by Herman Manson (@marklives) Philip Ireland, a founding partner and chief creative officer at ad agency Ireland/Davenport, recently announced that he was leaving the business. While he wouldn’t be drawn on his reasons for leaving, or his plans for the future except that he expects to stay in advertising in some way or form, he did share some lessons he’s learnt as a creative entrepreneur and in helping run one of the country’s more-iconic agencies.
Ireland has had an illustrious career in South African advertising. He won South Africa’s first award for digital creative at the One Show Digital New York in 1999, SA’s first people’s choice Webby award for Best Social Media Campaign in 2016, and was voted Most Admired Agency Leader 2014 in Financial Mail. In the past, he worked at Ogilvy Johannesburg, TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris, Leo Burnett Singapore and Net#work BBDO.
On launching an agency
“Launching an agency has profound personal costs. It’s not easy, although there are easier ways to do it, like when you have a pre-existing relationship in place with a client. Either way, it has definite and life-changing implications and requires huge personal investment. It’s worthwhile remembering that the agency is only as good as the people inside it. It’s not like an engineering firm that can scale. The quality of the people is what differentiates it and makes it competitive — this is why small shops can punch above their size and compete with the big networks.”
On defining success
“Success depends on the quality of your work and the quality of your relationships. These are mutually connected, in that better work results in greater trust, allowing for greater faith by client in your judgement, which circles back to allowing the agency team more space to produce better quality work.”
On being different
“Have a point of differentiation. Make sure you have a distinct identity. Make sure clients can’t buy what you are offering elsewhere.
“Although Ireland/Davenport has evolved significantly over the years, its initial differentiator was in offering medium-sized clients access to global skills and expertise while retaining a small agency feel.”
On your team
“The agency is the average of the people inside it.”
On surviving tough times
“The quality of your work and your relationships again comes into play. There is less new work available because times are tough. Jobs must come to you — because you are known for the quality work you produce. The jobs you’ve got cannot leave — because you’ve ensured quality relationships with your clients. Lay the groundwork for both of these while times are good.”
On what agencies should look like
“One size does not fit all. The market has different demands and requires different kinds of agencies to fulfil these. There is currently a disconnect between what agencies and clients need and want an agency to look like. Build agencies that fit client needs; it’s an opportunity. Eventually, all agencies reflect their clients.”
On finding mentors
Ireland was surprised by the strong and positive influence that the late Robyn Putter, then WPP’s worldwide creative director, had upon the early days of Ireland/Davenport. Putter served as an inspiration and mentor to the agency. More recently, John Hunt, creative founding partner of TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris, offered advice to the agency partners on “a purely human level (he has no interest in the agency) through calm knowledge and generosity”.
Lessons ranked in no particular order.
Herman Manson (@marklives) is the founder and editor of MarkLives.com. He was the founding editor of media.toolbox (1998–2006) and Mobile.Works, and the co-founder of Brand magazine. He has served on the editorial boards of The Journal for Convergence, as well as of Fast Company South Africa. Winner of the 2011 Vodacom Social Media Journalist of the Year award, he was also a finalist twice in the Highway Africa Award for the Innovative Use of New Media in Africa (2003 and 2004). Over his 20-year-plus career, Herman has contributed to numerous journals and websites in South Africa and abroad, including the Mail & Guardian, .net, Intelligence, AdVantage, Men’s Health, Computer World and African Communications. He has consulted on web architecture to several financial institutions.
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by MediaSlut (@MediaSlut) 2016 is drawing to a close, so it’s the perfect time to reflect upon some of the best, worst and most-talked-about magazine covers over the past 12 months. For the fifth year running, the 10 best South African magazine covers are a true testament to the high standards of the South African magazine industry, and definitely something to be proud of!
Here’s the publishing schedule for this year’s #MagLoveTop10 series:
Friday, 2 December 2016: Best South African magazine covers of 2016
We’re starting off our countdown of Top 10 South African covers with our Blitzbokke. This SA Rugby cover was a really motivational cover with very high hopes, and beautifully done in green and gold, and the boys did everything they could to go for Gold. They still made us extremely proud by flying back home with Bronze medals around their necks! Read more here.
For its winter issue, newly engaged couple, Tinarie van Wyk-Loots and Erik Holm, were quite, uhm, naked, but they definitely warmed things up with their chemistry and story of love. I saw this cover and cover story as raw and real, as it showed wheelchair-bound Holm in sometimes compromising positions yet, at the same time, at complete peace with himself and his partner. Read more here.
#TeamLira looked #amazing and #fierce with this stunning black-and-white suit ensemble, with just a touch of red! She’s such an amazing, talented and Proudly South African export! The #powerhouse returns to our screens in 2017, as she’s once again a judge on The Voice South Africa. Read more here.
I’m still not too sure whether Toyota Hilux or Ford Ranger drove off into the sunset as the winner, but I’m sure this cover caused a stir among hardcore Toyota/Ford fans, and created some very interesting watercooler conversations! I really like that these two vehicles weren’t over-styled (all clean and shiny) but presented all splattered to show they are rough and tough. Read more here.
(In 2017, it seems as if Car magazine will drive away as the overall winner, as Top Gear and TopCar magazines won’t be published anymore.)
As the child of a farmer, I became emotional when I saw this cover for the first time, as it captures such a beautiful and special moment of a farmer, as well of being a father. With the drought South Africa is currently facing, it’s the little rays of sunshine and happiness like this that makes one feel positive…
This is Landbou Weekblad’s first appearance on this list.
Not only has British Airways’ High Life South Africa magazine consistently created brilliant and strong covers, its cover lines have been masterpieces in their own right! I refer to this effect as an onion because, with every cover line you read, you peel away a new layer, which reveals a different dimension and angle to the cover story. Read more here.
In this case, the cover lines reads:
Just another day at the office
(if you’re a caver)
Explore SA’s most secluded spots — with real agents of the underground
With this cover, it’s almost as if we’re getting a glimpse of a very personal moment between these two majestic animals! It’s completed by great lighting for extra effect, and framed by trees that pull your attention straight to them. Read more here.
ELLE South Africa definitely struck gold by placing Rio Olympic Gold medallist, Caster Semenya, on its cover, and the amazing, positive cover story and feature that went with it! Altogether, this made massive waves all around SA, plus got international coverage. Everything surrounding it just gives off positive vibes, and truly celebrates the amazing athlete and person that Semenya is. Read more here.
Watch ELLE’s behind-the-scenes video here:
This is Elle South Africa’s second appearance on this list. In 2015, it was #1.
Some are already calling for our very own Superwoman to be in the running for President of South Africa, come the 2019 general elections, and support groups with tens of thousands of fans are popping up everywhere —#ThuliForPresident even trended at one stage! Financial Mail covered the essence of this Wonder Woman, as it celebrated her “last battle”. Adv Thuli Mandonsela is someone we may all be extremely proud of, and it’s great that we’re all able to celebrate and support her in so many ways. The future of SA looks extremely promising with someone like her in it… Read more here.
This is Financial Mail’s first appearance on this list.
SA artists don’t get nearly the exposure and support they should receive, as we’ve got amazing talents who need to be celebrated, not just by those who can afford it but by everyone who can appreciate it. This DESTINY Man cover with artist, Nelson Makamo, captures something extremely beautiful and special, screaming ‘talent and creativity’! Massive kudos to the DESTINY Man team for pulling off this vibrant and positive cover, and giving exposure to this brilliant mind and artist! Read more here.
This is DESTINY Man’s first appearance on this list.
~~~
Once again, I want to thank all the SA magazine publishers for always pushing the boundaries, and producing these world-class covers!
MagLove by @MediaSlut is a regular slot featuring the best local and international magazine covers every week, recognising well thought-out, powerful and interesting (and hopefully all three-in-one) covers and celebrating the mix of pragmatism, creativity and personal taste that created each of them. The anonymous (for now) blogger behind MediaSlut knows way too much for his own good about media in South Africa, magazines in particular. His mission is to show when SA magazines fail but, most importantly, also when they succeed. If you’re looking for a library about SA magazines and news, this is your one-stop pitstop.
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by MarkLives (@marklives) The hottest primetime television shows on DStv in South Africa revealed: TV ratings for the month of October 2016.
This year, the Broadcast Research Council of South Africa (BRCSA) has changed its policy about giving away TAMS and now only monthly reports, highlighting the top 20 primetime shows on several popular channels, are available.
The Broadcast Research Council of South Africa (the BRC) is a non-profit, industry body that was incorporated in 2015 to cater to the audience research needs of the radio and television industry in South Africa.
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an #OpenAfricaMag interview. Schalk Nolte, CEO of Entersekt, talks to Open Africa about the role mobile plays in Africa’s ecommerce revolution, and the importance of banking security.
Ecommerce, in the form of online shopping and online banking, is often held up as the key to prosperity in Africa — a way of ‘leapfrogging’ past the obstacles of poor infrastructure. A vendor with a cellphone app now offers card-based transactions to clients who don’t want to carry cash; online banking does away with queues and wasted travel time; cellular communication allows vendors (such as fishers and farmers) to find out which markets most need their products, and which may be oversupplied.
Schalk Note
But there is a flipside to this convenience: the ever-present threat of fraud. Wherever money changes hands, you’ll always find someone who wants to take it away illegally, and buyer, seller and banker are all potential targets. Banks have to balance this threat against the convenience factor of giving its clients—and its clients’ customers—access to fast and easy banking services.
Scammers are becoming more and more sophisticated, using techniques such as SIM-swapping to bypass banks’ one-time-password and notification strategies. Banks have to stay one step ahead of cyber criminals, or risk losing money and clients.
Open Africa: How big is mobile in Africa? Schalk Nolte: Mobile is absolutely huge and enables many people entry into the formal economy for the first time. Driving past a brick wall in Salt River emblazoned with the telephone number of a house painter or handyman, you see a very simple illustration of the impact of mobile on everyday people’s lives: how did these [people] reach out to prospective customers previously?
OA: What has the uptake in smartphones been? SN: This year is actually quite an auspicious one: it’s the first year that we will see more smartphones sold in Africa than feature phones. I think this growth has been surprising to many, especially banks and providers of services to the upwardly mobile. Application uptake on feature phone has been dismal, whereas smartphone usage is massively expanding what people use their phones to do. Banks and payments providers, among others, are playing catchup with the population at large. [Source]
OA: Why is Africa ‘mobile first’? What has driven the massive uptake? SN: There are no real alternatives. Mobile is the only practical way of reaching all but the most financially and geographically advantaged on our continent. Mobile networks bridge Africa’s great distances and leapfrog thinly spread, government-controlled fixed-line telecommunications infrastructures. In doing so, they have brought down the costs of providing services significantly. I like using Nigeria as an example. When mobile was introduced in 2001, a country with a population of over 170m had a hundred thousand phone lines, with a waiting time of a year to obtain one. That was not so long ago, and now Nigeria has nearly one phone per person. This boom also means that innovation — and the uptake of services of all kinds — is very much centred [on] the mobile device.
OA: What is the history of mobile transactions in Africa — can you offer an overview of the growth? SN: We see a much higher percentage of the total mobile user base taking to mobile banking or payments in sub-Saharan Africa than in most other parts of the world. Just over 2% of the world’s adult population has a mobile-money account, but 34% of adult sub-Saharan Africans do. The GSM Association estimates that there were 222m registered mobile-money accounts in the region by the end of 2015. One in three mobile connections is linked to such an account, rising to over half in East Africa. From where we stand in Nairobi, Johannesburg, or Kampala, the excitement over Apple Pay can seem puzzling. M-Pesa was launched way back in 2007! [Source]
OA: What does this massive growth mean for business? SN: For business, mobile provides a more direct, engaging and cost-effective way to reach customers and provide existing services. Beyond that, it opens up entirely new opportunities. The mobile is a very personal device, much more so than a PC or laptop. We always have it with us. This relationship consumers have with the phone holds enormous potential.
OA: What did the massive success of M-Pesa teach companies? SN: M-Pesa was ground-breaking for more than just the product. There would have been a long list of reasons not to launch the service, to not take the risk in an untested market. But it was launched and was a success, lauded globally. The impact of that on today’s African FinTech innovation cycle was larger than we probably imagine.
OA: Did the mobile transaction create a rush to create services/ apps that fed the demand, and how did this impact security? SN: Mobile transacting growth was driven by both user demand, as well as industry recognising the possibilities that the technology opens up. As for security, accelerating growth comes with risk. Any new technology enjoys a short honeymoon during which fraudsters find it too unlucrative [sic] to target. As the number of vendors grows and the user base broadens, that changes. There’s the real risk that adoption will stall as fraud incidents climb and security concerns grow among users. Several countries on this continent have seen large increases in digital crime, often affecting people who can least afford it. Thankfully, governments are stepping in. Getting the regulatory balance right is, of course, important too.
OA: What trends have you discerned in the mobile transaction sector in Africa? SN: Sophisticated market players, from venture capital firms to financial services product developers, are coming in, which means good things for the consumer in terms of pricing and the services on offer. Africa is really at the forefront of mobile transacting globally, and we have a big role to play with regards to how the ecosystem develops.
OA: Are there some regions that are more at risk than others? SN: Not really. Fraud can be surprisingly simple. Many sophisticated attacks are just slight variations of what we have seen elsewhere before. It is cyclical, and geographically agile. The main point is to ensure that you stay ahead of the fraud curve instead of playing catch-up.
OA: What do brands/businesses need to take into account when introducing mobile payments, from a security perspective? SN: Security is a core building block — the foundation, really — of any good product and cannot merely be bolted on at the end as an afterthought. That said, your focus on security should not distract from usability. The two must be balanced to achieve success. Entersekt, as an example, has managed to make mobile and internet banking more secure while making it easier to use.
OA: How secure is secure? What levels of security are secure? SN: It’s all relative: “secure” describes the level of protection suitable for the particular application and the risk appetite of the service provider.
OA: Please offer insights and anecdotes of recent big mobile transaction breaches. SN: In South Africa, there’s been a big increase in attacks that target the internet and mobile channel simultaneously. The internet channel is breached through a standard phishing attack while the second factor — an SMS one-time password — is intercepted through a SIM-swap attack or mobile malware. The big news stories here have mainly focused on wealthy people who lost hundreds of thousands of rands and have articulate spokespeople. But mobile malware, man-in-the-middle attacks, and SIM swaps are prevalent across Africa. In places with inadequate government oversight, consumers are left to judge for themselves the reliability of mobile services or, when things go wrong, fight for compensation on their own. Their stories are rarely told.
OA: What kind of damage does a mobile security breach do to a brand, to its customer base, and to the mobile transaction industry as a whole? SN: Mobile is very powerful and provides a channel that is many times cheaper than any other way of servicing the customer. But owing to the personal nature of the device, it also brings risks. Reputational damage is a particularly big threat to businesses because consumers are, rightly, very slow to forgive and forget data breaches and theft. I still meet many people who will not transact on their phone because they read a scare story somewhere. Mobile can be very secure — more so than working on a PC — but most people are not in a position to assess the technology or parse news items for the truth about where and how breaches happen. That’s fine, but it does mean that the onus is heavily on businesses to stay ahead of the cyber criminals if they want to gain customers.
OA: Who are the people or groups that breach security? What do you know about them? SN: It’s global and it’s extremely sophisticated in its organisation. Personal data, software, code — it all has a price, packaged for anyone from large syndicates to lone ne’er-do-wells. Like any trend, many of the scams spread across the globe in waves. We see attacks in Australia in 2016 that popped up in Europe in 2012. Security is unfortunately very reactive. Security professionals often ignore threats that are not yet in play in their country or industry. This means that fraudsters have a long time to exploit a vulnerability before that hole is closed globally and they have to find another.
OA: What does the future hold in terms of mobile security? What do businesses/brands need to know? SN: The mobile ecosystem is complex and some of the cyber criminals out there are amazingly inventive, so security requirements change constantly. It really is an arms race. You have to choose a security partner (or partners) that will keep abreast of the threats as they emerge. There is no point in backing a vendor who is already behind the fraud curve — they are very likely to keep you there! Go with technology leaders who have a record of innovation.
Schalk Nolte (@schalk_nolte) holds a bachelor’s degree in electronic engineering from the University of Stellenbosch. He spent 10 years working for GSM operators in Africa and the Pacific, with a focus on technology and network deployment and on building the teams to get it done. He joined Entersekt in July 2009 as CEO, bringing his mobile telephony experience to bear on mobile financial services.
by Mark Tungate (@MarkTungate) Dmitry Tutkov, co-founder of Russian agency TutkovBudkov, helped to create the jaw-dropping, zero-gravity video by rock band, OK Go, and S7 Airlines.
It was one of those moments when everyone was talking about “that” video. You’ve almost certainly seen it: the rock band, OK Go, performing its song “Upside Down and Inside Out” in zero gravity. No special effects — the band actually did everything you see on the screen, thanks to a very special aeroplane and S7 Airlines. Because that’s another thing about the video: it’s also a piece of branded content, made possible by the Siberian airline and the Russian agency TutkovBudkov in Volgograd.
Agency creative and co-founder, Dmitry Tutkov (known to all as Dima), recounts the tale. “S7 Airlines is one of the largest Russian airlines, and their attitude to advertising and marketing has always been rooted in a creative approach,” he says. “They celebrate human spirit and optimism; in fact their tagline is ‘Chase Happiness’.”
Dmitry Tutkov
“Something really astonishing”
The agency had been working with S7 in print and digital for three years, but Tutkov was yearning to make a great film for the brand. “Last year they told us, ‘You’ll have your chance if you can come up with something really astonishing.’ The brief was to show how S7 encourages people to chase their dream and reach new heights.” Tutkov proposed a music video shot inside a plane. The client rejected it. “They told us we were thinking along the right lines, but they wanted more of a ‘wow’ factor.’
OK Go came into the picture because a previous film by the band ‘inspired’ Apple’s video for its iPhone 6 launch. OK Go wasn’t too happy about it, especially since Apple had declined to work with it on the original project, but it showed that its work had commercial possibilities.
“We were already fans of the band, so we literally just sent them an email asking if they’d be interested in shooting a video on a plane. They replied saying, ‘This could work — we’ve been thinking of doing something in zero gravity.’ They thought it was the perfect fit for an airline.”
“One-of-a-kind commercial project”
The deal was sealed when S7 met the band’s lead singer, Damian Kulash, at the Cannes Lions festival in June 2015, where he was giving a talk about branded content. Kulash co-directs the band’s painstakingly choreographed videos alongside his sister, Trish Sie. After that, the plan came together. “We took on the role of executive producer,” says Tutkov. “In Russia there is a space agency called Roscosmos, which is more or less the equivalent of NASA. Through our connections with them, we were able to negotiate a one-of-a-kind commercial project.”
The agency’s Ilyushin 11-76 “reduced gravity aircraft”, which uses a parabolic flight path to create zero gravity for cosmonaut training, is typically used only 10 times a year. For the video, it would be used 21 times over three weeks. The first week was reserved for training but, by the second week, the band had begun to plan out the choreography of the video and the objects it would use. It was also accompanied by a pair of acrobats dressed as S7 cabin crew.
Each flight took 45 minutes, with eight periods of zero gravity lasting 27 seconds. So the band broke its song down into segments, returning to a seated position every time gravity kicked in. Then it edited the zero-gravity scenes together to create a seamless video. It was determined to shoot the video in a single take — in other words, on a single flight. It finally got a take it was happy with on the last, 21st flight.
The right S7 branding
Tutkov accompanied the band on an early flight and ensured that the plane sported the right S7 branding. “It occurred to me that the plane’s interior should look like the latest S7 design. We were shooting in October 2015 and, at that point, the rebranding had not been completed, but we knew that when the video came out, in February, it should depict the 2016 cabin design. So we added a lot of nuances, like the green circles on the seats.”
Another subtle reference was the S7 inflight magazine read by bassist, Tim Nordwind. The cover was shot during rehearsals and later became the actual cover of the magazine’s February 2016 issue. It also became a social media star as readers wanted to pose with it.
Despite the fluid look of the video, the shoot was not problem-free. Almost everyone was sick at some point; Kulash passed out on one occasion. Most clients would have baulked at such a risky project, but not S7.
“They’re crazy Russians,” Tutkov jokes. “Plus, they’re from Siberia. Born out of snows and wind. They were brave to take on this challenge because, despite the risks, we had no way of knowing if it would turn out to be great. But they never tried to influence the creative direction of the film. Even then, we only got the perfect take on the 21st flight — it happened because the 20th flight was abandoned for technical reasons, and we wanted to ensure we had enough footage.”
Released on Facebook first
Once the video was ready, the agency and the band chose to release it on Facebook first. “Logically we should have released it on YouTube, because that’s what everyone does,” says Tutkov. “But we needed to make it viral. The solution was Facebook, because on YouTube you can’t share very easily — you have to copy a link. On Facebook, you just click ‘share’. So the Facebook model is ideal for viral videos. From this experience, we realised that videos get traction much more quickly on social media than on a video-hosting website.”
Having been teased on the Rolling Stone and Nerdist sites, the video garnered 25m views in the first 24 hours after its launch. The video also premiered on Good Morning America — the first of more than 500 media outlets to covert the story. Thanks to Facebook, a behind-the-scenes report was placed on Instagram.
The video is as effective as it is spectacular. Since spring in the Northern Hemisphere last year, when the video was released, S7’s passenger numbers have increased by 50%. Despite that, on a scheduled S7 flight, gravity remains fully operational.
by Johanna McDowell (@jomcdowell) The findings of agencyScope 2016 South Africa — the first ever in SA — are the result of detailed questionnaires to find out what marketers are looking for in their agencies. The research was conducted by SCOPEN in partnership with IAS in SA and then compared with 11 other countries in which SCOPEN operates.
This means that, for the first time ever, those agencies which have subscribed to SCOPEN’s confidential reports have management ‘blueprint’ to help chart the course of their agencies’ business development and growth.
Using meticulous methodology fine-tuned over 30 years, SCOPEN ensured that 70 of the top 100 companies’ marketers were interviewed in face-to-face, in-depth interviews. In addition, some online surveys were done with agencies and with procurement specialists in order to have further information to round out the data.
Findings
Ten conclusions are tabled below:
In the future, SA marketers would prefer to work with integrated agencies to solve their communication needs, rather than with different specialists for each discipline. This is in line with the rest of the world
Creativity and strategic planning. Creativity is the key attribute to define the “ideal” creative or media agency. Equally important is the attribute of strategic planning for all agencies. This is described as the key attribute in agency selection.
Quality of previous work and recommendations. These are key factors for marketers when drawing up a long list of possible agencies. Recommendations from friends and colleagues are also critically important in developing a list of agencies, as well as credentials and previous experience.
Procurement.In 51% of negotiations with agencies, procurement is equally involved with marketing. Technical proposal accounts for 64% of the decision, with the financial proposal accounting for 36% of the final selection of an agency.
Long lasting relationships. In SA, agency relationships are near the average global duration of five years.
Contribution to business growth. SA marketers attribute 32.5% of their growth to their creative agencies and 34.5% to their media agencies. Brazil is the country where agency contributions are most valued — at 50% plus. SA comes second to Brazil in terms of this important aspect.
Good service and satisfaction. SA agencies are evaluated very positively by their clients. Eight-five percent of marketers are satisfied with their creative agencies, while 89% are satisfied with their media agencies.
Loyalty and predisposition to change.Despite the high levels of satisfaction, 20% of marketers recognise that they will be changing creative agencies, and the reasons cited include poor service, plus the need for new creative and innovative solutions.
Most-admired campaigns and companies.In SA, Coca-Cola, Allan Gray and Santam are most admired by marketers for their advertising campaigns, while FNB, Coca-Cola, Unilever and Nando’s are most admired for their marketing.
Challenges for the future. Marketers want their agencies to help them gain greater insights into consumer needs and behaviours and to have better knowledge of new media and opportunities, as well as understanding real ROI.
Over and above these findings, agencyScope 2016 provided rankings for all agencies across a variety of attributes including spontaneous awareness, most attractive, ideal and overall market perception. These rankings are available to agencies who subscribe to their confidential report.
by Oresti Patricios (@orestaki)King James II, together with its new client Pick n Pay and director Chloe Coetsee of Darling, takes us on a tongue-in-cheek journey through the pitfalls of the Christmas season — South African style. In doing so, much mirth is created and the retailer’s customers are offered real visibility.
The festive season is almost always romanticised in advertising: happy families, delicious meals, wonderful gifts, seasonal cheer; surprisingly, some South African ads even feature snow. But we all know that the December holidays aren’t like that: reality always intervenes.
So far, two ads have been released in this campaign to build PnP’s brand, “Chapter One — Let’s Go On Holiday” and “Chapter Two — Getting Ready for Christmas”. Yet to flight are “Chapter Three — The Night Before Christmas” and “Chapter Four — Christmas Day”, available exclusively on MarkLives at this point.
In the first, the pitfalls of the annual family vacation are explored, all in the name of having a good time; in the second, the funny-stick is poked at the preparations. In the third, it’s what happens the night before with overexcited kids, and then, finally in the fourth, it’s Christmas Day and all that entails when it comes to family… But what makes this humorous campaign work so well is the music.
Do you remember when disco reigned supreme back in the late ’70s and early ’80s? A band called Boney M achieved superstardom with a slew of danceable pop songs: Daddy Cool, Sunny, Ma Baker and Belfast. A band that was ‘manufactured’ by German producer, Frank Farian [also responsible for Milli Vanilli — ed-at-large], its star began fading in the early ’80s, and its Christmas Album marked the beginning of a slow decline in popularity. Nevertheless, that particular album gets hauled out and dusted off with monotonous regularity every year, especially by SA shopping mall managers. The mellifluous sounds are probably intended to soothe frazzled shoppers into buying more but, for many, it has the exact opposite effect — it makes me want to stick exclusively with online purchasing.
One Christmas Album song, The Little Drummer Boy, has come to typify this Christmas muzak, so much so that King James and PnP have teamed up with popular SA group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo to create a version with a more African flavour. (Irony aside, Ladysmith Black Mambazo is a national treasure, and its treatment of the song actually makes it listenable.) The choir features in many of the ad campaign scenes, acting as a kind of ‘Greek chorus’ that comments on the action. The lyrics have been changed in the ads, and each set-piece hinges upon the ‘parumpa-pum-pum’ moment — the customer’s pain point.
In chapter one, a little girl walks toward the window, guided by the Ladysmith Black Mambazo members, singing, “Sun, they told me…” —but the curtain opens to reveal a dismal storm. The little girl’s looks downcast, as she (tunelessly) sings, “Pa-rum-pum-pum-pum”.
The scene cuts to the beach, and this time it’s sunny and hot. “Good times there by the sea,” sings the choir, as a woman discovers her husband baking red in the sun. “Pa-rum-pum-pum-pum,” she says, as she takes the suntan lotion off his stomach to reveal a neat shape on the only part where it had protected him from burning.
There are also scenes of the smoky braai, and the traffic on the way to one’s holiday destination.
In chapter two, it’s all about getting the Christmas tree out of the attic, the lights, the gift shopping and, lastly, the gift wrapping. In chapter three, it’s the night before Christmas and overexcited kids who won’t go to sleep, Santa’s elves getting down to work eventually and then falling into bed exhausted, only to be awoken in chapter four by said overexcited kids who want to open their gifts, family time — complete with family photos and rivalry and, finally, lounging together watching TV. Each scene will resonate particularly with South Africans and, thanks to the Ladysmith Black Mambazo treatment, the campaign is sure to bring a smile to your face. The payoff line is, “What would Christmas be without all the ‘pa-rum-pum-pum-pum’? Pick n Pay wishes you the best one yet.”
What’s smart about this campaign is the psychological visibility it affords consumers. 2016 has been a tough year for SA, so it’s great to end the year with a laugh, even more so to have a retailer on our sides which understands the pain of handing over your festive bonus for gifts, groceries and the family meals and parties that come around each December, plus just how busy you are.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s ‘full’ version of Little Drummer Boy is also being sold online in aid of The Children’s Hospital Trust; according to King James II founding founder and ECD, Graeme Jenner, this is different to the song in the ads in that the lyrics are less about the festive season and more about what a terrible year it’s been and how we can try make 2017 better — and you may also record and upload your own best ‘pa-rum-pum-pum-pum’ and “star in this season’s most generous music video”. #PNPkeepsongiving
Well done, King James II and Pick n Pay, for adding genuine sparkle to our SA Christmas season — even though we’ll never escape life’s ‘pa-rum-pum-pum-pums’!
Credits
Agency: King James II
Client: Pick n Pay
Executive creative directors: Rob McLennan & Graeme Jenner
Art director: Melanie Moore
Copywriter: Harry Mackenzie
Agency producer: Mthuli Bam
Production: Darling
Director: Chloe Coetsee
Ad of the Week, published on MarkLives every Wednesday, is penned by Oresti Patricios (@orestaki), the CEO of Ornico, a Brand Intelligence® firm that focuses on media, reputation and brand research. If you are involved in making advertising that is smart, funny and/or engaging, please let Oresti know about it at info@ornicogroup.co.za.
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by TJ Njozela (@tj_njozela) There are many different personality types in an agency and, with such a wide range, clashes are inevitable. In a workplace where collaboration and teamwork are critical to creating amazing work, conflict between colleagues may make it difficult for the entire team. So, instead of name-calling or ghosting a coworker when you butt egos, here are three ways to resolve the tension like a grownup.
Building and strengthening relationships
There are the loud and outspoken ones who seem to socialise more than they work. There are those who focus upon what needs to be done and prefer to do it without distraction. There are some whose plans are elaborate and complicated, and others who are more strategic and efficient. The thing, though, is that while conflicts may come about because of different personalities, it doesn’t mean they’re personal. By trying to understand each other, instead of trying to be right, you’re more likely to come to a resolution — whether it’s agreeing to disagree, or to compromise. Either way, you’ll find that you’ll be building and strengthening relationships, instead of breaking them down.
1. Gauge how you feel
Are you angry? Annoyed? Irritated? Frustrated? All of them? While you can’t always control how you feel, checking your emotional state may, at the very least, help you control how you react. Step out and get some air. Listen to angry music. Sleep on it.
Later, when you’re more level-headed, you’ll be in a better position to speak with the other person without it turning into a verbal brawl. So, wait until you’ve got yourself together, and aren’t fuming anymore. You’ll be able to communicate honestly, using reason and logic instead of emotions, which will make it easier to resolve your issues.
2. Gauge how the other person is feeling
As any cat owner knows, sometimes you just need to stay away when kitty’s in a mood. Similarly, there’s not much to gain having a conversation with someone whose response is being driven by emotion. Wait for a time when they’ve come to their good senses, and work things out then.
While you’re waiting for round two, take some time to try and see things from their perspective. Understanding what they feel may help you get a better insight into what might have caused the tension in the first place, or even reveal a way to resolve things sooner than you thought.
3. Be direct but be polite
It takes a lot of guts to confront a situation head on but, if you don’t take your manners with you, it can all go south pretty quickly. It’s always best to not beat around the bush, or skirt around the issue, but do it respectfully. Don’t be vague or ambiguous, but communicate your issues clearly.
~~~
The conversation might be tough, but it’s still a conversation. Giving the other person the opportunity to respond and then listening to what he or she has to say is also key to getting to a point where your issues are resolved.
TJ Njozela (@tj_njozela) is an award-winning senior copywriter at FCB Africa with several years of experience in the advertising industry. More than a writer, he is also a reader, a thinker, and an avid liker of things; and he once walked from Joburg to Cape Town in 30 days to raise funds to buy wheelchairs for people in need. #30Days30Wheelchairs. TJ contributes the regular “Agency Life” column, in which he gives career advice for working within the advertising industry, to MarkLives.
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Cheryl Hunter (shelflife at marklives.com)’s weekly pick of all things new — product, packaging, design, insight, food, décor and more!
Twinings and Stafford Bros & Draeger take tea further
Kagiso Media enters the esports space with Mega8
New bubbly from J.C. Le Roux
Tea time
Twinings has launched a new portfolio of boutique loose-leaf teas in pyramid-shaped silky teabags, following the global consumer demand for premium coffees, which it believes is rapidly extending to tea also. Several new and refined blends are included in the Platinum Range: Gold Tip English Breakfast, London Strand Earl Grey, Budding Meadow Camomile, Medley of Mint and Red Berry Infusion.
According to Patrick Lewis-Enright, chairman of Stafford Bros & Draeger, the South African importers of Twinings Teas, tea lovers know that loose-leaf tea is the best way to consume the beverage, yet the teabag is both handy and simple: “For the best of both worlds, Twinings has created premium teabags containing fine whole-leaf teas, bringing the loose-leaf tea experience home in a convenient way. The loose-leaf tea trend globally is part of consumers’ journey of rediscovery. They’re already a lot more educated about the unique properties of single-origin beans and the coffee-roasting process and we’re applying the same knowledge to tea.”
From a design point of view, the silk-like pyramid infuser teabags have been specially created to allow the leaves freedom to circulate and infuse, adding to the visual appeal: “Looking through the prism-shaped silky mesh, you can see the different shapes of the beautiful whole dried leaves of tea or colourful buds as they swirl about in the bags that offer just enough room to flawlessly release their signature flavours. This is tea presented at its most beautiful.”
The tea bags may be used to make hot or iced tea, and are crafted from a manmade, biodegradable fabric in the interest of the environment.
Twinings Whole Leaf Silky Pyramid Teas are available at selected Pick n Pay, Spars and Thrupps.
Kagiso Media has launched esports platform, Mega8, in a bid to grow and legitimise the competitive gaming industry in South Africa, giving gamers the opportunity to win ample prize money through the hosting of regular tournaments.
The gaming platform was acquired by Kagiso Media from Cape Town-based software developers, Critter, which is now a shareholder.
Say Kagiso chief innovation officer, Vincent Maher, “While the esports industry in SA has grown somewhat recently, it is still a relatively young industry. It is poised for an explosion in growth with improved internet speeds now more widely available. Predictions suggest that, by 2019, the local gaming market will be a R3bn industry.”
Mega8, together with headline sponsor MTN, stages its first tournament, “The Summer Invitational”, this week (2–4 December 2016) to give the top Dota 2 teams across SA the chance to compete for R50 000 in prize money.
Sparkling wine producer, J.C. Le Roux, has added a new range of bubblies to its family to appeal to consumers with a drier, more-sophisticated palate. The Vibrazio Sauvignon Blanc, Demi-Sec and Demi-Sec Rosé are intended to meet the needs of young professionals who find existing offers either too sweet or too serious.
Vibrazio is supposed to make sparkling wine accessible — open to drink at any occasion — while Vibrazio Sauvignon Blanc, the driest in the range, is described as an extra dry yet fruity sparkling wine with tropical tones and a crisp, clean finish.
Vibrazio is available on shelf from 1 December 2016 in 750ml bottles, with a recommended price of R69.
Shelf Life is MarkLives.com’s weekly column covering all things new. Notify us of yours at shelflife at marklives dot com. Want to sponsor Shelf Life? Contact us here.
Cheryl Hunter (@cherylhunter) has written for the South African media, marketing and advertising industries for more than 15 years. A former editor of M&M in Independent Newspapers and contributor to Bizcommunity, AdFocus, AdReview and the Ad Annual, she has also produced for various television networks and currently consults on communication strategy and media liaison.
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by Herman Manson (@marklives) The South African agencies remain jewels in the crown of the M&C Saatchi network, says Moray MacLennan, worldwide CEO of the group. It invested heavily, even in its own terms, upfront in talent when M&C Saatchi Abel founder, Mike Abel, opened the Cape Town agency in February 2010. At the time, the strategy was criticised by rivals but it’s paid off handsomely as the SA network continues to grow, both in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
It’s also expanded to include Creative Spark, which M&C Saatchi PLC acquired in late 2015 to house conflict work from M&C Saatchi Abel and to boost digital skills within the SA group, and Dalmatian (formerly Domino Digital), for much the same reason. Other agencies in the stable includes M&C Saatchi CONNECT (media) and M&C Saatchi Africa.
Moray MacLennan
Tough year worldwide
MacLennan says it’s been a tough year for the industry worldwide, and SA’s been no exception: “You know what kind of agency you are when you have been kicked in the stomach and kneed in the groin.” This was that kind of year for M&C Saatchi Abel when it lost the giant (leaning over terribly) Edcon business. The agency has emerged stronger for it, however, says MacLennan. This is born out by M&C Saatchi Abel founding partner: group executive, Jacques Burger, who indicates that business wins with Nando’s, Twinsaver, additional work from Heineken and finally, Sun International, has meant that most of the lost business had been replaced quite quickly, resulting in retrenchments being unnecessary.
MacLennan remains optimistic about the growth potential for the SA agencies and will continue to invest in the local market, both through the launch of startup agencies and further acquisitions. This is despite continued political uncertainty in the country. Focus areas would be events/activations and PR. He also expects the network’s mobile offering to return to SA in the next 6–12 months.
Although it’s not looking at physical offices in Kenya and Nigeria at the moment, any such investment would ultimately be driven through the M&C Saatchi Abel group. Instead, it will look at Mexico and Indonesia for new office launches in 2017.
Globalisation and local markets
M&C Saatchi is well-known for its electoral work — the UK agency was involved in the 2015 Tory election campaign, as well as the (defeated) “In” campaign, which hoped to avoid a Brexit. MacLennan sees the rise of Donald Trump and other populist movements, as well as the defeat for the In campaign, as part of a worldwide phenomena that stems from a rising suspicion of authority and unhappiness with what globalisation meant for local markets.
MacLennan doesn’t expect Brexit to impact upon agency networks based in London. While you can’t always foresee effects, there’s no point in being paralysed by uncertainty, he says. He remains an optimistic that UK negotiators will clinch a decent deal with Europe but it now becomes essential to expand the UK’s horizons beyond the borders of Europe.
2017 is simplified into two key trends for MacLennan:
Clients will realise that the current obsession with measurement has stolen focus away from ensuring emotional contacts between people and brands. Brands will increase spend upon ensuring those connections are made as they set about clawing back market-share. It will become more about quality, and less about quantity. Craft will regain some of its importance.
The second trends focuses upon mobile. Digital growth through mobile is expending exponentially. Its mobile offering, M&C Saatchi Mobile, which launched in the local market in 2012 only to disappear quickly , is set to return in the near future. The initial launch was driven by clients out of the US and the UK but those accounts never followed through into the SA market.
Culture trumps strategy
MacLennan doesn’t buy into the rise of the freelance economy, saying for him culture trumps strategy. He wants his employees to feel a part of a team, of something bigger than its individual parts and that looks beyond near-term trends.
The M&C Saatchi network likes to view itself as a federation of entrepreneurs; local management usually holds substantial stakes in their agencies. According to MacLennan, it’s a competitive advantage that offers speed and a maverick quality other networks are unable to match. This knitting together of entrepreneurs means the network attracts people who are different — something that he believes filters through its culture and communications.
Herman Manson (@marklives) is the founder and editor of MarkLives.com. He was the founding editor of media.toolbox (1998–2006) and Mobile.Works, and the co-founder of Brand magazine. He has served on the editorial boards of The Journal for Convergence, as well as of Fast Company South Africa. Winner of the 2011 Vodacom Social Media Journalist of the Year award, he was also a finalist twice in the Highway Africa Award for the Innovative Use of New Media in Africa (2003 and 2004). Over his 20-year-plus career, Herman has contributed to numerous journals and websites in South Africa and abroad, including the Mail & Guardian, .net, Intelligence, AdVantage, Men’s Health, Computer World and African Communications. He has consulted on web architecture to several financial institutions.
— Sign up now for the MarkLives email newsletter every Monday and Thursday, now including headlines from the Ramify.biz company newsroom service!
Herman Manson (@marklives) is the founder and editor of MarkLives.com. He was the founding editor of media.toolbox (1998–2006) and Mobile.Works, and the co-founder of Brand magazine. He has served on the editorial boards of The Journal for Convergence, as well as of Fast Company South Africa. Winner of the 2011 Vodacom Social Media Journalist of the Year award, he was also a finalist twice in the Highway Africa Award for the Innovative Use of New Media in Africa (2003 and 2004). Over his 20-year-plus career, Herman has contributed to numerous journals and websites in South Africa and abroad, including the Mail & Guardian, .net, Intelligence, AdVantage, Men’s Health, Computer World and African Communications. He has consulted on web architecture to several financial institutions.
