Challenge

Create a strategic global creative platform for South African Tourism that would position South Africa favourably as a travel destination, ultimately turning our tourism industry into one of South Africa’s main contributors to the GDP.

Complication

As a travel destination, South Africa was known for its beaches and safaris with no real differentiator from other destinations that offered the same. We had also reached our threshold of experiences that could help us attract new visitors.

Solution

We created a matrix that leveraged our places, people and ways to generate uniquely South African stories. These stories were those of potentially new tourist experiences that we could market to the world. With our people at the core, these stories positioned us as The Home Of Humanity.

The question was, when COVID-19 hit, could the creative platform of Home Of Humanity adapt to remain relevant. Long story short? Yes!

Challenge

After having recently launched 4G LTE in Cameroon, MTN needed a strong follow-up campaign to continue to build brand affinity and establish its leadership status in the region.

Complication

Cameroonians, at the time, were in a football frenzy. We needed to stand out from among the clutter and position MTN as the only network that as great as the beautiful game itself.

Solution

We built our campaign around the one thing Cameroonians love more than football – their biggest football star, Samuel Eto’o. Having led the national team to many victories as their captain, and crowned as African Player Of The Year four times. His amazing feats on the pitch were the perfect metaphor for the impossibly fast speeds on MTN.

Challenge

Legit, a retail fashion franchise, was finding it difficult to resonate with young women, who were the core target group.

Complication

Though the franchise offered quality clothing in line with the latest trends and styles, it didn’t stand for anything more than good clothing. And with many other fashion retail outlets offering lower prices, or limited edition items, Legit needed to differentiate itself in order gain loyal customers.

Solution

We turned the brand from a retail fashion outlet into a fashion statement. A statement that stood for, supported, and empowered women.

Challenge

FanMilk (Danone) was launching a new premium ice-cream in Nigeria that would compete with global indulgence brands that were already established in the market.

Complication

In Nigeria, life is lived in the fast lane. Driven by cutthroat competition for opportunities, people need to double-down to be able to compete. But this leads to an unhealthy and low quality of life.

Solution

We resolved to sell a better, more rewarding, and satisfying way of life, not an ice-cream. From the name, to the pay-off line, and an integrated campaign that demonstrated the art of slowing down, we launched Go Slo Premium Ice Cream as a brand that allows Nigerians to live an emotionally healthier life.

Challenge

Bond7 is a great tasting, affordable whiskey crafted by Uganda Breweries. The brand wanted to launch a new variant under their existing trademark: Bond7 Honey.

Complication

The Bond7 brand had lost its ‘cool’ appeal and ranked low on consumer perceptions. We needed to reverse the initial decline in trial rate, volume and market share.

Solution

Instead of just launching the new variant, we rejuvenated the brand through a disruptive social media campaign that recruited a younger and trendier consumer. The campaign hashtag – #BringOnTheBuzz – trended on social media platforms for several days.

Impact

193,600 organic impressions, 127,769 engagements in 2 weeks.

Challenge

In a market where cash is still king, a majority of Ugandans
remain unbanked due to the perception that banking is too expensive.

Complication

Even though Stanbic Bank Uganda had already
introduced a number of digital channels to give customers access
to the bank’s products at their fingertips, Ugandans still preferred
the traditional way of managing their money.

Solution

We developed a campaign aimed at educating Ugandans on
the convenience and affordability of Stanbic Bank’s products. We
created a character named Mr Kya Layisi (“kya layisi” means
affordable). Through executions that were based on everyday
scenarios, we were able to show people how easy it is for them to
benefit from banking with Stanbic.

Challenge

In Uganda, opening a bank account is seen as expensive
and complex to navigate. Stanbic wanted to help potential customers
overcome these obstacles open up a bank account, hassle-free.

Complication

Competitor banks in the market were offering the same
or similar products, which only added indecision.

Solution

With the campaign “Enjoy Nara Stress Banking” (enjoy no
stress banking) we highlighted how simple it is to open an account with
Stanbic Bank, while also communicating the rewards and incentives that
customers can benefit from.

Challenge

KFC Uganda needed to increase both sales and engagement
through a pricing promotion over a set period.

Complication

Seasonal promotions regularly flood the local market
and competition for share of mind and wallet is fierce. As a well-
established brand in the market, KFC needed to differentiate itself with a
cut-through campaign.

Solution

The promotion was set to run in the year that Uganda
celebrated 57 years of Independence. We created a special pricing offer
that commemorated this milestone: the 57K@57 Independence Offer. We
also gave customers an opportunity to share a personal independence
message to win free chicken, the catch was they had to use their best
handwriting (no chicken scratch) to be part of the celebration with KFC.

Challenge

How do you launch a new body spray to the youth in East and West Africa? You play in the world of the provocative stories that they already live in.

Complication

The youth are not interested in advertising. They’re into what they’re into. So we decided to play into their backgrounds and subcultures and enter their forbidden worlds.

Solution

We created a holistic trailer that captured everything Urbo stands for: Curiosity, Courage, Adventure. The trailer lead to different ‘episodes’ – short films that tap into different mindsets, from the freedom of exploring one’s identity, gender and sexuality for the first time to the responsibility of changing the world for good. Each episode demonstrated that everyone has a signature scent, that is unique and representative of their ideals, their lifestyles, and their approach to living. With one of the scents from Urbo, wearers can leave their mark wherever they go.

Once consumers are hooked into our digital ecosystem, we will retarget them with more unique Urbo stories that could ignite their imaginations.

Purpose

As a behavioural brand, Discovery disrupts markets by rewarding healthier behaviours in every aspect of our consumers’ lives.

Challenge

Discovery wanted to introduce this philosophy into the South African banking sector, ushering in a new way of banking.

Complication

The banking sector in South Africa was already saturated. No one actually needed a new bank. So we created a bank people wanted to be a part of.

Solution

A bank like no other. One that focuses on getting people out of debt and not into it. One that rewards them for saving more and spending considerately. A bank that motivates and incentivizes you to become financially healthier.   

Completely digital, intuitive and branchless.

Card

So how do you transact with a bank like no other? Using a card like no other. So we created the world’s first vertical card.

Challenge

Leading up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa there was a lot of negative press about South Africa locally and internationally. This narrative about our lack of preparedness and other issues were being raised to discredit the first World Cup to be held on African soil and they were demoralizing South Africans.

Complication

We needed to mobilize South Africans first in order to get them to be positive ambassadors for South Africa. We needed to get them excited in order to excite the rest of the world.

Solution

We created a campaign based off the colloquial phrase ‘Ayoba’. One word that would galvanize a nation and educate those who didn’t know what could be and couldn’t be considered to be ‘Ayoba’. One simple word that transcended race, culture, nationality to become the official rallying call of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Challenge

FNB needed help with converting and switching customers. They wanted to do this whilst simultaneously uplifting the morale of the country.

Complication

Our campaign was targeted primarily at the youth but it became clear to us that our youth didn’t have a voice anymore.

Solution

So we decided to give them one by approaching them and asking how they felt about South Africa. We used their responses to piece together a speech and flighted it simultaneously across all local broadcasters. It was a massive victory for out youth.

Challenge

FanYogo, a Danone FanMilk product, had been a favourite in Ghana for years. Despite this, however, volume and market share were in severe decline. As the largest volume contributor, they needed to bring back the brand love, especially as they were about to launch a new flavour variant.

Complication

FanYogo didn’t resonate with the youth in Ghana because the brand’s image wasn’t cool, fresh, or differentiated enough. And this was the target audience needed to boost sales. So how do you create interest and stand out amongst a group that thinks your brand is boring?

Solution

Instead of just launching a new flavour, we reinvigorated FanYogo through the launch. We refreshed the brand. We developed the line “So Cool. So Good.” and turned it into a mantra that guided every aspect of the campaign.

Challenge

Because Wimpy restaurants has a reputation for being the place where all South Africans are welcome with a smile, we wanted to let South Africa’s visual impaired community that we have braille menus in all of our stores.

Complication

On a small budget, how do you speak to a community that are unable to see any of your communications?

Solution

We did something that had never been done before. With the help of skilled chefs and braille experts, we took sesame seeds and meticulously placed them on burger buns so that the seeds formed braille writing. We created the world’s first braille burgers that people with visual impairments could actually read with their fingertips. The message on the buns communicated the ingredients in the burger and helped us to introduce our new braille menus.

Challenge

For years, MTN had made a business decision to focus their communications on retail advertising, but in doing so, they had forgotten about themselves as a brand and what they stand for.

Complication

Consumers had forgotten about the ‘magic’ of telecoms and just saw it as a commodity: a simple call for X amount of money.

Solution

We created a feel-good ad using the Commodore’s 80s hit, Nightshift, that reminded people that they’re not just ‘making a call’, but they’re connecting in ways that are truly tangible.

Challenge 

Dotsure.co.za is South Africa’s leading pet insurer, constantly creating new innovations in pet insurance. As such, we wanted to raise money for Animal Anti-Cruelty League and create an event where owners and pets could enjoy a day out, while offering health checks for their pooches.  

Complication 

Because of safety concerns in South Africa, it is difficult for dog owners to walk their dogs at night-time, even though it is the most convenient time.  

Solution 

So, on the 29th of February 2020, we hosted a safe event where over 1500 dogs lit up Joburg streets with LED collars as they, and their two legged tagalongs, took part in the first ever dotsure.co.za Night Walkies. The event featured fun activities for pups and people from obstacle courses and photobooths, to health checks, food vendors live entertainment, and much more.

Challenge

In 2012, Cell C disrupted the South African mobile prepaid market by dropping their call rate to 99c. MTN needed to react quickly, or lose a significant market share.

Complication

Cell C’s new rate was over two and half times cheaper than MTN’s standard rate. And, because prepaid customers drive the majority of MTN’s business, they couldn’t drop their rates to compete.

Solution

Because the majority of the prepaid customers were on MTN Zone, a variable tariff system with up to 100% discounts, we focussed on delivering value through this channel in an authentic South African way. We used Mahala (a colloquial word meaning ‘free’) and real-life stories to show just how much value MTN brings to your life.

Challenge

Fish & Chips Co makes a South African favourite… fish & chips. Their food is good, their shops are in good locations, they even have low prices. But for some reason, they weren’t getting the recognition, patronage, or sales they expected.

Complication

Fish & Chips Co was swimming in a sea of sameness. Most people didn’t know their brand. Even having Siphiwe Tshabala, a South African World Cup hero as an ambassador didn’t help to differentiate them. And if that wasn’t enough, they also had a very modest budget.

Solution

Realising that Fish & Chip Co only had one chance to make it, we decided to create a PR stir that would make the brand relevant, memorable, and a South African favourite overnight. Partnering with the comic artist Mdu, we created an animated commercial that we knew would never be flighted. Not because it was offensive, but because of censorship at the state owned SABC. When news that the commercial was banned before it even flighted, went out, everyone and their goldfish wanted to see it.

Challenge

At a time when no one liked, let alone loved FNB, our mission was to resuscitate the bank’s purpose in the hearts and minds of all South Africans.

Complication

‘HELP’ was the cornerstone of the brand, but it had no purpose or meaning. It talked about help without delivering on it. And so our strategy began by understanding how to make ‘HELP’ relevant to the bank and the market context of the time.

Solution

We embarked on a 3-phase journey that allowed us to bring ‘HELP’ to life in a tangible way that consumers could see, feel and most importantly, experience.

Phase 1: Give emotion to ‘How Can We Help You’.
Phase 2: Innovation-led helpfulness
Phase 3: Switch campaign and expand ‘Help’.

Challenge

Help South Africans maintain their heart health while in lockdown.

Complication

Due to the unprecedented and overwhelming COVID19 Pandemic, the whole country… wait… the whole world had shut down including production, making creating engaging, relevant content that much harder.

Solution

The Virtual Cooking Show. Stay home, stay healthy, stay happy with Flora. With three teams working remotely, from strategists, animators, community managers and more, we were on air in exactly 12 days from the original briefing session. Seamlessly creating a light-hearted approach to the relentless lockdown living with a 30-day challenge using 7 influencers, showcasing how to use Flora in new and exciting ways. Ultimately making history with the first-ever live-simultaneous campaign!