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The agency Gen Y built

by Herman Manson (@marklives) It’s the tale of many a start-up. A strat guys meets a creative and they see synergies in the services they offer, so they launch a business together. Usually it’s people that have done their time in the corporate world, spent some time in an agency, and have a pretty good relationship with somebody on client side. A bit of wink-wink and nudge-nudge later they are in business with, presto, a launch client (ever notice how often that clients sits on a booze brand?).

The story of Engage Brandcraft has a couple of extra twists and turns. A creative, just out of Vega, meets a strat guy, who got his degree and had interned at a couple of agencies before going freelance, and they launch a business together with no real experience in advertising or client relationships and with no booze brands to back them up. Then they reinvent the wheel (their words) in building their own agency in the middle of one of the greatest worldwide recessions in a generation. “We’ve been paddling really hard over the past few years,” says Chris Human (the strat guy) on building Engage Brandcraft. “We’ve had to discover all the golden rules for building a business all on our own.”

Now, six years in and with a decent portfolio and a bunch of clients under the arm, and armed with a credible reputation and a snazzy office in The Boulevard (also home to Quirk and Y&R) in Cape Town, Human and his business partner Ian Nel (the creative), finally feel the agency has come of age, and they are ready to emerge from under the ad worlds’ radar. The founding duo has also brought on board a third partner – Dijon Jones.

This is really a Gen Y agency – it’s young, agile, digital savvy and keen to jump right in and make things happen. The agency focuses on new brand development for start-ups and new brand launches. So far, they have been hired as much for their attitude as for the work they have done in the past, notes Human.

Engage Brandcraft is made up of a team of seven, including the owners, and is structured around projects teams rather than around an accounts department. It’s positioned as a professional services firm that focuses on broader brand thinking rather than advertising. “We’ve adopted an open ended approach to brand building that goes beyond the logo,” says Nel.

The agency has fourteen active clients at the moment and have worked with Kagiso Vantage, PayGate, payD, Homebrew Films and Africa Travel to name a few.

Tim Wyatt-Gunning, the CEO at Web Africa, had this to say about the agency: “Web Africa initially mandated Engage to revitalise our brand, to be more in tune with our market. It had become a bit stale and disengaged. They hit the nail on the head and produced a brand Web Africans are proud to stand behind – it’s young, fresh, contemporary and reflects our core values. Their strong design skills are only the face of a multi-talented company. Through their insightful strategic thinking they are now an important member of our marketing team and we bounce almost all initiatives off them.”

Ultimately, Human and Nel wants to build a cluster of smaller but related agencies that shares resources and an ethos, and covers all facets of brand building. The clustered agencies are being set up as business pods around the main agency with a shareholding of at least 30% for their leadership teams. It recently launched the first of these, Connect Brandcraft, to focus on digital brand-building solutions, and more will be launched as they find the right partners.

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The Real McCoy: Great spaces – go places

by Sean McCoy (@TheRealMcCoyTRM) I wonder how many departing employees are asked about how they felt about their workspace during their exit interview?I know what many of their answers would have been.

[pullquote]Yes, more and more organisations – particularly those in retail and hospitality – are realising they need an all-encompassing sensory package to entice, engage and satisfy the customer, but who is thinking about whether that space brings out the best in their most important brand activators – their staff? Fortunes are spent on creating spaces that deliver on the brand promise and meet customers’ expectations – but what about the expectations of the internal audience?[/pullquote]

If people don’t feel good about their working space, it shows. It shows in their outputs and it shows in their attitude. And eventually, they’ll either be shown the door or they’ll find their own way out. Ultimately, mediocre working environments will show on the bottom line.

Whether formal or informal, retail or commercial, hospitality or industrial, workplaces can be very effective marketing tools, communicating powerful branding messages to all stakeholders – employees included.

But many organisations tend to focus their workplace designs outward bound. Their only concern is the customer and how they will respond to the brand environment. Yes, more and more organisations – particularly those in retail and hospitality – are realising they need an all-encompassing sensory package to entice, engage and satisfy the customer, but who is thinking about whether that space brings out the best in their most important brand activators – their staff? Fortunes are spent on creating spaces that deliver on the brand promise and meet customers’ expectations – but what about the expectations of the internal audience?

Even if you’re not a Nedbank customer, do yourself a favour and spend a few minutes in one of their branches. The spaces are not only efficient touchpoints for delivering on expectations and building client relationships, but every aspect of their new retail design is underpinned by the bank’s commitment to environmental sustainability – including construction materials, mechanical and electrical services, recycling and maintenance, even staff working hours. And the green love is everywhere – especially from the people working there.

Would you expect floral wingbacks with embroidered cushions in an Apple store? How does heavy metal with your candlelit dinner grab you? Customers soon lose their appetites when they see dirty tables at a restaurant and they’re quick to put away their chequebooks when the checkout process is complicated or slow. A poor environment quickly undoes any of the hard work put into building up a customer’s brand expectations –whereas great space is a motivator and an enabler for good service.

But there’s a flipside. It’s hard to be great in a poor space. If your environment is great but it’s inhabited by underperforming staff whose behaviour is at odds with your brand promise –customer betrayal and consequent loss of business will inevitably follow. And as I wrote in my previous column, when staff aren’t engaged with the brand values, they won’t deliver on the brand promise and customers’ expectations won’t be met.

The work environment as a manifestation of the brand is only as effective as the people who work there allow it to be. So if you’re wondering why you’ve spent a whole lot of money on redesigning your retail space but there’s been no upside…you should take a close look at what’s going on with your staff.

For more columns by Sean go here

– Dr Sean McCoy, MD and founding member of HKLM, is a prominent figure in the branding arena with his expertise centered on client service, brand strategy and business development. Sean has been chairperson for the Brand Council of South Africa since last year.

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“Drunk Tank Pink” author Adam Alter on the hidden factors influencing how we think, feel and behave

An excerpt from a presentation made in Cannes today (Friday June 21) by ‘Drunk Tank Pink’ author, Adam Alter, and Director of Draftfcb’s Institute of Decision Making, Matthew Willcox.

The mind is basically like an iceberg, and while we have access to the stuff above the surface, much of what’s interesting and influencing our decisions is below the surface of conscious awareness.

For example, numerous studies and psychological research papers illustrate how hidden, powerful, and unexpected forces — a colour, a name, a noise — operate behind the scenes so to say in the decisions, choices, and behaviours of consumers and others.

For many years, marketers have known that understanding more about how the unconscious works is potentially a huge competitive advantage.

Unfortunately, the unconscious wasn’t keen to give up its secrets. Until now, that is. In fact, the speed with which we are today learning more about just what affects our behaviour is breathtaking.

It truly is an emerging science. And just as being an early mover in emerging markets gave brands an edge over the last couple of decades, tapping into the unexplored geography of the mind is going to be critical to their future.

I (Alter) believe there are three unexpected forces at work in three different arenas of human activity:

The world around us – that is, the physical world;
The world between us – that is, the broader world between people; and
The world within us – that is, within our heads, processing information in isolation.

Take the title of my most recent book, as an example. ‘Drunk Tank Pink’ is a prime example of an unexpected force from the world around us — a simple, innocuous colour — having a powerful effect on behaviour.

The title resulted from an initial study done to determine if different colours on the walls of a school could result in better behaviour by the students. The best responses came from the colour pink, because rowdy students in pink-walled rooms became better behaved.

Furthermore, when the walls of a jail’s drunk tank were painted pink, the most rowdy, dangerous prisoners became less aggressive. And, yet other experiments showed that men in a pink environment performed significantly worse in a strength test than men in a blue environment.

Names are also important. Successful names are often fluent, easy to read and to pronounce. Whether naming a hurricane or an IPO stock, evidence shows that the easier it is to pronounce, the better it will work, making the choice of a name an extremely important decision.

And, our attachment to our names – or even our initials – is behind certain behaviours, a phenomenon known as the ‘named letter effect’. Here, people with more common initialled names, like those that begin with K or R, make bigger, more willing donations to funds surrounding Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita. In recent years, the ‘named letter effect’ has accounted for about $500 million in hurricane aid — a factor that has not gone unnoticed by the policy makers who name hurricanes. It is an intervention that costs nothing, yet could produce big results.

Other examples came from the road to partnership in a law firm, where people with disfluent names took longer to make partner. In addition, studies done on initial stock offerings saw easy-to-pronounce stock names doing better, getting a bigger pop, in their first week, than others.

There are, however, some exceptions, and often – in the world of luxury – making things more difficult to pronounce has a positive effect in terms of making brands feel special.

In summary, while the Cannes Lions is a festival that primarily focuses on content, the hidden power of context to change behaviour and our feelings is something that we cannot ignore.

What science is revealing in terms of the unconscious aspects of behaviour is a precious gift for people who manage brands or create experiences for them.

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Govt partners take major stake in Independent Newspapers

By Herman Manson (@marklives) The Sekunjalo Independent Media (SIM) consortium has (finally) announced details of the ownership of the consortium that successfully bid for Independent News & Media SA. The consortium will hold 75% of the shares in the newspaper group while the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF), through the Public Investment Corporation (PIC), will hold 25% (but wait – it’s not quite as simple as that – read on).

The publisher, about to be liberated from an Irish holding company widely credited with stripping a once powerful editorial operation to its bare bones, owns the Cape Times, Cape Argus, Weekend Argus, Daily Voice, The Star, Pretoria News, Saturday Star, Sunday Independent, Diamond Fields Advertiser, Weekend Pretoria News, Daily News, The Mercury, Post, Independent on Saturday, the Sunday Tribune, Isolezwe and a host of community newspapers.

SIM shares will be held by a host of stakeholders connected to the ruling Tripartite Alliance (consisting of the ANC, Cosatu and the SACP). These include the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) investment company Kopano Ke Matlaka, SACTWU Investments Group (Proprietary) Limited and the Food & Allied Workers Union (represented by Basebenzi Investments). A special purpose vehicle will house a 10 per cent stake reserved for employees of the company. These investors, including Sekunjalo Investment Holdings itself (Sekunjalo Investment Holdings is a party to SIM and not the JSE Listed company, Sekunjalo Investments Limited), will hold 63% of the SIM shares.

The rest of the shares (36%) will be held amongst other the Black Business Chamber (Western Cape), “various independent South African Women’s business community organisations,” Sekunjalo Digital Media, Mvezo Development Trust (represented by Mandla Mandela), the Umkhonto Wesizwe Military Association (through the Military Veterans Trust), Western Cape Development Trust as well as business including Sandile Zungu, Tim Modise and Groovin Nchabeleng.

According to the statement released by Sekunjalo Independent Media the lead shareholder grouping in SIM will represent 63 per cent of the consortium while 36% of shares will be held smaller groupings (total = 100% of shares). In a twist the statement then talks about another 20% of shares that will possibly placed with ‘a Chinese Consortium,’ alongside the 25% now held by GEPF/PIC and the 75% held by SIM, which will obviously dilute the shareholdings of the PIC and SIM.

Anton Harber writes, “One can safely say now that Independent Newspapers, the country’s second biggest newspaper groups, is in hands which are closely tied to our ruling party, the ANC. This in itself is neither here nor there, depending on how Dr Survé plays that out and interprets his and his newspapers’ roles.”

In a recent interview, Survé told Grubstreet “… as South Africans, I feel our decision-making is often made on speculation and perceptions and we always assume the worst about our country and our people. Things have to change if we’re going to grow this nation.”

When ANC cadres discussed the role of the media in South Africa at Polokwane they said that “Building social cohesion and promoting values of a caring society are an essential part of the battle of ideas and must underpin and inform the manner in which the media operates.”

There seems to be potential for significant overlap in these two views.

But then, in the same interview, Survé also said “…I also believe that anyone who thinks that they control news – whether you’re a proprietor or whether you’re a government – is living in cloud cuckoo land. The world has changed…” In that he is correct – and the fortunes of Independent News & Media SA will rise or fall on the value he places on those words.

Hermaneutics is a column by MarkLives.com editor Herman Manson. It indicates as much opinion as reporting.

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The magazine that baked itself a cover

MarkLives.com runs a regular slot featuring the best local and international magazine covers every week. We recognise well thought out, powerful and interesting (and hopefully all three in one) magazine covers and celebrate the mix of pragmatism, creativity and personal taste that created each of them. By media blogger MediaSlut.

INTERNATIONAL

Critic, 27 May 2013

Who are the publishers that are creating covers good enough to eat? (I LOVE pastry dough…) You might be surprised to know that Critic is actually a student magazine of the Otago University Students’ Association, and it was first published in 1925. I respect them for breaking the mould and cooking up their own style…

Australasia ScubaDiver, Issues 3 and 4 of 2013

Beautiful cover image staring down the beautiful maw of the world largest shark – the Rhincodon Typus. I like the clean covers and simple coverline. I then also spotted their new cover (with “Nemo”), which I thought was a very clever use of colour by using elements of the actual picture.

Markateer, June 2013

The cover seems extremely busy with all these lines (or stitches – the main cover line translates roughly as ‘With that stitching lines at Zara’ and the story is about fashion retailer Zara) but if you look closely you’ll spot a big ‘Z’ for Zara, so I thought their thinking was creative, even though the execution could have been a bit better.

New York, 24 June 2013

Funny, creative & cute cover to represent New York magazines “Best Doctors of 2013” issue.

LOCAL

Cape Etc, Winter 2013

I’m a big fan of Black & White covers when it’s used properly. You might not spot it at first, but the picture on the cover is actually an archive picture of Kirstenbosch in Cape Town! And when you page through the magazine, you’ll spot even more similar, and absolutely stunning, pictures of Kirstenbosch. Here pictures really are worth a thousand words. One of my favourite ‘tourism’ magazines, and a worthy buy if you are visiting Cape Town, or if you have guests visiting.

South African Décor & Design 2013 Buyers Guide, 17^th Edition

People in the Décor & Design industry should be very familiar with the Décor and Design Buyers Guide, as it features a complete summary of all the suppliers and this is already their 17^th edition! You can order the brand new buyers guide right here, from 1 July 2013.

– The (for now anonymous) 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 South African magazines might fail, but most importantly, succeed. If you’re looking for a library about South African magazines and news, your one-stop pitstop is MediaSlut. #MagazinesForTheWin

– Find a cover we should know about? Tweet us @marklives and @mediaslut
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Media Future: Switchboard in your pocket

New services from Neotel and Vodacom bring closer the ideal of bringing together a landline and mobile number, writes Arthur Goldstuck (@art2gee).

It is one of the great tragedies if telecommunications in South Africa that the number of landline phone users in the country has declined every single year since the beginning of this century. From a peak of 5.5-million users in 2000, it declined to below 3,9-million at the end of 2012. Telkom has always refused to acknowledge that there is a direct relationship between this slide and the fact that line rentals have been increased every single year since 2000.

There are other factors at play as well, of course. During this period, the cellphone user base has exploded from around 5-million to 40-million South Africans. Conventional wisdom, for those of traditional bent, has been that the landline is the first choice for making calls, because the cost of a landline call has always been below half that of a mobile call.

That has changed, though, as mobile call rates have plunged and per-second billing has become common. Now, it is a fairly easy decision to

dump the landline and only have a mobile phone as a home number. After all, it can be carried everywhere the user goes.

That’s not as easy a choice for a small business, though. The landline is almost a symbol of solidity and reliability, confirming that the business has a fixed address and is not disappearing anywhere fast.

The solution is to make the business mobile and fixed at the same time. That is no contradiction, it turns out. Technology makes it possible, and a little visionary thinking by service providers makes it accessible.

Neotel is the pioneer of the concept in South Africa, with a novel approach to dual-SIM smartphones. These are phones that, as the name suggests, take two SIM cards, typically, one from two different mobile networks.

While Neotel’s range of telecommunications license technically allows it to offer any communications service, it has steered clear of mobile services. Instead, it offers something called fixed wireless, which means it delivers a signal to a phone in a fixed location, like an office, but does so through wireless signals. It is possible to use this phone anywhere in Neotel’s coverage area for the specific area code associated with the customer’s phone number.

This means that the service could be provided on a cellphone, but vanishes the moment the subscriber moves out of fixed wireless range or to another area code. Enter NeoSmart, a new package that bundles a Neotel fixed wireless SIM card with a dual-SIM smartphone. That means the subscriber can insert a SIM card from any mobile network operator, and receive both “landline” and mobile calls on the same device.

The twist in the tail is that, if it is deployed within a small business, all calls on the Neotel network between users in that business are free. And then there is the cherry on top: the smartphone supplied with the bundle is the HTC Desire, an attractive and intuitive Android 4.0 device with a bright 4” display.

The phone can also be used as a WiFi hotspot, with the bundle including upward of 1GB of data, 100 SMSs and 100 minutes airtime, priced from R399 a month, depending on the package.

The ultimate benefit, though, is that the business owner rarely has to miss a call when out of the office but still in town.

That’s exactly the benefit offered by Vodacom, but from a slightly different perspective, with a new service called One Net Express.

It offers businesses “traditional switchboard or PBX features on their cellphone”, including call management functions like hunt groups and a “virtual receptionist” called Auto Attendant. Which means, says Vodacom, “these businesses never have to miss a call again”.

An existing landline number can be added to the service, linked to a 3G desk phone option. This device includes a built-in WiFi router, so that up to five other devices can be connected in hotspot style.

Prices start at R199 a month, with 100 minutes and 50 SMSs, but only 250MB of data.

The service has already been available from Vodafone in the United Kingdom and Europe for the past year, picking up 2-million customers along the way. The company claims it has saved these users £1-billion in that year, aside from efficiency benefits.

Such products are sometimes described as “fixed-mobile convergence”, although true convergence will be a reality when only one number is needed. Nevertheless, this is the first step.

And rather than give new life to the landline, these solutions make the landline more irrelevant than ever before – even as they give the small business more flexibility than ever before.

* Arthur Goldstuck heads up World Wide Worx (www.worldwideworx.com) and is editor-in-chief of Gadget. He is a Consulting Editor to MarkLives and our media tech columnist. Follow him on Twitter on @art2gee. Reprinted from Gadget.

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SA wins Design, Press & Radio Lions, takes first gold #canneslions

The Design, Press, Radio and Cyber Lions category winners have been announced at the annual Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. See also SA Cannes Lions winners Day 1 and Day 2.

SA Winners

Cyber Lions: None

Design Lions:

Silver
Posters
THE RHINO STAMP PROJECT
STOPRHINOPOACHING.COM
STOP RHINO POACHING
TBWA\HUNT\LASCARIS JOHANNESBURG
SOUTH AFRICA

Silver
Medium Business – regional or national organisations
HABITAT HOUSE
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY SOUTH AFRICA ANNUAL REPORT
IRELAND DAVENPORT
Johannesburg SOUTH AFRICA

Silver
Point of Sale
POINT OF PURCHASE GRILLE
BRANDHOUSE
WINDHOEK BEER
THE JUPITER DRAWING ROOM
Cape Town SOUTH AFRICA

Silver
Special Editions & Promotional Packaging
MARMITE BLOGGER DROP
MARMITE
SANDWICH SPREAD
MACHINE
Cape Town SOUTH AFRICA

Bronze
Self Promotion
WE SENT THEIR BRIEFS BACK
TBWA HUNT LASCARIS JOHANNESBURG
DESIGN
TBWA\HUNT\LASCARIS JOHANNESBURG
SOUTH AFRICA

Bronze
Promotional Item Design
CHANGE YOUR TUNE / MUSIC BOX
OFM
REGIONAL RADIO STATION
JOE PUBLIC SHIFT
Johannesburg SOUTH AFRICA

Bronze
Consumer Services
DESIGN INDABA
ABSA
SPONSORSHIP
THE JUPITER DRAWING ROOM JOHANNESBURG
Johannesberg SOUTH AFRICA

Press Lions:

Silver
Product & Service
Cars
WEBTROPOLIS
LAND ROVER
Y&R SOUTH AFRICA
Cape Town SOUTH AFRICA

Silver (Campaign)
Product & Service
Other Vehicles, Auto Products & Services
DOLPHIN
MERCEDES-BENZ
ATTENTION ASSIST
NET#WORK BBDO
Johannesburg SOUTH AFRICA

Silver (Campaign)
Product & Service
Other Vehicles, Auto Products & Services
HOLIDAY
MERCEDES-BENZ
ATTENTION ASSIST
NET#WORK BBDO
Johannesburg SOUTH AFRICA

Silver (Campaign)
Product & Service
Other Vehicles, Auto Products & Services
ST. ANDREWS
MERCEDES-BENZ
ATTENTION ASSIST
NET#WORK BBDO
Johannesburg SOUTH AFRICA

Silver (Campaign)
Product & Service
Travel, Transport & Tourism
WEIRD AMERICAN ACCENT
FLIGHT CENTRE
STUDENT FLIGHTS
TBWA\HUNT\LASCARIS JOHANNESBURG
SOUTH AFRICA

Silver (Campaign)
Product & Service
Travel, Transport & Tourism
WEIRD AUSTRALIAN ACCENT
FLIGHT CENTRE
STUDENT FLIGHTS
TBWA\HUNT\LASCARIS JOHANNESBURG
SOUTH AFRICA

Silver (Campaign)
Product & Service
Travel, Transport & Tourism
WEIRD IRISH ACCENT
FLIGHT CENTRE
STUDENT FLIGHTS
TBWA\HUNT\LASCARIS JOHANNESBURG
SOUTH AFRICA

Silver (Campaign)
Product & Service
Publications & Media
WINSTON
INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS
CAPE TIMES
LOWE & PARTNERS
Cape Town SOUTH AFRICA

Silver (Campaign)
Product & Service
Publications & Media
DESMOND
INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS
CAPE TIMES
LOWE & PARTNERS
Cape Town SOUTH AFRICA

Silver (Campaign)
Product & Service
Publications & Media
SAILOR
INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS
CAPE TIMES
LOWE & PARTNERS
Cape Town SOUTH AFRICA

Silver (Campaign)
Product & Service
Publications & Media
JACKIE
INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS
CAPE TIMES
LOWE & PARTNERS
Cape Town SOUTH AFRICA

Silver (Campaign)
Product & Service
Publications & Media
WILLIAM
INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS
CAPE TIMES
LOWE & PARTNERS
Cape Town SOUTH AFRICA

Silver (Campaign)
Product & Service
Banking, Investment & Insurance
CLIFF
1ST FOR WOMEN INSURANCE
MOTOR AND HOUSEHOLD INSURANCE
BLACK RIVER FC
Johannesburg SOUTH AFRICA

Silver (Campaign)
Product & Service
Banking, Investment & Insurance
DUBAI
1ST FOR WOMEN INSURANCE
MOTOR AND HOUSEHOLD INSURANCE
BLACK RIVER FC
Johannesburg SOUTH AFRICA

Silver (Campaign)
Product & Service
Banking, Investment & Insurance
FENCE
1ST FOR WOMEN INSURANCE
MOTOR AND HOUSEHOLD INSURANCE
BLACK RIVER FC
Johannesburg SOUTH AFRICA

Silver (Campaign)
Craft
Art Direction
WEIRD AMERICAN ACCENT
FLIGHT CENTRE
STUDENT FLIGHTS
TBWA\HUNT\LASCARIS JOHANNESBURG
SOUTH AFRICA

Silver (Campaign)
Craft
Art Direction
WEIRD AUSTRALIAN ACCENT
FLIGHT CENTRE
STUDENT FLIGHTS
TBWA\HUNT\LASCARIS JOHANNESBURG
SOUTH AFRICA

Silver (Campaign)
Craft
Art Direction
WEIRD IRISH ACCENT
FLIGHT CENTRE
STUDENT FLIGHTS
TBWA\HUNT\LASCARIS JOHANNESBURG
SOUTH AFRICA

Radio Lions:

Gold (Campaign)
Cars & Automotive Services
TMA
MERCEDES-BENZ
CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED BY MERCEDES-BENZ
NET#WORK BBDO
Johannesburg SOUTH AFRICA

Gold (Campaign)
Cars & Automotive Services
NEST
MERCEDES-BENZ
CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED BY MERCEDES-BENZ
NET#WORK BBDO
Johannesburg SOUTH AFRICA

Gold (Campaign)
Best Scriptwriting
TMA
MERCEDES-BENZ
CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED BY MERCEDES-BENZ
NET#WORK BBDO
Johannesburg SOUTH AFRICA

Gold (Campaign)
Best Scriptwriting
NEST
MERCEDES-BENZ
CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED BY MERCEDES-BENZ
NET#WORK BBDO
Johannesburg SOUTH AFRICA

Silver (Campaign)
Pharmacy
GIRL
STREPSILS
STREPSILS AND STREPSILS INTENSIVE
HAVAS WORLDWIDE
Johannesburg SOUTH AFRICA

Silver (Campaign)
Pharmacy
GUY
STREPSILS
STREPSILS AND STREPSILS INTENSIVE
HAVAS WORLDWIDE
Johannesburg SOUTH AFRICA

Bronze (Campaign)
Cosmetics & Beauty, Toiletries
IGNACIO
NAMPAK
TWINSAVER TISSUES FOR MEN
TBWA\HUNT\LASCARIS JOHANNESBURG
SOUTH AFRICA

Bronze (Campaign)
Cosmetics & Beauty, Toiletries
DEBT COLLECTOR
NAMPAK
TWINSAVER TISSUES FOR MEN
TBWA\HUNT\LASCARIS JOHANNESBURG
SOUTH AFRICA

Bronze (Campaign)
Cosmetics & Beauty, Toiletries
DADDY’S GIRL
NAMPAK
TWINSAVER TISSUES FOR MEN
TBWA\HUNT\LASCARIS JOHANNESBURG
SOUTH AFRICA

Bronze (Campaign)
Banking, Investment & Insurance
CHOCOLATE BAR
FRANK.NET
LIFE COVER
FoxP2
Cape Town SOUTH AFRICA

Bronze (Campaign)
Banking, Investment & Insurance
MOTHBALLS
FRANK.NET
LIFE COVER
FoxP2
Cape Town SOUTH AFRICA

Bronze (Campaign)
Banking, Investment & Insurance
GRAND CANYON
FRANK.NET
LIFE COVER
FoxP2
Cape Town SOUTH AFRICA

Bronze (Campaign)
Best Scriptwriting
SCOOTER
MERCEDES-BENZ
MERCEDES-BENZ COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
NET#WORK BBDO
Johannesburg SOUTH AFRICA

Bronze (Campaign)
Best Scriptwriting
VIRUS
MERCEDES-BENZ
MERCEDES-BENZ COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
NET#WORK BBDO
Johannesburg SOUTH AFRICA

Bronze (Campaign)
Best Scriptwriting
LAWYER
MERCEDES-BENZ
MERCEDES-BENZ COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
NET#WORK BBDO
Johannesburg SOUTH AFRICA

Millennial Ad-Grad: Why we choose the ideas business

by Faheem Chaudhry (@FaheemChaudhry) I’m sure some of you are familiar with a brilliant documentary called ‘Art & Copy’. It opens with an insightful musing by ad-legend Hal Riney:

“The frightening and most difficult thing about being what somebody calls a creative person is that you have absolutely no idea where any of your thoughts come from really, and especially, you don’t have any idea where they are going to come from tomorrow”.

It had me thinking. What Riney spoke about may well be the greatest challenge for ad-folk, and especially for young people entering the industry. There’s an air of uncertainty that comes with solving a new business problem with the right creative thinking. But I like to believe it’s also our primary driving force. Its unpredictable nature excites us, inspires us and is the reason that when the right ideas are born, they effect change in business to levels that other business services simply cannot reach.

There are many other challenges that we face as an industry. Without harping on, young people are up against it. In advertising change is our only constant. The staff turnover levels are higher than most other business services. Yet, when we look at the passion with which people dedicate themselves to a career in advertising, it’s fair to say that there’s something a little deeper fuelling why we chose this industry.

My belief is that we choose the ideas business because for most of us it is more than just a job. It fills a void in our lives that stretches beyond the 9-5. In it, we see purpose.

Much has been said about the trends and characteristics that filter through the millennial generation. The most impatient generation yet. The ‘me meme’ generation.The generation who enter the industry expecting the corner office in a few years. The reality that young people need to better climatise ourselves to, is that the journey to the top is a long slog. It always has been, and always will be. It requires a deep belief, an immovable desire, a creative streak and plenty of caffeine. But I believe it’s worth it.

This is why I think ad-grads are exactly where we’re meant to be:

Today isn’t tomorrow

I’m not talking about the latest 007 flick here. Let’s zoom out a little. Our role as an industry is to change people’s perceptions and buying behaviour towards our clients in the most imaginative, captivating and compelling ways. What a pleasure that is. If we’re honest, we’ve got it good. We’re tasked to have conversations with people. But the way people are engaging with brands is constantly changing, and therefore to stay relevant, we must adapt too. Very few industries find themselves in such a constantly shifting dynamic. It keeps us on our toes. We can never get too comfortable. We learn, and then relearn. It’s what makes being a young person in this industry so exhilarating.

It’s a truly you industry

In advertising, we’re paid to think. There’s no fail-proof formula to follow. Ideas that are generated, on the most part, are our own. As Hal Riney points out, we actually don’t really know where they come from. But now and then they feel absolutely, positively right for a client, and so we invest ourselves in them. Advertising is a creative industry that allows for personal intellectual property to be put to real purpose and use. That’s why we choose advertising. It lets us be us. It gives our thoughts a bigger purpose beyond the little space between our ears. And that’s actually pretty rad.

The backbone of business

The rate at which start-ups are being born, going through puberty and maturing is speeding up at the rate of knots. There are now more start-up millionaires than ever before. Constant connectivity has made resources that previously only larger organisations could get their hands on available to almost anyone. What’s the relevance of advertising to this? Differentiation and distinction becomes a critical pillar to success. Consumers are swamped with choices. The need for marketing to help businesses find their open space within their deepening competitor context will continue to be a critical need. We choose advertising because we want to move people. Move them to buy into values. The need to communicate the clear distinction of brand values is more important than ever before. We’re exactly where we’re meant to be.

Earth denting potential

At times, global advertising is scrutinized for it’s cultural relevance to different parts of the world. And sometimes a man jumps out of a capsule from outer space, captures the imagination of the world for half an hour and is broadcast on live global television. Those moments are about more than advertising. They’re about society and pop culture and shattering preconceived notions of what is possible. These moments shape the future.

And this industry has the ability to give life to these moments. To create them, implement them and watch them soar. We choose advertising in the hope that one day one of these moments will come from our thoughts. We are, exactly where we’re meant to be.

Yes we Cannes

One of the most memorable moments at Cannes last year was when Bill Clinton stood up and told the global ad-industry what an important role he envisions it playing in the decades to come. When talking about the global issues society will continue to face, he said: “We need people like you to fire our imagination and fill our brains as well as our hearts”. Creative ideas can break stereotypes, unlock barriers and drive mass awareness of real human issues. Modern communication can affect change. That potential is why we’re exactly where we need to be.

Conclusion

The ad industry may be one of the toughest for young people to get into and succeed in. But it’s also one of the most rewarding paths we could choose. My hope is that when things aren’t looking up; when that idea gets bombed, when that client leaves the door, or when you don’t get the promotion you’re hoping for, zoom out. Look at the opportunity for fulfilment this industry provides us as young people. There’s no other like it. And that’s why we choose advertising. That’s why we’re right where we’re meant to be.

– Faheem is a passionate marketer at M&C Saatchi Abel. With a focus on the future, his aim is to better entrench the importance of creative thinking to solving critical business problems.

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Shelf Life: New look bank branch for ABSA

Louise Marsland’s (@Louise_Marsland) pick of new product, packaging and design launches.

New look bank branch for ABSA; a well-known graffiti artist creates street wear designs; flexible new ways to sample; competitive fast-food interiors; and a new brand CI for an IP firm.

New look bank branch for ABSA

ABSA is touting the revamped design of its Hyde Park branch as the future of banking. It says it has prioritised the customer by enhancing the whole customer experience by eliminating “long queues” and providing more convenience to support the 24-hour banking experience made possible by technological advances.

At the Hyde Park branch, customers are welcomed into a crisp, modern branch with digital marketing elements and LED lighting, where most financial transactions are paperless. Quick Service Kiosks allow customers to perform complex banking activities without queuing, while the bank’s Qmatic system uses a ticketing system to match a customer’s transactional requirements with the best skilled consultant who can provide the service in the shortest possible time. The customer is then directed to multi-skilled staff who are able to handle varied queries and transactional needs quickly and efficiently – all at the same counter.

The glass barriers which previously existed between customer and banker have also been removed. Absa Group CE Maria Ramos describes the new design as “the new face of traditional banking”.

“We are proud to complement our digital offering with the Hyde Park branch that simplifies customers’ relationship with the bank and makes banking an easier and more enjoyable experience.”

The implementation of the new design follows Absa’s research and development approach at numerous branches countrywide, where various concepts were tested and fine-tuned in a live transactional environment. A roll out plan for other branches across the country will follow soon.

Branded graffiti

Cape Town graffiti artist Falko has teamed up with the popular local street wear clothing brand, Butan, to create Limited Edition gear for this year’s Sprite Uncontainable campaign – the nationwide talent search for the best emcees, dancers and graffiti artists in the country. Falko was the 2012 winner.

Falko has designed the graffiti for the gear which includes backpacks and caps. The Limited Edition gear is part of the big winner’s prize for the campaign. The clothing with the designs will be ready in a couple of weeks.

Falko was a member of the crew selected to represent South Africa in the international graffiti competition ‘Write For Gold’ 2006, has represented South Africa at United Nations’ projects and created murals for the build-up to the 2004 Olympics in Greece. He believes graffiti is a dynamic social tool.

Flexible sampling

ElastiTab is a new product offering from the Bedford ElastiTag range, which are elasticised hang tags that can be used for labelling, branding and marketing a wide variety of products, from produce to cosmetics. There are also options to include sachets, packets and other lightweight items as ElastiTab secures them to the product. The tab has a pressure sensitive adhesive and a stretchy elastomer loop, producing an easy-to-apply device for on-pack promotions.

Launched by Pyrotec PackMedia in South Africa, Johnson & Johnson has become one of the first brands to use it to offer value added incentives to their customers. The brand wanted a cost-effective device that allowed for easy application of samples attached to the products. Traditional value-added packs (VAP’s) can be costly and time-consuming to produce.

Pyrotec PackMedia GM,Timothy Beattie says brands have the opportunity to not only give a customer a value-added incentive to purchase, but also to cross-promote two product lines.

More than a logo

Engage Brandcraft has redesigned the corporate identity for Von Seidels, an intellectual property law firm. In 10 years, the firm had grown significantly and needed to make a bolder and more meaningful first impression, starting with their corporate identity, web presence and brand collateral.

Engage Brandcraft said it also had to be mindful of the brand’s existing equity, as well as its pre-existing and strongly entrenched culture, drawing on the core values that moulded the firm.

It also needed to encapsulate the importance of the creativity and ingenuity that is encompassed within the IP domain in general.

“We decided on a positioning that took the ambition and results-driven culture of the firm and combined it with a more human and personable aspect.The icon of a golden African Swift was settled upon as a suitable vehicle to convey this aspirant, African firm with its unique vantage, exceptional speed, reliance on teamwork and ingenuity and intelligence, as well as their commitment to quality,” Engage Brandcraft stated.

KFC internal signage tender awarded

Clarion Printed Products has secured major retail branding business from fast food giant, KFC. It was awarded the branding tender for the internal signage. Clarion has branded over 30 KFC restaurants to date, with branding work including wallpaper, vinyls and window decals.

– Shelf Life by Louise Marsland is a weekly column on MarkLives. Tweet new product, packaging and design launches to @louise_marsland or email her at louise.marsland at gmail.com.

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Louise Marsland has written about the FMCG, media, marketing and advertising industry for 18 years of her 25 year media career as a former Editor of magazines AdVantage, Marketing Mix and Progressive Retailing; as well as websites Bizcommunity.com and FMCGFiles. She currently edits the weekly Wednesday Media & Marketing Page for The New Age newspaper; and is the co-founder and Publishing Editor of SA’s newly launched industry trendwatching portal, TREND. at www.trendlives.info, in partnership with MarkLives.com.

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SA wins Media and Outdoor Lions #canneslions

The Innovation, Media, Mobile and Outdoor Lions category winners have been announced at the annual Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. See also SA Cannes Lions winners Day 1.

South African winners

Innovation Lions: None
Mobile Lions: None

Media Lions:

Silver
Use of Media
Best Use of Outdoor
SHED LIGHT ON RAPE
JHHESA
BROTHERS FOR LIFE
JOE PUBLIC
Johannesburg SOUTH AFRICA

Creative Execution
The idea that a simple poster can light the way home for women walking in dark areas, where they are most vulnerable to rape, seems like something impossible. Nitesight, our media partners on this project, were given the challenge to help create glow in the dark posters that can glow long enough and bright enough to light up dark areas. They then created a poster than holds maximum light retention from the sun so that it can glow up to 8 hours long at night. Through the help of the authorities, extensive research was done as to where the rape hot spots in Gauteng are, and made sure that these areas that have enough sunlight in the day so it allows glow for the night. The glow in the dark posters combined with the perfect locations made this project a media success.

Bronze
Use of Media
Best Use of Special Events and Stunt/Live Advertising
JOURNEY OF HOPE
KFC
KFC ADD HOPE
OGILVY & MATHER JOHANNESBURG
SOUTH AFRICA

Results and Effectiveness
Add Hope donations peaked at just over ZAR12 million for the year – a ZAR3 million improvement on the year before and ZAR5.5 million on the year before that. The event drew over ZAR7 million worth of media attention, a return on investment of 1:34 (where the local industry norm is 1:3). Research noted a 31% increase in public perception among Quick Service Restaurant users that KFC is a brand that gives back.

Creative Execution
From the briefing stage, the media and creative teams were seamlessly integrated and worked on bringing the idea to life in a way that best protected its integrity. The Journey was ultimately a stunt that, due to its true-life nature was best captured as a series of 6 3-minute weekly episodes on national television. The main event was supported by radio, advertorials, online and a thorough PR strategy.

Outdoor Lions:

Silver
Billboards & Street Furniture
Household
WALL OF SHOES
TIGER BRANDS
DOOM SUPER
TBWA\HUNT\LASCARIS JOHANNESBURG
SOUTH AFRICA

Description of Ambient execution
South Africa is home to more than 100 000 species of insects. The most common way of killing them is with a primitive stomp of a shoe. To demonstrate Doom Super’s legendary insect killing power, we took the most basic method of killing a bug and multiplied it by the killing power of Doom.

We constructed a 22 meter high can of Doom made entirely out of real shoes. Each sneaker, stiletto, and boot made up the individual pixels of the classic Doom Super artwork. If one shoe is deadly, imagine how deadly thousands of them are.

Silver (Campaign)
Posters
Cars & Automotive Services
FRISBEE
VOLKSWAGEN
VOLKSWAGEN GENUINE PARTS
OGILVY & MATHER CAPE TOWN
SOUTH AFRICA
Description of Ambient execution
We were asked to develop a campaign for Volkswagen Genuine Parts, because during these recessionary times consumers were choosing to fit cheaper “no-name-brand” parts in their cars instead of the real thing.
Our unique insight was that many of the cheap and fake car parts that are on sale actually do fit our consumers’ cars, leading them to believe that all will be well. The truth, however, is that these parts don’t work as they should, so before long something inevitably goes wrong with the car.

Silver (Campaign)
Posters
Cars & Automotive Services
CONTACT LENS
VOLKSWAGEN
VOLKSWAGEN GENUINE PARTS
OGILVY & MATHER CAPE TOWN
SOUTH AFRICA
Description of Ambient execution
We were asked to develop a campaign for Volkswagen Genuine Parts, because during these recessionary times consumers were choosing to fit cheaper “no-name-brand” parts in their cars instead of the real thing.
Our unique insight was that many of the cheap and fake car parts that are on sale actually do fit our consumers’ cars, leading them to believe that all will be well. The truth, however, is that these parts don’t work as they should, so before long something inevitably goes wrong with the car.

Silver (Campaign)
Posters
Cars & Automotive Services
BALL
VOLKSWAGEN
VOLKSWAGEN GENUINE PARTS
OGILVY & MATHER CAPE TOWN
SOUTH AFRICA
Description of Ambient execution
We were asked to develop a campaign for Volkswagen Genuine Parts, because during these recessionary times consumers were choosing to fit cheaper “no-name-brand” parts in their cars instead of the real thing.
Our unique insight was that many of the cheap and fake car parts that are on sale actually do fit our consumers’ cars, leading them to believe that all will be well. The truth, however, is that these parts don’t work as they should, so before long something inevitably goes wrong with the car.

Silver (Campaign)
Posters
Fundraising, Charities, Appeals, Non-Profit Organisations, Public Health & Safety, Public Awareness Messages
I’LL BE THERE IN A WHILE
VOLKSWAGEN
OGILVY & MATHER CAPE TOWN
SOUTH AFRICA

Silver (Campaign)
Posters
Fundraising, Charities, Appeals, Non-Profit Organisations, Public Health & Safety, Public Awareness Messages
SEE YOU NOW
VOLKSWAGEN
OGILVY & MATHER CAPE TOWN
SOUTH AFRICA

Silver (Campaign)
Posters
Fundraising, Charities, Appeals, Non-Profit Organisations, Public Health & Safety, Public Awareness Messages
I’M IN TRAFFIC
VOLKSWAGEN
OGILVY & MATHER CAPE TOWN
SOUTH AFRICA

Silver
Ambient
Small Scale Special Solutions
ENGEN FIREBLANKET
ENGEN
DRAFTFCB CAPE TOWN
SOUTH AFRICA

Description of Ambient execution
To help avoid paraffin related shack fires which are a regular occurance in South Africa’s informal settlements, Engen distributes an annual educational paraffin safety calendar. The 2013 calendar took this a step further. With a quick shake it unfolds into a fire blanket 4 times the size, ready to suffocate a fire as it starts. By distributing calendars throughout the shantytown, we’re not only able to save one shack. We can also stop it spreading to hundreds of surrounding homes.

Bronze (Campaign)
Billboards & Street Furniture
Cars & Automotive Services
OKAVANGO DELTA
LAND ROVER
FREELANDER 2
Y&R SOUTH AFRICA
Cape Town SOUTH AFRICA

Bronze (Campaign)
Billboards & Street Furniture
Cars & Automotive Services
SANI PASS
LAND ROVER
FREELANDER 2
Y&R SOUTH AFRICA
Cape Town SOUTH AFRICA

Bronze (Campaign)
Billboards & Street Furniture
Cars & Automotive Services
ZIMBABWE HIGHLANDS
LAND ROVER
FREELANDER 2
Y&R SOUTH AFRICA
Cape Town SOUTH AFRICA

Bronze (Campaign)
Posters
Cosmetics & Beauty, Toiletries & Pharmacy
ZOMBIE
NAMPAK
TOILET PAPER
TBWA\HUNT\LASCARIS JOHANNESBURG
SOUTH AFRICA

Bronze (Campaign)
Posters
Cosmetics & Beauty, Toiletries & Pharmacy
SERIAL KILLER
NAMPAK
TOILET PAPER
TBWA\HUNT\LASCARIS JOHANNESBURG
SOUTH AFRICA

Bronze (Campaign)
Posters
Cosmetics & Beauty, Toiletries & Pharmacy
CROCODILE
NAMPAK
TOILET PAPER
TBWA\HUNT\LASCARIS JOHANNESBURG
SOUTH AFRICA

* Creative Execution and other information supplied by Cannes Lions.

INTERNATIONAL

Critic, 27 May 2013

Australasia ScubaDiver, Issues 3 and 4 of 2013

Markateer, June 2013

New York, 24 June 2013

LOCAL

Cape Etc, Winter 2013

South African Décor & Design 2013 Buyers Guide, 17th Edition

New look bank branch for ABSA

Branded graffiti

Flexible sampling

More than a logo

KFC internal signage tender awarded

South African Décor & Design 2013 Buyers Guide, 17^th Edition