Shelf Life: Checkers, PnP again create more nag factor

Retailers use collectibles to drive feet in-store; Engen offers a Formula 1 clean; and First Choice launches winter custard — Cheryl Hunter’s weekly pick!

The Real McCoy: The tale of Tim

by Sean McCoy. This is the story of Tim — an everyday guy doing an everyday job. The difference, however, is that Tim has the foresight, interest and passion — and possibly even the training — to do his everyday job well and in a way that makes a difference to the company that he works for. See, Tim is a real person and happens to be a petrol attendant at a forecourt that also goes under a real brand name, Engen.

Loeries & Pendoring: Not quite a post-mortem

by Herman Manson (@marklives) Flames roared impressively, smoke spilled over the stage and kids screamed. I had just been reading their naively thankful tweets to their educational institutions, such as the AAA School of Advertising, expressing eternal gratitude for securing them seats IN THE FRONT ROW!! of the auditorium at The Loerie Awards, and I had been wondering what fate— and the ad industry — would have in store for them… Welcome to the biz, kiddos.

The ad industry gathered in Cape Town this past weekend, starting on Friday evening, 20 September 2013, with the Pendoring Awards [winners list] and continuing through Saturday and Sunday evenings with The Loerie Awards [Loeries 2013 — all winners], to celebrate and award its creative output of the past year.

South African agency shortlisted for Cannes Innovation Lions

Draftfcb Cape Town has been shortlisted for the first Cannes Innovation Lions.

“The Innovation Lions have been designed to reward technologies and innovations. Lions arre awarded to such things as (but not limited to) the most innovative platforms, apps, tools, programs, hardware, products, and radical software which allow brands and creatives to communicate with their customers in a new way, or which stand alone as significant innovations in their own right,” according to Cannes Lions.

“The Innovation Lion honour more than a campaign or communications idea. It could be SaaS (software as a service), a new mobile platform, or a revolutionary piece of software that enables a new kind of customer engagement.”

Twenty five finalists from fifteen countries made the shortlist. Shortlisted countries are the USA, UK, Brazil, Japan, Canada, Sweden, Russia, Denmark, Finland, The Netherlands, Singapore, Australia, Poland and Ecuador. Shortlisted agencies includes Dentsu, ID\, Google Creative Lab and AKQA.

Ad of the week with Oresti Patricios: Underdog love story meets So You Think You Can Dance

For many years now, Wimpy has opted for brand oriented campaigns that are highly visual with a strong feel-good factor. In these campaigns the burger people aren’t selling the bun, the patty or the sizzle, they’re selling a brand positioning that’s all about fun.

Way back in 1981 Wimpy had an absurd alien in an equally absurd UFO, coming to Earth to get a burger, only to have his UFO towed for illegal parking. Then there was that ‘free mug’ promotion that had a mug collector showing off his collection, only to have the boom microphone get stuck in the overhead fan, wreaking absolute havoc and destroying the whole collection, candid camera style. And who can forget “I love it when you talk foreign” – the spot that promoted Wimpy’s barista-style coffees? That particular TV ad achieved a massive word-of-mouth factor – at the time everyone was ‘talking foreign’ and mouthing the words: ‘Cremachino, café mocha, and macchiato.

Wimpy has a long history in South Africa. The first store was opened in 1967 in Durban, and over the years it became SA’s de facto burger joint, and a part of our national fabric. In those early days one could buy a burger, chips and coke for a mere 60c. Bought from the American mother company in the late 70s by Bakers, it was later sold to Pleasure Foods, who in turn sold the chain to Famous Brands. In 2007 Famous Brands would go on to buy the struggling UK chain of Wimpy restaurants as well.

Since then, extensive rebranding has taken place to unify the SA and UK brands. The bold red-and-white logo is complemented in the UK by ‘Mr Wimpy’ – a big-headed character in what looks like a beefeater outfit, with a red skirt, floppy red hat and medals. Somehow I don’t think we’ll be seeing him here, but then again, I don’t think Wimpy needs a mascot because its local ads are such a hit.

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