by Oresti Patricios (@orestaki) It’s not the first time I’ve found a Coca-Cola campaign by FCB Johannesburg that’s stood out as my ‘best of the week’ — after all, it’s a brand that is made or broken by its image and brand identity. This time, it was the Coca-Cola Rainbow Nation experience in Jozi, part of the buildup to the Freedom Day celebrations, marking 20 years of democracy in South Africa, on 27 April 2014.
Category archives: Columns
Indy Ad Exec: The next generation is “un-advertising”
by Tom Fels (@thomasfels) In the spirit of ‘un-advertising’, your next piece of communication could be (or should be) a game, stunt, product placement, TV series or endorsement, rather than a print ad or standard TV execution. Old ways of thinking evoke old responses.
SAARF/MarkLives #Top40TVratings: the Zaziwa bounce
by SAARF & MarkLives (@marklives) The week of 14 April — 20 April 2014 saw SABC 1 music talk show Zaziwa bounce from 11th to 6th place, the SAARF/MarkLives #Top40TVratings national chart shows. Interestingly, the bounce was not replicated on the DStv chart where the show only climbed one spot — from 21st to 20th. Selimathunzi jumped from no. 18 into the no. 9 slot.
Influencers: Very few people make truly individual choices
by Jason Stewart (@HaveYouHeard_SA) Influencing someone to change behaviour is very hard to do, and failure rates should scare marketers whose job it is to convince consumers to buy their brands.
Ad of the Week: Meet your match — a matter of taste
by Oresti Patricios. This very classy campaign from Johnny Walker caught my eye. It’s a brand that has a lot of traction, and we’ve looked at the “Keep Walking” campaign before, but this felt like a case of getting back to basics and really getting customers to look at the product in a new way.
SAARF/MarkLives #Top40TVratings: SABC 1 scores with Nedbank Cup
by SAARF & MarkLives (@marklives) The week of 7 April — 13 April 2014 saw SABC 1 score with with the broadcast of various Nedbank Cup soccer games, the SAARF/MarkLives #Top40TVratings chart shows, especially on DStv where four games made it into our Top 40. The Mamelodi Sundowns vs Orlando Pirates (Pirates won 2-1) game also made it into the Top 20 on our national chart.
Fair Exchange: How the tough economy is changing retail
by Erna George. Being aware of consumers’ financial situation is a critical part of marketing in 2014. Frugal consumers are a significant reality and now, more so than ever, it is worth their while — and easier — to shop around, trade up and down the value chain and switch brands. If you don’t alter your marketing mix, isn’t it likely that your brand will be left at the side lines?
Ad of the Week: Imagine if banking were fun
by Oresti Patricios (@orestaki) Banking is hardly something I get excited about, let alone consider ‘fun’. The latest campaign from Standard Bank starts out feeling a little like those ‘Maths is Fun’ or ‘Reading is Fun’ books we used to get at primary school. Except it actually works.
SAARF/MarkLives #Top40TVratings: Isibaya jumps to 2nd place on DStv ratings chart
by SAARF & MarkLives (@marklives) The week of 31 March — 6 April 2014 saw isiZulu telenovela Isibaya on Mzansi Magic climb into the second spot on the SAARF/MarkLives #Top40TVratings DStv chart. It has gradually been gaining momentum and now has 1 218 746 viewers.
Ad of the Week: Pranking the Audience
by Oresti Patricios (@orestaki) Sometimes being a junior creative in an ad agency can be less about being creative and more about being, well, junior — learning the ropes, and doing useful but boring stuff. Like fetching coffee for the Art Director. So it’s really cool when junior ad people can get an opportunity to spread their creative wings. The Cannes Young Lions does this by pitting young creatives (under 28 years of age) against each other with an annual competition that gives contestants just 48 hours to conceive and produce an ad for a mystery topic.