I recently took part in a discussion with our agency and clients where we unpacked some of the main themes at this year’s Cannes Lion Awards. Towards the end of the Q&A, someone in the audience asked whether the plethora of cause-related work that won actually yielded any ROI, or were they just made for awards. Of course, it’s easy to see how one could jump to that conclusion when almost no Grand Prix-winning campaigns spoke to a company’s product or service at all. Instead, only two Grand Prixs were awarded for non-cause and purpose-led work. Now, in years gone by, cause-related, or charity-based campaigns, were often seen as shiny low-hanging fruit by ad agencies. As a result, many of them took on pro-bono accounts to increase their chances of winning metal. In fact, nearly 30 years ago, things got so out of hand, that a group of frustrated creatives ran an ad featuring a horrendous image with the headline, ‘Here’s my dead dog, where’s my award?’. Award shows quickly took note and changed the rules. But in an obvious show of irony, not before the ‘dead dog’ ad won a host of accolades across the world. As far as corporates were concerned though, not much attention was given to anything cause-related. CSR was only a small part of their annual marketing budget, and the cause closest to their hearts was solving their own business problems rather than the problems of the world. Fast forward to the past few years, and that narrative has completely flipped on its head. Corporations, big and small, are now weaving cause marketing and sustainability programs into the very fabric of their DNA. More and more businesses have realised that doing good, is indeed good business. And there have been plenty of studies to back it up. In one study, a large group of philanthropic companies averaged an 11% increase in revenue, while their non-philanthropic competitors fell by 3% during the same time period. They also found that 6 out of 10 people were …
The return of Snooze, Hermola and more to FCB
The return of Snooze, Hermola and more to FCB Over the years, FCB has seen a continuous cycle of employees that join the agency, leave, and eventually return home. This is no surprise as talent across the board continuously look for organisations that first, increase their knowledge base, equipping them with skills that grow their careers, and later, a company that best fits employee personalities through its culture. As work dynamics change, the idea of an inclusive organisational culture that fosters strong working relationships has become something that’s become sought after by employees across all specialities. More so, companies with environments that align with employees’ values and principles are regarded as attractive. For FCB Joburg, there has been a resurgence of familiar faces, which attests to the brilliance of the culture that has been cultivated at FCB. We call them “Boomerangs”, employees that leave and come back. This year, FCB has welcomed back several boomerangs to the agency. One of the most recent boomerang’s, Executive Creative Director, Mbeu “Snooze” Kambua, attributes his return to the people at FCB. He shares that he missed his team, and that coming back to FCB is like seeing an old friend and coming back to a place that feels just like home. Snooze has recently returned to FCB after spending time at Johannes Leonardo in New York where he worked on Adidas Originals, Instagram and other accounts. Hermola Mengstab, Head of Client Partnerships, describes being back with the FCB family as the ‘’same feeling you have when you’re visiting your hometown, or the feeling you get when putting on your old favourite dress; familiar/ nostalgic and filled with great memories’’. Modjadji Mashatola, Senior Strategist, noted the leadership Antonio Petra, Head of Strategy, provided during her time at FCB Joburg, greatly influenced her return to the agency. Other Boomerangs who have made their return to the FCB family include, Account …
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It was a short ‘paws’ but Toyota is back
Toyota South Africa’s local manufacturing plant was one of the many businesses impacted by the devastating floods that hit KZN in April 2022. Waste deep water and thick mud rendered the entire plant inoperable – forcing Toyota to stop producing SA’s favourite vehicles. The damage to the infrastructure and machinery was described as the worst disaster ever seen by the Toyota Japan Disaster Relief team. Although production of locally built models such as the Toyota Hilux, Fortuner, HiAce and Corolla Cross stopped, Toyota South Africa ensured that they continued to supply CBU (Completely Built Up) imported cars to the public. “While the clean-up and rebuilding began, we tasked FCB Joburg to create a campaign to reassure our customers that Toyota South Africa is committed to getting their favourite cars back on the road,” said Tasneem Lorgat, Senior Marketing Manager at Toyota SA. “We decided to tackle this messaging in a two-phased approach,” remarked Tian Van Den Heever, ECD at FCB Joburg. Phase one, which launched in June 2022 shared a reassuring supportive message, while phase two coincides with the reopening of Toyota SA’s Prospection Plant and has a very clear message of ‘We’re back’. “Just like our iconic vehicles built in Durban, we thought that Buddy the Boxer was the perfect icon to share this message, and we could not be more excited to bring Buddy back a whole 13 years after his initial Toyota debut,” remarked Tasneem. “Unlike past Buddy renditions, newer state-of-the-art animation technology as well as on-set editing allowed for the development of his iconic smile and humour to be more natural – well, as natural as a talking dog can be,” laughed Tian. Buddy’s character and charm, coupled with the equally uplifting PJ Powers ‘Jabulani' track were perfectly suited to bring back the nostalgia of the past and the positive outlook for the future. Ultimately reminding South Africa why they have always loved Toyota with a cheeky and pun-filled …
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Debonairs Pizza challenges you to call up your A-Team with the new Large Cram-Decker® campaign
Debonairs Pizza, the leading quick-service restaurant in the pizza category, has recently launched its large Cram-Decker® TVC. The new commercial cleverly uses South Africa’s humour to highlight how consumers will need their A-Team to finish the Free 1.5L drink and abundantly flavourful large Cram-Decker® pizza. In partnership with FCB Joburg, its 10-year-long partner, the 30-second commercial showcases a team comprised of a soccer-loving little girl, a father and grandfather working together to order and enjoy the large Cram-Decker and a free 1.5L drink. Much to their surprise, the team is joined by a nosey neighbour who works her way into the house to help the family round off their team and finish off the delicious pizza. The TVC includes Debza, Debonairs Pizza’s animated influencer character and logo, as the 5th member of the team. His narration breaks down the action and tells viewers how the team work together to tackle the delicious feast, with Debza adding witty banter to the household’s mealtime. The concept was developed by art director Jacque Moodley, copywriter Thabang ‘Tipi’ Manyelo and creative director Galaletsang Kgoathe. The TVC was produced by directors Alexa Wilson & Ian Difford of Arcade Content and Hungry Films, respectively. “We are excited to introduce the Large Cram-Decker and a Free 1.5L drink promotion because as South Africans, we are happiest and most fulfilled when we come together as a community, family, and friends over a meal. This campaign brings this ethos to life and further reminds us that to accomplish anything in life, you need the support of others - your A-Team”, says Phumzile Siboza, Debonairs Pizza Marketing Executive. ‘’In a football game, different players bring different skill sets to the table to help the team achieve its goals. These are often the best players in their position. So, apart from speaking to the fact that people would need a team to finish the large Cram-Decker®, we also wanted to create …
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HelloFCB+ and Fuelcontent help Ninety One’s audience change how they see investing
Ninety One is one of the most accomplished and decorated asset managers in the business. From a small start-up in South Africa to a global investment manager, Ninety One has been unwavering in its commitment to providing long-term returns for their clients. However, due to the demerger from Investec and listing as Ninety One in 2020, awareness of the brand and its positioning have been relatively low. “It’s been just over two years since our name change,” explains Kotie Basson, Head of Marketing, Africa at Ninety One, “and even though we have a track record spanning more than three decades, and are today the biggest investment manager in South Africa, for many people our name is still relatively unknown.” As a result, HelloFCB+, were tasked with creating a hard-working campaign that would highlight exactly who Ninety One is and what they do, giving its audience genuine reasons to include them in their consideration set. “Ninety One is a company that fully embraces change, so telling people who they are and what they do in a conventional way just wasn’t an option”, explains Mike Barnwell, CCO at HelloFCB+. “So, instead of resorting to a campaign filled with the usual category clichés, we decided to shine a spotlight on them instead, and then give people compelling reasons why they should invest their hard-earned money with Ninety One,” adds Barnwell. Gerhard Pretorius, director of the piece and Head of Concept at Fuelcontent says, “From the very first draft of the script, it was clear that this was going to be something completely different. The writing is smart, wry and confident, but one thing we all agreed on from the outset was the tone. We didn’t want to come off as arrogant in any shape or form. Casting was also super important, and so was finding talent that could nail both Afrikaans and English performances. So, casting Marvin-Lee Beukes was a no-brainer.” Pretorius adds, “We had to walk a tonal tight rope and didn’t want this to be …
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How to collect customer data ethically
The collection and use of consumer data has become increasingly important for many businesses looking to unlock value. However, the introduction of the Protection of Personal Information (POPI) Act, which protects consumers against unethical collection and use of their personal data, has been a leap forward for the industry, which may still be regarded as daunting by businesses looking to source consumer data. For some time now, data has been regarded as a hot commodity, predicted to reach an astounding market value of $280 billion by 2025 . And the ethical sourcing of data, done right can be of great value for business as it equips them with valuable information that can improve products and services. Additionally, it can help businesses and marketers meet and exceed customer expectations, allowing for creation of products that appeal to consumers. In this light, there are three types of data: raw data, aggregated data and data from Machine learning (ML). Raw data - is any data in the form of transactional data meant for internal use. The aggregated data is used to build dashboards to get insights or reports for decision making. ML data can be used to improve software application performances to become more accurate at predicting outcomes. An example of machine learning is the use of a recommendation engine that powers a platform’s news feed, where… if a user interacts with content, the recommendation engine will show more content of a similar nature. In terms of collecting consumer data, transparency is key in that it gives the data collector the onus to outline the reasons behind data collection, how it will be used and why it’s being collected. Openness and honesty are key. Collecting data is necessary for every business’s success and can benefit both the business and its consumers, but it needs to be sourced ethically. There are many ways that consumer data is usually collected, and below are two methods that help marketers collect data in a way …
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FCB Joburg launches Debonairs Pizza’s delicious new Real Deal Double-Stack® campaign
The leading quick service restaurant in the Pizza category, Debonairs Pizza, recently launched The Real Deal Double-Stack® TVC with FCB Joburg. The quirky commercial takes a fresh look at the new product offering, which focuses on freedom of choice for consumers while leaning on South Africa’s humour and colloquial youth culture, curated by Debza, Debonairs Pizza influencer mascot. The 31-year-old pizza brand collaborated with its long-time agency partner, FCB Joburg, to produce an above-the-line television commercial for its The Real Deal Double-Stack® campaign. FCB Joburg created a 20-second TVC with a 10-second cut-down for selected digital and social platforms. Conceptualised by art director Che Newman, copywriter Kabelo Sebako and creative director Galaletsang Kgoathe, the TVC was produced by directors Alexa Wilson of Arcade Content and Ian Difford of Hungry Films, respectively. The Real Deal Double-Stack® delivers double the value and flavour with a secret cheese filling stacked between two crisp bases, for only R99.90. The creative concept is centred around individuals who are ‘likers of things’ and aren’t afraid to venture out and try new things. They never sell themselves short, nor deny themselves life’s simple pleasures, especially when they have earned it, like the Real Deal Double-Stack®. Debza, who is the animated character in the Debonairs Pizza brand logo, creatively connects the viewer to the stories and the brand. In this TVC, we see him as an omnipresent character who describes the things our liker indulges in. Ultimately, he encourages the audience to “be likers of things” too and indulge in Debonairs Pizza’s large Real Deal Double-Stack® offering. You can view the Campaign Ad here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHGIxEWLHvg “The latest campaign collaboration with our long-time agency partner of over 10 years has led to a deep understanding and a strong creative execution on our campaign TVCs, especially this one. The team has …
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FCB Joburg bags a Cannes for Coca-Cola South Africa’s BeatCan campaign
28 June 2022: FCB Joburg and Coca-Cola’s BeatCan campaign walked away with a Silver Cannes Lion at the 2022 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in the Radio & Audio Category, under Food and Drink, as well two shortlists for use of music and audio led creativity. The consumer-led engagement campaign sought to celebrate the youth by connecting them through music and to encourage them to continuously use their imaginations to create music that truly represents themselves, one Coke can at a time. ‘’We are humbled and honoured to be acknowledged at this year’s Cannes Festival. Especially for a campaign that celebrates the creative spirit of the South African youth, as music is a key anthem to their everyday life. We would like to thank our suppliers; Audio Militia, CAKE, Digital Union, Seth McKinnon, and our extraordinary client, Coca-Cola, for providing us with an opportunity to create award-winning work that moves the inner creative in us all,” says Jonathan Wolberg, Creative Director at FCB Joburg. “We are proud that this campaign has been recognised on the global stage, it truly signifies that South Africa’s creative work is regarded as some of the best in the world. At FCB Joburg, we create timeless and timely creative, that is both memorable and reflects current trends and consumer culture, helping us solve business problems and meeting client objectives. Congratulations to all the teams involved,” concludes, Tseliso Rangaka, Chief Creative Officer at FCB & Hellocomputer Joburg. CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za. …