by Masingita Mazibuko. Six months ago, when I told a colleague-cum-BTL-agency-owner about my move from an agency to a client organisation, the conversation naturally evolved into a debate concerning how to tackle any new work that needed to be done; that is, to put it out to pitch, or not.
Author archives: Simone Puterman
Uber — not a taxi as you know it
by Herman Manson (@marklives) [SPECIAL OFFER FOR MARKLIVES READERS!] Uber, a mobile app that connects passengers with private drivers licensed to carry passengers, has recently set up in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban in its first foray into African markets.
Shelf Life: Window shopping by touch
Louise Marsland (@Louise_Marsland)’s pick of new product, packaging and design launches this week: iGlass is a new product that turns shop windows into touchscreens; more luxury festive season gifts for your favourite clients (and media); sweet window branding for Marc Jacobs’ new launch; and a report back on KFC’s Hope campaign.
Tech Law: Free is the death of the open web
by Paul Jacobson (@pauljacobson) Our insistence on having access to free services such as Facebook or Twitter both heralds the death of the open web and, at the same time, has given rise to most of the online privacy-related controversies in recent years.
Green Sky Thinking: What brands can learn from street art
by Colwyn Elder (@colwynelder) In street art, the blurring of context and content, media and message, makes for an exciting and constantly evolving media landscape, with numerous opportunities for sustainability-oriented messaging.
Ad of the Week: Airbrushed into nothingness
by Oresti Patricios (@orestaki) The Mail & Guardian weekly newspaper is well known for its oppositional stance in South African politics, and once again has made its position clear with its latest print campaign, “Freedom is Knowing”, prepared by TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris Johannesburg.
Shelf Life: A Toy for Toy Christmas retail story #ExtraSpecial
Louise Marsland (@Louise_Marsland)’s pick of new product, packaging and design launches this week: Royal Dansk butter cookies launch in SA; DStv takes to the malls to demo Explora; Perdeberg Winery launches its wines in a new collection; and here’s how you can contribute to Checkers and Shoprite’s Toy for Toy campaign to provide festive cheer to needy kids.
Ad of the Week: Where’s my name? #ShareACokeZA
by Oresti Patricios (@orestaki) Since the beginning of November 2013, South Africans have been able to buy cans and bottles that have the wording “Coca-Cola” replaced with 600 of the country’s most common names. Produced by Draftfcb with Velocity Films, the television commercial (TVC) that goes with this #ShareACokeZA campaign is called “Share a Coke with Bobby”, featuring a gorgeous black-and-white border-collie-cross-pit-bull.
Fair Exchange: Unilever, P&G and the rise of the corporate brand
by Erna George. Over the past few months, I have noticed that corporate brands are increasingly being featured in campaigns marketing the product or ‘consumed’ brand. Whether a surreptitious inclusion or blaring endorsement, this phenomenon is an interesting addition to the branding landscape.
The Dissident Spin Doctor: Four steps to avoiding a reputational s**tstorm
by Emma King (@EmmainSA) There are some simple things that should be done which have proved, time and time again, to be more effective ways of dealing with a reputational storm.