by Remon Geyser (@remongeyser) We recently tapped into our Springleap creative panel in Ghana, asking them to share their views on the latest impactful ad campaigns rolled out in their market. By coincidence, two cellular brands, Tigo and Vodafone, have engaging TV campaigns that strike a chord with our creative community.
Ghana is no stranger to great storytelling in its TV commercials. Other networks, such as Airtel Ghana and MTN Ghana, have rolled out well-scripted ads, and one worthy of mention is Airtel’s 2014 “Browse Chaw”. This internet-themed campaign touched many media platforms, and included a TVC which used the concept of being one step ahead.
According to our panel, the TVCs of both Tigo and Vodafone have been impressive in retaining the audience’s attention using humour. However, the impact lies in how relatable they are. They deliver messages that relate to social issues affecting all Ghanaians, and offer ‘freebies’ for promotional weighting. These enticing messages, along with great scripts, result in fantastic pieces of brand communication.
Let’s dive a little deeper and unpack the frameworks of these ads and their effectiveness, using the insight from our creative panel.
Tigo: #YensorNkoaa promo
So what’s trending for Tigo right now? The #YensorNkoaa Promo TVC. South Africans have ‘somewhat’ gotten accustomed to loadshedding. In Ghana, consumers everywhere also face the same problem; the phenomenon there is referred to as “dumsor”.
Playing upon this social frustration as a creative tool, Tigo’s ad comically depicts how rushed the public is, right before a scheduled blackout; emphasising how inconvenient they are. Then, a power generator saves the day — which was won by a woman who entered the Tigo #YensorNkoaa draw.
The ad has accumulated just shy of 80,000 views on YouTube, and Tigo Ghana’s Twitter account is filled with consumer interaction using the #YensorNkoaa hashtag.
Our creatives mention that the reason for the ad’s success is how the promotion is angled at solving the ‘temporary’ power problem. Now, consumers only need to use their network as much as possible to win useful products. Using a soundtrack familiar to Ghanaians has also helped in keeping the audience’s attention. The message is relevant and current, appealing to all urban Ghanaians.
Vodafone 2Ghana ad
Vodafone climbs up a notch in the competitive arena by offering the Ghanaian market two days (250 minutes) of call time on the 2Ghana package. This is free, with no hidden costs or additional price tags; Ghanians respond well to offers that are clean and straightforward.
It’s refreshing to see a budding African nation play on mother in-law stereotypes, too. This TVC reveals an overbearing mother in-law who is way too attached to her son. She is concerned about his ‘well-being’ with his wife, and insists that she needs to tell her how to take care of him properly. The solution to her dilemma? The 2Ghana package from Vodafone. Her son’s wife is left tired, drawn out and forced to listen to her mother-in-law talk on the phone overnight and into the morning. The local audience can relate to this typical, humorous scenario.
The concept plays off on a universal truth, although tailored for local relevancy. We can deduce that this appeals to Ghanaian consumers, as the ad’s storyline is humorously driven and this Vodafone package is hard to beat.
It seems that emotional and relatable elements in adverts help to boost new products/services in this market. The Ghanaian cellular industry is competitive, and engaging ads such as this one may bolster brands above their competition.
What insights may we draw from this?
Both ads, taken from two powerful players in the Ghanaian cellular industry, have resonated well with their target markets — as illustrated by our panel’s input.
The well-received nature of the ads also speaks to consumer trends in Ghana. The market loves clean and simple, yet exuberant, communication. As one would expect, great copywriting is the cornerstone of any good ad here and, in Ghana, consumers respond well to brands that use relatable humour, all the while addressing current social and universal issues. This seems to be similar to the SA market.
Ghana is seeing cellular brands deliver impactful advertising in the form of TVCs, which assists with top-of-mind awareness. Also, there is a consistent rollout into social media platforms with these ads, and a trend whereby keywords/phrases are hashtagged. #YensorNkoaa has gone viral on Twitter, and, although the Vodafone 2Ghana spot was only released very recently, we predict that #2Ghana will trend, too.
What advice do our creatives give SA brands when launching an ATL campaign in Ghana?
It is the opinion of our Ghanaian creatives that SA brands would do well by creating ATL campaigns in Ghana, particularly video, be it on YouTube or straight to TV. They mention that ATL brand communications should be aimed at the younger, more-influential urban markets. Brand partnerships only help to boost awareness and stir hype. Promotional advertising resonates with the Ghanaian market, and may be used to shift brand messages into other media such as print, outdoor or radio.
On the creative front, recognisable jingles and comical sound effects are ‘in’. Using local colloquialisms may leverage a brand’s strategy to further engage with the Ghanaian market, too. Combining this element with fast-paced, exciting and funny stories works well with local audiences, and should keep attention on-brand.
Interested in South African trends?
10% discounted subscription rate for MarkLives readers!
Every month, Springleap provides an oversight of local trends in the South African market, sourced from among its 22 000 African creatives, with new country specific reports planned for a number of key African and Middle Eastern markets. Pricing for accessing this trend platform starts at as little as R270 a month.
Readers must use the promo code “MarkLives10” to access their discount.
Remon Geyser (@remongeyser) is a burger fanatic, wine connoisseur and eSports enthusiast (yes, a fancy term for playing computer games). He is also the research lead for Springleap, heading up a new global creative research division while obscurely attempting a PhD. Springleap provides instant creative expert feedback to rock marketing ROI. Remon contributes the new weekly “Talk Africa” column, covering Pan-African trends, on MarkLives.com.
— MarkLives’ round-up of top ad and media industry news and opinion in your mailbox every Monday and Thursday. Sign up here!