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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A new integrated campaign from Vodacom is highlighting the rivalry between the country’s two largest soccer teams and challenging their respective supporter bases to build strongholds for the teams in cyberspace.

This is the first time that Vodacom, the long-term sponsor of Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, has portrayed supporters squaring off against each other.

Vodacom Managing Executive: Marketing, Enzo Scarcella, said he briefed the agency to create a campaign that inflames passion, and creates a link between this passion and the Vodacom brand. In the long-term, he wants this passion to build brand loyalty, and lead soccer supporters to buy-in to products and promotions specifically developed for Kaizer Chief or Orlando Pirate fans.

Draftfcb Johannesburg’s response was to tap into historic club rivalry; Chiefs and Pirates fans are notorious for going the extra mile to prove their team and its supporter base is better than that of their rivals.

The team comprising Chief Creative Officer Brett Morris, Executive Creative Director Neo Mashigo, Creative Director Grant Sithole, Copywriter Melusi Mhlungu and Art Director Archi Malinga built the campaign on a war cry: ‘Ayeye, liyez’ iKhosi’ and ‘Ayeye, liyez’ iBhakaniya’ or ‘Beware, Chiefs are coming’ and ‘Beware, Pirates are coming’.

In the TV ad targeting Kaizer Chiefs supporters, two taxi drivers are shown a video of cheering Pirates fans. This inflames them to muster as many Chiefs fans as they can and march to Orlando Stadium (Pirates’ home ground) singing ‘Ayeye Bhakaniya, liyez’ iKhosi’ (Beware Pirates, Chiefs are coming).

The Pirates version follows the same storyline, but issues the warning to the Chiefs. Shot in and around Soweto in four days, these will flight from November 2012 to May 2013.

View the ads here:

Chiefs: http://youtu.be/JIxM6BCxdcc

Pirates: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVurWRZ-FOc&feature=plcp

The campaign also comprises radio spots, print executions and – because the target is predominantly young and connected male aged 18-34, online and mobi banners, a website, and social media elements.

“This campaign has been an incredibly interesting and exciting one for the agency,” said Mashigo.

“Exciting because, for the first time, we have actively set out to take advantage of the rivalry between Chiefs and Pirates. It’s interesting because we’ve worked with Draftfcb’s digital agency, Hellocomputer, to take the fan into the virtual realm.

“Here, the online campaign challenges fans to vote for either Kaizer Chiefs or Orlando Pirates By clicking on certain banners, they work to ensure that banner becomes either a Chiefs or Pirates branded space.

“They can also claim virtual territory online by selecting which region they are from – the most votes for a particular team in each region will claim that region as either a Chiefs or Pirates stronghold. If the fans really get behind their team, they can build boost the team’s online presence and ensure the team dominates in cyberspace as well as on the field,” he said.

Client credits: Vodacom

Enzo Scarcella – Managing Executive: Marketing

Fatima Hassim – EHOD: Regional Marketing and Sponsorship

Rowen Gangulu – Sponsorship Brand Manager

Agency credits: Draftfcb Johannesburg

Brett Morris – Chief Creative Officer

Neo Mashigo – Executive Creative Director

Grant Sithole – Creative Director

Melusi Mhlungu – Copywriter

Archi Malinga – Art director

Romaine MacKenzie – Managing Partner

Struan Bourquin – Group Account Director

Sivu Rangqa – Account Director

Gontse Chipane – Account Executive

Draftfcb South Africa was one of the agencies in the spotlight this week (November 28) at the prestigious Financial Mail AdFocus 2012 Awards.

Published annually by the South African business weekly, Financial Mail, AdFocus tracks the progress of the industry and its players, and awards those who have achieved greatness during the year at its awards show.

This year, AdFocus 2012 named Draftfcb South Africa CEO John Dixon as its Agency Leader of the Year and awarded Draftfcb Johannesburg ECD Neo Mashigo its New Broom Award.

Before calling Dixon to the podium, editor David Furlonger said that it takes strong leadership to steer a diverse group like Draftfcb South Africa. He asked what makes a real leaders in an organisation? Is it the people who make the day-to-day decisions that determine business success or failure? Or is it the person at the very top of the chain, creating the environment that allows executives to flourish?

Furlonger said he believed Dixon fits firmly in the second category and that, in the four years since becoming CEO (he was previously MD of the Johannesburg ad agency), he has done a remarkable job of building on the foundations created by his predecessor.

“It's no coincidence that Draftfcb's agencies are flourishing. But it is the success of clients — the measure by which Dixon says any agency must be measured — that gives the greatest cause for group satisfaction. In the 2012 Sunday Times brands survey, Draftfcb Group clients Toyota, Engen, Koo, Panado, Coca-Cola, Old Mutual, Momentum and Vodacom were all ranked top in their categories. Draftfcb itself was recognised as the Brand Agency of the year.

“The group has a reputation of producing advertising that resonates with the full spectrum of South Africa’s population – a fact that’s evidenced by their perennial dominance of the Pendoring Awards which recognise communication produced in indigineous langauges.’This reputation has helped the Group land some handy new accounts last year, including Wimpy, Clicks and Beiersdorf. In total, the group added R35m in new business, while shedding R4,2m with the loss of Spur, Hollard and Emirates Airlines.”

In his 12 years in the advertising industry, Draftfcb Johannesburg's 35-year-old executive creative director and AdFocus 2012 New Broom Award recipient, Neo Mashigo, has been driven by the need to raise the profile and quality of vernacular advertising as well as transformation of the industry at ground level. His aim, he says, has been to "influence the conversation around SA-style work and black work in particular".

AdFocus journalist Zweli Mokgata praised the fact that Mashigo and his creative team have consistently produced cutting-edge work in indigenous languages as well as campaigns that are distinctly South African. They have been a consistent top performer at the Loerie Awards in the New Voice category, which awards excellence in non-English radio advertising, and have also dominated in the Pendoring Awards' Truly SA category.

Mashigo also strives to see the advertising industry output more representative of SA. As a member of the Creative Circle's executive committee and a Loerie Awards committee member he strives to bring young black talent into the industry.

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The new television commercial from Draftfcb Cape Town for South African icon, Klipdrift Export, highlights that the Distell brand has as much appeal and zest for life today as it had when it was launched over 70 years ago.

Featuring rugby ‘rock star’ Schalk Burger, a lanky look-alike and a group of unwitting Australians, it was devised by the creative team of executive creative director Mike Barnwell, creative director Doug Larter, Anthony de Klerk, Jason Wiltshire and Chris de Villiers. It was directed by Slim of Egg Films.

Neels, the iconic stalwart of many previous ads, is behind the counter when the Australians enter the bar and mistake a tall, fair-haired young man for Schalk Burger. Encouraged by Neels, he plays along, lapping up the adoration, posing for photographs, and teaching the Sheilas how to scrum, when he’s not signing ‘his’ name on their taut and toned tummies, that is!

The raucous good times suddenly halt when the real Schalk enters the bar, looking like thunder. The two tall men eyeball each other for several long seconds before Schalk, having overheard Neels ask if the group was ready for another drink, breaks the silence: ‘Make it a double’. And the revelry continues.

“Synonymous with the word ‘brandy’ in the heart of the South African consumer, Klipdrift will be found wherever South African’s are imparting their unique flavour of generosity and hospitality. In this ad, they may be deceiving the Australians but the manner and tone in which they do so is without malice,” said Barnwell.

“In fact, it’s almost a rite of passage, of acceptance into the Klipdrift family. By the end of the spot, there’s no doubt that the Aussies feel right at home, underscoring the brand’s pay-off line: Make yourself at home.”

“At the same time, our characters and the choice of bar and music – while distinctly South African – were selected to reflect the fact that Klipdrift appeals to a wide range of consumers, from the traditional salt of the earth, as demonstrated by the first ‘Met Eish’ ads, to the young and ambitious,” added Larter.

“The common thread, however, is the honesty and integrity of the brand, and of the people who drink it. This not only gives the brand timeless appeal, it ensures its relevance to South Africans of all ages and races who share its values,” he said.

‘Mistaken Identify’ is currently flighting on national television but you can view the ad here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1UJcNciFho.

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Client credits:

Client: Distell Klipdrift Export

Marketing Director: Karl Schutte

Agency credits:

Creative agency: Draftfcb Cape Town

Key account management: Marius Schreuder

Executive creative director: Mike Barnwell

Creative director: Doug Larter

Art director: Anthony de Klerk

Copywriter: Jason Wiltshire & Chris de Villiers

Strategic planner: Jacques van der Merwe

TV production: Caz Friedman

Production company: Egg Films

Production company director: Slim

Editor: Ricky Boyd (Deliverance)