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Nandos most recent triumph, their “Last Dictator Standing” is indeed a triumph.

When I first saw it last Friday I was quite literally gobsmacked.  A stroke of genius.  I couldn’t stop watching it.  I instantly annoyed several friends and colleagues, insisting they stop what they are doing and watch.  And I would watch it with them.

I posted the following status update on Facebook: For my money the Nandos Last Dictator ad is a stroke of genius that is difficult to comprehend. Truly amazing.

I shortly received a comment asking “Why do you feel that, Ryan?” That sort of stopped me dead.  Why do I feel that?

Firstly, taking a non personal look at it, there was clearly something right about it, since it went viral quite rapidly and was on You Tube’s front page by the end of the day.

But getting into a bit more of a personal analysis: Advertising, as we have known it, has left us.  I cringe at the stupid and ridiculous efforts on radio and TV to keep us buying.  More and more, we consumers, if we are to be advertised to, want to be entertained. We want to make a connection and somehow we want to be moved.  Does this help sell more product? I sincerely hope so as that is the only way we will continue see things as amazing as this ad.

In the space of one minute I was taken back to my own “those days”, the innocent fun of playing with friends that were important to me.  But then I’m struck by the  pure ridiculousness of dictators enjoying such innocence which brings home the seriousness of the harm and destruction wrought by the regimes they created.  However all but one of those depicted have fallen which reminds me that there is hope in the relentless progression of the human race.  Perhaps we are, indeed, going to overcome.  And not to mention it was just plain, hilarious fun.

Most remarkable is how such a message can go global in 24-48 hours with the campaign receiving coverage by the Huffington Post and TIME and many others.

Is advertising dead? Not when it’s like this.  I might even get a meal for 6.