‘Shiver me timbers…me hearties…pirates on the starboard!’ Piracy is not just the scourge off the eastern coast of Africa it also plays havoc with the South African software industry.
PenQuin International in conceptualising and developing an anti-piracy campaign for a client, entitled ‘Don’t Fake It’ gets right into the heart of the matter creating an online viral that is unique, interactive and a first for the marketplace. The initiative takes the form of a Prime Circle music video, which incorporates a user’s personal information drawn from their Facebook profiles.
“In educating consumers on why they should use genuine Software, as opposed to fake copies we came up with the ‘Don’t Fake It’ campaign,” said PenQuin’s Greg Kockott.
“This concept shows the dangers of using pirate software, at the same time promoting the use of genuine software whilst encouraging consumers to spread this message amongst family, friends and colleagues. The campaign achieves this by targeting students and small business owners in a unique way.”
The campaign relies on social media as the medium in spreading the message. It is the online creative that is the unique aspect of the campaign and the first time PenQuin has integrated Facebook as a key element of the whole package.
“Students and small business owners rely on social networks like Facebook to stay in touch with friends and customers,” says Kockott, “and for this campaign it was the ideal platform.”
“Consumers always have the choice of using genuine or pirate software, each of which takes the user on a different journey; and this is what has been created on the website.”
Visit www.dontfakeit.co.za <https://www.dontfakeit.co.za> and on the home page you are faced with two choices – ‘fake’ or ‘genuine’.
By clicking on the fake button an experience of what could happen if pirated software is used is viewed and it is not pleasant. Whereas clicking on the genuine button gives a completely different experience as uninterrupted visuals make for a pleasant viewing experience. Through both options users also receive pertinent information outlining why it is best to always use genuine products.
“The idea is not completely unique in connecting a viral campaign to Facebook,” states Kockott, “what is unique is the way we have utilised various applications in creating this campaign through pulling the users profile from their Facebook page into the music video, as this anti-piracy campaign spreads across the Internet.”
