Thanks to a campaign that married television with online and viral components, the Vodacom Bulls made a 209 000-strong impression on South African rugby fans in just a few weeks (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYRRAvi3cpw)

Conceptualised and executed by 1886, a small hot shop within the Draftfcb South Africa fold, it was aired and shared in the three weeks preceding the first game of the new season, the clash between the Vodacom Bulls and DHL Stormers.

Within days of the critical component of the campaign being added to YouTube and Facebook, it notched up a phenomenal 209 700 views (March 11, 2013), a number many professional local musicians would be proud of.

Rugby players and fans through the country loved the campaign; it even drew compliments from the team’s arch rivals. Importantly, the campaign attracted the interest of a younger set of fans as well as non-traditional, less ‘hard-core’ rugby fans.

According to 1886 general manager, Wimpie le Roux, there is no doubt that the Vodacom Bulls is one of the most successful sports brands in South Africa. But, as a brand, it has a need to grow and reach new markets.

“Every year, the home of the Vodacom Bulls, Loftus Versfeld, sees many true-blue supporters and season ticketholders go all out to support the team. And every year, the players return this support by facing the most brutal opponents and putting their bodies on the line, week in and week out.

“It’s a tough job facing charging Maoris, larger-than-life forwards and razor-sharp backs at full pace. Being a Vodacom Bulls player isn’t for the faint-hearted.

“Our big idea was to take this do-or-die attitude a step further. We wanted the Vodacom Bulls to do something so outrageous, fans would stop at nothing to support them.”

The agency asked the Vodacom Bulls players to face their most terrifying fear in the lead up to one of their most crucial games – make a music video.

The campaign kicked off with a teaser ad (www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLEc-fb1u1w) and various online and email components. This featured the Vodacom Bulls talking about fear, about something in their future which was going to be ‘the scariest thing they’ve ever done’. The setting and tone of the ad encouraged the viewer to think the players were talking about the upcoming clash with the DHL Stormers.

A week ahead of the game, the ‘reveal’ was aired (www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYRRAvi3cpw). This opened in the locker room with the players looking rather nervous, stressed and serious. Then, captain Pierre Spies steps forward and begins to ... sing a rendition of ‘Stand by Me’. The team joins in with a raw, open-hearted, bare-all, humorous appeal to the fans to support them.

“Making a music video was a strategic decision; we know music appeals to the youth, music is also engrained in the Vodacom Bulls brand through the Hougaard/Liefling connection.

“The Vodacom Bulls now stand apart from other teams, the video is creating great likability for the players and the brand. It’s a brand property which the Vodacom Bulls own and which can be activated at live events throughout the SupeRugby season,” said le Roux.

Blue Bulls Company Marketing Manager, Richard Papo, said the team – players, coaches and coaching support and management – is relishing the opportunity to connect more personally with their fans using online platforms.

With back to back victories for the Vodacom Bulls against the DHL Stormers and Western Force respectively, opinions and analysis has been shared by the Bulls faithful via Facebook, Twitter and www.thebulls.co.za.

He said the Facebook page (www.facebook.com/BullsOfficial) is loaded with team and player news, live score updates and photos which have attracted fans to the page like a moth to a flame. The number of Likes on this page grew by 6 248 since January with just over 10 000 talking about the Vodacom Bulls. @BlueBullsRugby has seen an increase in Twitter followers from 14 000 in January 2013 to just over 20 000 in the beginning of March.

“In addition to the phenomenal response to our ‘Stand By Me’ video, our fans have expressed their thoughts and opinions on the video as well as on the team’s SupeRugby results on Facebook and Twitter.

“It’s a great way to connect with our fans, gauge their thoughts, wants and needs from our Union, which is particularly important for us in 2013 as we celebrate our 75th Anniversary. We have a host of special events lined up throughout the course of this year in celebration of our 75 year history which leads me to believe that our online presence will further increase in the months ahead,” he said.

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Note:

In the 2002 Currie Cup final against the Golden Lions and at the start of his career, Derick Hougaard broke Naas Botha's 15-year record for points scored in a Currie Cup final of 24 by scoring 26. This, plus his kicking success in subsequent games, earned him the accolade ‘Liefling van Loftus’, meaning the ‘sweetheart of Loftus Versfeld Stadium’. Each time he scored at Loftus, the chorus of a Gé Korsten song named ‘Liefling’ was played in the stadium.

A man walks into the Angry Moose Bar and orders a Savanna. “So, what makes the Angry Moose different?” The bartender, a moose enthusiast in a moose antler headpiece, looks over at the moose memorabilia in his bar and says: “Well, we’ve got all these mooses.” This sets off a few moose-chievous questions from the man with the Savanna.

“Moose” was directed by Greg Gray of Velocity Films and conceptualised by Mike Barnwell, Doug Larter and Trevor Sacks of Draftfcb. View the TVC here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glfkB2CODhA&hd=1

Commenting on the new setting for the beloved South African cider brand, Savanna Global Marketing Manager Gillian Skinner explains: “This is the first time that Savanna will be seen in unfamiliar surroundings. After 13 years in the same bar it was time to experiment in new spaces. First stop The Angry Moose bar. A slightly over the top themed bar dedicated to the noble moose.”

In true Savanna style, “Moose” maintains the brand’s dry humour and wit. “Savanna has always been famous for its off-beat humour and dry wit and the new campaign shouldn't disappoint even the most ardent Savanna fans,” says Skinner.

Every brand has cycles and we are fortunate to have had great success with campaigns that have stood the test of time. Savanna has been voted South Africa’s most loved cider brand in the 2010, 2011 and 2012 TGI Icon Brand Awards and was again ranked one of the top cider brands in South Africa in the Sunday Times Top Brands Awards of 2012,” says Skinner.

“As we take Savanna into a new era it is important that the new TVCs remain true to the brand's quirky persona and retain its DNA which has become well entrenched with the South African public over the years,” says Executive Creative Director on the campaign, Mike Barnwell, of DraftFCB. The award-winning agency has been with Savanna for 10 years and has won industry prizes for their work on the brand.

“Moose” was directed by Greg Gray of Velocity Films and conceptualised by Mike Barnwell, Doug Larter and Trevor Sacks of Draftfcb.

To launch the campaign, Savanna took the moose to its social media channels. On the Savanna Facebook page fans receive entertaining daily updates on the campaign and are also encouraged to check out #SavannaMoose on the @SavannaCider Twitter account and YouTube. Fans also stood a chance to win Savanna hampers if they shared funny Moose-isms like their favourite moosicians (Moosey Gray), their favourite Moose-icals or Movies (Sound of moosic) or fa-moose actors (William h Moosey).

Draftfcb Johannesburg is celebrating this week with three television commercials on Millward Brown South Africa’s list of the 20 Best Liked Ads of 2012.

The agency is no stranger to the list having won more places than any agency in history. This time they managed to notch up 2nd place and 20th position on the 2012 edition for client Wimpy with ‘Missing Lunch’ and ‘Grand Grillster’ and 17th place for ‘Amazing’ for the Lexus RX300.

The list is compiled using data from Millward Brown’s Adtrack™, a proprietary advertising testing system that has evaluated the impact and liking of all brand advertising in South Africa over the last 29 years. The resultant database stands at almost 75 000 TV adverts tested, and more than 1.1 million interviews conducted making this database one of the largest of its kind in the world.

Draftfcb Johannesburg managing director, Alistair Mokoena, and Group Creative Officer, Brett Morris, are both thrilled by the news.

“Most often in our industry it is our peers who bestow the accolades but, in this instance, these have been chosen by the consumer as South Africa’s best 20 ads of 2012.

“We’re thrilled to have made the list again, as reaching ordinary South Africans with messages and creative executions that touch their hearts and minds is what builds brands and makes the tills ring; it’s our most important job.

“Over the past few months, our clients have met their financial targets, they’ve retained or taken up positions as number 1 or number 2 in their sectors, and now consumers have stood up and voted. We’ve delivered in all three areas, and we’re very proud of that,” said Mokoena.

Added Morris: "It's fantastic that we've featured in the list yet again. As an agency we pride ourselves on creating ideas that really matter to consumers and there's no better acknowledgement than the vote of the people who our communication is aimed at. And it's great that an iconic South African brand like Wimpy is at number 2."

Three seemed to be the lucky number for this year’s list with two other agencies accounting for three positions – The Jupiter Drawing Room Johannesburg (6^th, 14^th and 18^th – the 6^th spot a collaboration with Metropolitan Republic) and Black River Football Club (7^th, 13^th and 19^th).

The only other agency to notch up more than one slot on the Top 20 was Cheil USA with 2.

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Draftfcb Cape Town Unites Two African Originals

Two African originals – Amarula Cream and Alek Wek – have been united by Draftfcb Cape Town in a beautifully shot and elegantly edited television ad breaking ahead of the summer festive season.

Conceptualised by the agency’s creative director Doug Larter, art director Annie Ibbotson and copywriter Liora Friedland, the spot draws attention to Amarula’s distinctiveness and reminds consumers of its uniqueness, sub-Saharan roots and luxuriousness.

An internationally distributed brand, Amarula ranks as one of the fastest-growing spirits products worldwide. Spirits Business rates it as a Brand Champion, an honour reserved for those brands achieving double-digit growth in 2011 compared with 2010. It is also a member of the prestigious Millionaire’s Club for selling in excess of a million 9-litre cases a year.

The new TVC by Draftfcb Cape Town clearly positions Amarula as an African original, and can be viewed on http://youtu.be/vu2lhosZQJU.

"What makes Amarula unique is the fact that it is the first of its kind and also the best established and most widely internationally recognised. Given these factors, the natural positioning for the brand is as ‘The African Original’,” explained Larter.

“There are parallels between its story and that of Alek in that she, too, was born in Africa but is today an international icon. Despite her amazing success on the world’s catwalks and behind its speaker podiums, her roots are still in Africa.

“This majestic African is also an artist, published writer and well-known spokesperson for the humanitarian cause in Sudan. She’s an African original, and aligning Amarula with her legendary beauty, spontaneity and uniqueness serves to highlight Amarula’s claim to that status.”

This is the first time brand owner Distell has engaged an international celebrity for Amarula.

Global marketing spokesperson Siobhan Thompson said: “"We chose Alek Wek for her ability, like Amarula, to encapsulate what it means to be an African original. She is a natural, charismatic beauty with a unique and compelling presence. She embodies the grace and poise of Africa with an ability to succeed wherever she goes.”

The television commercial is supported by print, radio, outdoor and a national promotion which runs from October till December. There is also a digital and social media component: see www.facebook.com/amarula. The campaign is being adapted for Amarula’s major markets worldwide.

Note to editors:

Alek Wek was born in South Sudan in 1977 and raised as part of the Dinka tribe. At the age of 14 she was forced to flee her homeland to escape the civil war, arriving in London as a refugee. Her life took a new turn in 1995 when she was spotted by a model agent in a London park, becoming a runway success almost overnight.

In 1997, the international edition of Elle made her its first African cover star, and she was named Model of the Year by MTV. Her natural elegance and grace quickly established her as one of the world's top fashion icons. By 2000 she was booked by Revlon to star in its worldwide advertising campaign, shot by Herb Ritts. She continues to work with a number of the most prestigious brands, including Chanel Couture and YSL.

During her career she has been named Model of the Decade by i-D magazine, and one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People.

In 2007 she published her best selling memoirs, Alek, from Refugee to International Supermodel and in 2009 she was chosen as one of a handful of designers to create a unique piece of jewellery for ethical diamond brand Forevermark, subsequently judging its esteemed African Shining Light jewellery design competition in 2010.

She is as well-known for her charity work as her modelling, lending real support to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), where she serves on an advisory board to help highlight and alleviate the plight of refugees worldwide. This year she spent two weeks travelling throughout South Sudan with the UNHCR to galvanise international support for the hundreds of thousands of refugees still displaced.

She speaks in New York schools to empower youth and helped launch the Bracelet for Life campaign with Médecins Sans Frontières. She also works actively to raise funds for those affected by AIDS, and with other children’s and Breast Cancer Research charities.

She is an established designer in her own right with a luxury handbag range established in 2001, called WEK1933. The collection is sold worldwide through high-end retailers. She continues to develop her collection while collaborating with other influential brands on special projects.

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One stormy Saturday morning last month (November), around 25 creative types and whiz-kid coders assembled in the basement of Draftfcb Johannesburg for the first-ever Hellocomputer Hack-a-Thon.

Inaugurated to encourage and showcase a pioneering spirit in creativity and innovation, the Hack-a-Thon offered prize money totalling R10 000, and was open to teams of no more than 5 members active in the marketing, communications and IT industries … or not. The only prerequisite was that each team combined creative and technical skills.

Their brief? To hack something, anything, as long as the final product was the epitome of geek-awesome, said Hellocomputer group executive creative director, Mark Tomlinson.

“One definition of ‘hack’ from the Urban Dictionary is ‘To break into computer systems with malicious intent’. At Hellocomputer, we prefer another interpretation, one said by the same source to be more faithful to its original meaning – ‘To program a computer in a clever, virtuosic, and wizardly manner’.

“The Hellocomputer Hack-a-Thon was launched to celebrate a ‘do anything’ attitude, one that would see the teams combining simple technology and inspired creativity to produce ground-breaking results.

“That’s the way we have approached every brief at Hellocomputer from the outset, and we wanted to foster this philosophy on an industry level. The Hellocomputer Hack-a-Thon was our way of doing that.”

For 48 hours, the teams participating in the inaugural event hacked their computers into the most unsuspecting of items – nine technicolor slinkies, a hamster cage, an augmented reality (AR) drone and, in one inspiringly-leftfield case, a cardboard box. Blood, sweat and river of coffee flowed freely as each team worked through the night to bring their creations to life.

After two days, the hacked constructions were scrutinised by Draftfcb South Africa group creative officer, Brett Morris, and Gloo deputy managing director, Templar Wales.

First up for judging was a made-from-scratch Quant-music equaliser from Martin Pretorius, Jacobus Prinsloo, Herman Rossouw and Bernhardt Garlipp. Using nine slinkies arranged in a 3x3 layout, some catgut and a nifty bit of coding, the team had crafted a fully functional equaliser that danced to any music it heard.

The Hellocomputer team of Trent Goulden, Ryan Wild, Muano Mainganye and Samuel Goldenbaum was next up with a hacked AR drone. By far the most ambitious project of the weekend, this team recoded an off-the-shelf drone to respond to their laptops and planned to hook in some image-recognition so it could tweet what it saw as it flew around. Unfortunately, the 48 hours was not long enough to complete such wizardry.

The third entry, from Jesse Coetsee, Ernst Van Der Merwe, Jans De Jager and Ross Cohen, was a mishmash of cardboard, arcade computer buttons and a nest of wiring – it was the world’s cheapest and easiest-to-assemble midi-player.

However, it was the fourth team comprising Rory MacRobert, Eras Gous, Matthys Esterhuysen, Johan Pieterse and Ben Fourie which put up the winning idea.

In the words of the judges, it delivered the ‘best blend of tech and concept’. Using heat, movement, light, vibration and pressure pads, the winning entry was a hamster cage that tweeted every action-packed moment made by its inhabitant, a personable dwarf hamster by the name of Squeaks. His followers therefore knew when he ‘checked into his love nest’, or ‘stuffed his hamster pouches at the food bin’.

Hellocomputer executive creative director, Kerry Friend, was more than thrilled with the outcome of the event. “For us to have such a high level of entrants in our very first event is beyond awesome. I wasn’t entirely sure about how this was going to play out, but it has far exceeded my expectations,” she said.

Friend said that the next Hellocomputer Hack-a-Thon, scheduled for April next year, will be bigger and better. If you want to get involved, start getting your team together now.

Follow Squeaks on @Hchamster, or visit www.hchack.co.za.

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