Christian Science Monitor drops print for the Web

Christian Science MonitorThe 100 year old Christian Science Monitor will abandon its daily print edition next year in favour of its website and a weekly print title. “The Christian Science Monitor plans major changes in April 2009 that are expected to make it the first newspaper with a national audience to shift from a daily print format to an online publication that is updated continuously each day,” the newspaper announced today on its website. The newspaper has been awarded seven Pulitzer Prizes.

The move eliminates a major cost in production and distribution. The new daily electronic edition will be offered by subscription and sent to subscribers as a multipage PDF file.

The New York Times describes The Monitor as “the first national newspaper to largely give up on print.”

KFC gets punked by Steers

KFC gets punked by Steers

This innovative ad was created for Steers by King James. Mocked up to look like a Heat magazine paparazzi shot the agency signed up the model who has been the star of KFC’s long running local ad campaign (her contract expired opening the gap for King James). The KFC model was ‘busted’ walking out of a Steers joint with a Steers burger in hand.

Shofar, the naked students, and the spin machine

The story has been doing the rounds in Stellenbosch all week but finally made the mainstream press today. A group of male students stripped and stormed the Shofar church in Stellenbosch last Sunday during a service. Some of the students were stopped by the churches bouncers (you heard right) at the door.

Die Burger today reported that the students attacked church members with pepper spray which resulted in the church being evacuated. This differs quite dramatically from how some congregants have described events. According to them it was the bouncers chasing down the students, who had made it onto the stage and started dancing (the music kept playing…), who used pepper spray. The hall had to be evacuated because the pepper spray had been used in a confined space.

Shofar has been in the news over the last several years for allegedly ‘disrupting‘ academic life at Stellenbosch University, according to numerous academics at the University.

Domestos takes a new angle in fighting germs

Domestos ad

“Consumers saw Domestos as a strong, multi-surface, multi-purpose germ killer, yet the TV commercials always made the toilet the main battleground when it came to fighting germs,” says Rui Alves, executive creative director of Domestos agency Lowe Bull. “Research showed however, that consumers used Domestos everywhere, not just in the toilet, which formed the basis of the new creative concept.”

The ads take the consumer down into the germ-filled drains and toilets of otherwise clean homes, letting the viewer stare up at unaware householders from the germs’ vantage point.

Art director: Miguel Nunes
Copywriter: Andre Vrdoljak

Domestos ad

SA blog survey launched

It seems Naspers is trying to figure out how to approach blogging (and bloggers) going forward. Its digital division, 24.com, along with Afrigator (owned by Naspers) and Amatomu.com (co-founded by Matthew Buckland, GM of online publishing and social media at 24.com) is launching a comprehensive survey of South Africa’s blogger community.
Media companies are still scratching their heads about how to successfully monetise investments in social media. I’m sure the results will make for interesting reading. You can participate at http://blogs.24.com/blogsurvey/start.htm

New booties for Nandos

Nando\'s takkies

Nando’s recently launched an internal brand campaign, called ‘Take a Stand Against Bland’, to inspire all employees (from the CEO down) “to deliver on the brand promise”. So far 5000 pairs of Nando’s takkies has been distributed. The creative team from agency Cross Colours was Joanina Pastoll and Janine Rech. (creative directors), Tsepo Makate (designer), and Michael Vines and Craig Wapnick (copy).

Are you a member of the Digirati?

The Mail & Guardian is launching a new annual titled Digerati as a guide to everyone you need to know in SA technology. “Think of it as an encyclopaedia of local ICT movers and shakers and you’ll be only a little short of the mark,” reads the site. “It will also be an essential guide to procuring services, making decisions and just generally understanding the market.”

Bizcommunity.com quotes editor Phillip de Wet as saying the concept is based on the success of the Book of South African Women, another M&G publication. “It will be both a listing of the most important individuals in the field and a preview of what lies ahead in every important area within the technology sector,” De Wet told Bizcom. “Add a listing of important resources (websites, events, books) and it will be an indispensable guide.”

Nominations are now open and the deadline is Friday, November 7.

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