SA: Ballantine’s names Shimza face of new campaign

The partnership is set to roll out over the next few months and will include a TV commercial featuring the house musician.

The DJ joins the Ballantine’s team in his capacity as a businessman and philanthropist, who has raised funds for underprivileged children through his Shimuzic Foundation. The partnership will also provide a long-term investment in the musician’s activites.

“We are thrilled to be able to partner with an artist as forward-thinking and philanthropic as Shimza,” Ballantine’s senior brand manager Keval Ramraj said. “We have a long history of supporting South African artists who are passionate about the music they make and are proud of who they are and where they come from. Shimza fits this mould perfectly.”

Shimza said: “This partnership with Ballantine’s is a great fit for me and what I stand for as a brand. “This partnership should be about investing in the next generation and giving them the confidence to stay true to themselves because There’s No Wrong Way when you are authentic.”

Shimza joins other local artists who have previously worked on marketing campaigns with Ballantine’s, including house icon Black Coffee and drum-rooted Afro-house duo Black Motion.

The partnership adds to Shimza’s impressive list of achievements in 2020. Earlier this year, he was announced as a headliner for electronic festival Tomorrowland, which was eventually cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shimza’s live-streamed Quarantine Online Party gave birth to the Lockdown House Party on Channel O. He also made history by becoming the first artist to host a performance on Robben Island when he held his annual One Man Show.