently delivered high-quality, impactful work.
Their ability to respond quickly to feedback and implement changes with speed and accuracy made the process seamless. We especially valued their proactive guidance and creative input, which strengthened the final outcomes.
Their work is always on-brand, timely, and effective. It's been a pleasure partnering with a team that genuinely understands our goals and consistently adds value at every stage.
Sage South Africa has been working with ThinkStory on a number of big projects and have been incredibly impressed with their professionalism, high standard of work produced and the effort put in to build relationships and deliver on-time.
I would highly recommend ThinkStory to tell your business story so that it resonates with your customers in a unique, dynamic and professional way.
Ashleigh du PlessisProgram Marketing ManagerSage Accounting
Please can I take a few minutes of your time to thank you for the professional service we received from you and your team.
As you know, Sage is very specific about our suppliers, and many don't make it onto our supplier list. We have 3 agencies listed, and ThinkStory is Customer Experiences' preferred supplier. Having worked with you and your team to coordinate the South African Success Story winners photo shoots, I can recommend your services to anyone needing the same kind of assistance. The Success Story photo shoot is very prestigious, and the winners receive their books and prizes in a global ceremony which includes our senior management. Therefore, the quality of the shoot is of utmost importance.
You kept us in the loop with the arrangements, arrived on time and were fully prepared for everything we needed. I was grateful for your flexibility, as things tend to go wrong when groups of people are concerned, but you handled our speedbumps with professionalism and efficiency.
The final results were faultless and delivered on time.
I am so grateful to you and your team and will not hesitate to utilise your services again.
Sage is one of our longest-standing partners. The Spotlight programme has grown into a large library of B2B customer testimonial films that now shape Sage's marketing strategy, run through their sales channels, and give their whole team the confidence to communicate with prospects.
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