Castle Lager’s campaign leading into the Fifa World Cup 2026 is a recreation of defining moments from South African football history. Bananas and Retroviral joined forces in a pitch-winning collaboration dubbed “RetroBananas” to create the campaign.
Castle Lager’s Here’s To The Fans That Stood The Test Of Time campaign leading into the Fifa World Cup 2026 is a recreation of defining moments from South African football history (Image supplied)
They partnered with director Paul Ward and the team at Giant Films to create a campaign that is not simply about football, but about loyalty.
From Afcon ‘96 through to Bafana Bafana’s return to football’s grandest stage, it is the fans who carried belief through near misses, heartbreak, rebuilding years and the moments that united a nation.
Every detail was painstakingly recreated: archival-inspired cinematography, period-correct jerseys, thousands of authentic makarapas, generational stadium culture and a soundtrack engineered to feel less like advertising and more like memory itself.
The emotional backbone of the film came from an inspired reinterpretation of Camille Yarbrough’s 1975 classic Take Yo Praise, famously sampled by Fatboy Slim in Praise You.
The original track’s themes of unwavering support and devotion perfectly mirrored the spirit of South African football fandom and Castle Lager’s decades-long commitment to Bafana Bafana.
Having previously worked with Yarbrough, the music team secured all rights to re-record the song, transforming it into something unmistakably South African.
Featuring an emotionally charged vocal performance by Mbali Makhoba from Freshlyground alongside a local choir, the track was reimagined and produced by Pressure Cooker Studios into a haunting, cinematic anthem layered with rich sound design and emotional texture; cheers to Marc Algranti the music supervisor.
The result is Castle Lager’s new platform: Here’s To The Fans That Stood The Test Of Time.
The brand that kept showing up while others walked away.
Dedicated to the supporters who never left.
