by Herman Manson (@marklives) Ogilvy & Mather South Africa, as the ANC’s ad agency of record, has been dragged into a scandal surrounding an alleged “black ops” election campaign set in motion by the ruling party in the runup to the 2016 municipal elections.
“The ANC planned to spend R50 million on a covert campaign targeting opposition parties in the 2016 local government elections.” This is according to investigative journalism site, amaBhungane (read the full amaBhungane expose here). “A covert team, initially known as the War Room, intended to ‘disempower DA and EFF campaigns’ and set a pro-ANC agenda using a range of media, without revealing the ANC’s hand.”
Fake
The campaign allegedly included printing fake opposition party campaign posters, the launch of a fake news website and an underhanded social media campaign to spread fake news.
amaBhungane reports that the campaign — which was supposed to have no direct links to Luthuli house — held its inception meeting at the Bryanston campus of Ogilvy & Mather but adds that “Ogilvy appears not to have participated in the team’s subsequent activities.” The investigative journalist site, however, goes on to quote from an email sent by a former Ogilvy group business director that reads:
“There is acknowledgement that team ANC needs to set the narrative and limit the knee-jerk reactions to media and opposition activity. We are required to subdue the renegades.
“The movement does not want to be the primary contact for intelligence collection. This must be managed by the Ogilvy team.
“The ANC to confirm which ANC members will be seconded to the war room.”
Official response
In its official response, OM& SA comments as follows: “Ogilvy & Mather has been an agency of record for the ANC in various elections since 1999, including the 2016 Local Government elections. O&M were contracted to run the traditional communication for this campaign including above the line, digital and PR work, and the work produced was absolutely within the parameters of ethical and professional communication.” It also told amaBhungane that, while it participated in discussions around the electoral “war room”, its involvement didn’t extend beyond the original discussions [which seems bad enough reputationally — ed].
Social media reaction
A sample of social media reaction to Ogilvy’s and the ANC’s electoral ‘war room’
Seems that (failed)R50 million ANC ‘dirty tricks’ operation for municipal elections hatched in ad agency Ogilvy & Mather offices. Not good.
— Peter Mansfield (@Peterman43) January 25, 2017
3. Ogilvy PR’s PR is pretty shit if that’s the best denial that they can come up with. #ANCPaidTwitter
— Andrew Fraser (@Arfness) January 25, 2017
@Ogilvy should come out clean abt allowing meetings there when their brief ended on @MYANC #WARROOM! @SakinaKamwendo @OgilvyCT https://t.co/jhcPUKfZDo
— Adv Doccfada™ (@doccfada) January 25, 2017
@chrisvick3 , how the glorious movement has declined. No wonder the Guptas are in charge. They go “Bell Potinger” ANC goes “Sihle what what” https://t.co/AExHnA0Pes
— Rami Tlhapane (@Rami_Tlhapane) January 24, 2017
All along it was really true that #paidtwitter exists. I thought it was propaganda. ????? pic.twitter.com/yRSTOFxk4u
— Lazola Ndamase (@Lazola_Ndamase) January 24, 2017
Are we going to discuss how these PR/Media companies are milking this #PaidTwitter train!? pic.twitter.com/CHX4kkAn5R
— Farouk (@Ari_Gold99) January 24, 2017
#PaidTwitter
ANC, Shaka & crew trying to contain the allegations but— Tumi Sole (@tumisole) January 24, 2017
This is fake news @GwedeUncle @thulasindi @EFFSouthAfrica and cleverblacks can see thru you @Ogilvy @Injemdaka
— CapeTownTwenty4Seven (@NgcwaziE) January 25, 2017
‘ANC election campaign work was above board’- Ogilvy & Mather ad agency. Great! Come clean re the R50 million #ThingsShakaDidWithR50Million
— Peter Mansfield (@Peterman43) January 24, 2017
Uhm Ogilvy need a proper pr statement this says nothing! There is mail thread confirming they were involved #PaidTwitter https://t.co/E03KO6SHkk
— Kirstie Weber (@KirstieWeber) January 24, 2017
We also demand to know the extent of @Ogilvy involvement https://t.co/EKTMGbLN6l
— Tebo (@motaut) January 24, 2017
Yhu I will never look at @Ogilvy the same way again every morning when I drive past their offices on my way to work at The Campus ? https://t.co/V9fklOh8Fu
— Tebo (@motaut) January 24, 2017
Lol, now @Ogilvy has to distance itself from #PaidTwitter. https://t.co/x7Qp9mBqIq
— Sipho Masondo (@vercingetorics) January 24, 2017
@Ogilvy directors better hope they don’t get jailed for this illegal campaign they ran for @MYANC SEC filings gonna be tough
— Lindokuhle M (@iamveganlindo) January 24, 2017
Ogilvy Mather, basically: pic.twitter.com/6lwHTrRZfX
— Je suis Akere (@_Choccie) January 24, 2017
I remember a time when Ogilvy took the ANC to court for non-payment. The ANC is an equal opportunity fucker-over. ??
— thato01 (@ThatoD01) January 24, 2017
@AngeloCoppolaSA No! There was no bus. Only a discussion with Ogilvy about the possibility of there being a bus… @RediTlhabi
— Barry McCallum (@BarryMcCallum) January 24, 2017
I challenge anyone to show me a shorter press release than Ogilvy’s #paidtwitter one ?? pic.twitter.com/L19h81BvdI
— Baps Maponyane (@shagggz) January 24, 2017
But why? #Ogilvy??????
— TheConstitutionalist (@MrTLeggedy) January 24, 2017
Ogilvy would be remiss for not reporting the intended War Room thing, right? NM
— Barry McCallum (@BarryMcCallum) January 24, 2017
Ohhh so Ogilvy is also implicated in all this war room saga halala Mzansi is an interesting place man
— M U R U N W A ❤ (@Murunwaaa) January 24, 2017
Looks like Ogilvy may have been part of a conspiracy to break the law. https://t.co/CGKOE2GnIU
— James Robert Lorimer (@JamesRLorimer) January 24, 2017
Also what kind of a retarded agency is Ogilvy to get caught up in this ruckus?
— Cde Tyss the Tlou (@TheKingCholo) January 24, 2017
Ogilvy had no part in this, but were aware of War Room discussions.
— IG: umandlakazi (@uMandlakazi) January 24, 2017
So they used a number 1 agency in Africa ogilvy for their elections and yet they still managed to lose 3 metros #PaidTwitter
— ukhanki (@TboozeSA) January 24, 2017
David Ogilvy turning in his grave, I reckon! Complete farce. EXCLUSIVE: The ANCs R50m election black ops https://t.co/HtWUNuuHno via @News24
— Chris Gibbons (@ChrisGibbonsSA) January 24, 2017
@artofkawaii iworry yam’; the ‘war room’ was intended to hide the hand of the ANC. Does this mean the hand of Ogilvy was equally hidden?
— Baps Maponyane (@shagggz) January 24, 2017
Ehh…*taps mic* when are going to discuss the involvement of mega ad/pr agency, Ogilvy, in this ANC #PaidTwitter shandis? pic.twitter.com/Hotckx81ug
— Baps Maponyane (@shagggz) January 24, 2017
Note #ANC Letterhead & Ogilvy’s knowledge of #WarRoom;
Then juxtapose against Kodwa’s presser to see glaring gaps https://t.co/w5sj3eoLSM pic.twitter.com/eWhBtqs1RI— Pauli Van Wyk (@PaulivW) January 24, 2017
Time for companies to boycott @Ogilvy? Repulsive what people, political parties and companies will do for power & money. @jsteenhuisen https://t.co/hB0ypcj3F3
— Rodger Williams (@Rodger_Williams) January 24, 2017
“We are required to subdue the renegades” — advertising agency Ogilvy email to ANC in “War Room” campaignhttps://t.co/9ZEDhagaRM
— Geoffrey York (@geoffreyyork) January 24, 2017
#PhatJoe #Ogilvy #PearlThusi #ANC #WarRooms & a lost R50-million!
This story has it all! Is it true though? Or more #DirtyTricks? https://t.co/pQQcux49KK— Murray (@murray_fm) January 24, 2017
Further reading
- TimesLive: How the ANC’s R50m ‘war room’ flopped
The war room was focused on enhancing the ANC’s presence on social media and disempowering its political rivals, the DA and EFF, by printing fake election posters, producing articles for a website called The New South African, and producing material for a television show. - Daily Maverick: Op-Ed: Black Ops, paid Twitter, fake news – a real threat to SA’s democracy
Even with the alleged R50-million the ANC was prepared to pump into an “off the books” campaign aimed at rustling up support for the beleaguered ruling party, coupled with the creation of crude propaganda seeking to discredit opposition parties, the ANC still lost three key metros in last year’s local government election. That’s the problem with political patronage. Paying people to do your dirty work usually attracts incompetents. It is also illegal and criminal.
Herman Manson (@marklives) is the founder and editor of MarkLives.com.
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