Briefly…NAB represents the Daily News in Zimbabwe; Ogilvy’s big score at APEX; Bookmarks committee announces dates for annual awards ceremony; The SpaceStation sponsors successful ABF Ten Pin Bowling Evening in Durbs; WT Johannesburg wins Bronze APEX award for Jacobs Kronung; Impressive line-up for second Getaway tourism conference; Flashmobs give Strepsils a voice; Old Mutual celebrates 10th anniversary of SA’s premier wine competition
NAB represents the Daily News in Zimbabwe
The Newspaper Advertising Bureau (NAB) is now representing Zimbabwe’s leading independent daily newspaper, The Daily News. The newspaper is back after being forcibly closed more than seven years ago by the Zimbabwean government for “telling it like it is”.
“We are exceptionally proud to represent publications that have editorial commitment to reporting the truth, without fear or favour, and know that our advertisers will be pleased to see the return of this platform,” said Gill Randall, NAB’s joint MD.
The paper will be distributed in Harare, Marondera, Rusape, Mutare, Chinhoyi, Masvingo, Norton, Kadoma, Kwekwe, Chegutu and Gweru and has a print order of 50 000. The Daily News has the largest print run in the marketplace, with readers old and young and of all races considering the editorial to be credible and relevant.
Advertising rates are based in South African Rands, making it easier for agencies to reach the Zimbabwean target market without the constraint of exchange rates.
Ogilvy’s big score at APEX
Ogilvy scored large at this year’s APEX Awards for the fourth year in a row. This year, the Ogilvy Group submitted 18 entries, a staggering 26% of the total. And for its efforts, won almost half of all the awards on the night. Coming out on top was Ogilvy’s campaign for long-standing client Castle Lager. The second Silver was awarded to the campaign for the VW Polo Vivo launch and a further Silver went to the much-lauded ‘Selinah’ campaign for HIV/Aids relief organisation, the Topsy Foundation, which also picked up a special award for the best entry for a non-profit or charity organisation. The campaign has crossed borders and transcended cultures and continents, winning a Gold Lion at Cannes, the top spot at the 2011 TED Ads Worth Spreading Challenge, and, most recently, a One Show Gold. Along with the Silvers, Ogilvy also picked up two bronze awards.
“We are thrilled by the results of this year’s APEX Awards, which demonstrate how seriously we, as a group, take communication effectiveness and brand liberation,” said Rob Hill, Group Managing Partner, of Ogilvy South Africa after the awards. “Not only are we exceptionally proud to be the leading agency for the fourth year running, we’re also proud that the creative, effective work that won last night was the result of an integrated effort across the Group’s various platforms and disciplines.”
Bookmarks committee announces dates for annual awards ceremony>
The 2011 Bookmarks committee is forging ahead with plans for this year’s Bookmarks awards, the annual digital accolades managed and bestowed by the Digital Media and Marketing Association. A number of sponsors have already booked their categories for what the 2011 committee promises will be the best Bookmarks awards to date. It will be held in Cape Town on the 10 November 10, whilst the workshops will be held on November 8, 9 in Johannesburg and Cape Town respectively.
‘This is the fourth year that the Bookmarks is being held and each year we receive more entrants, more interest from sponsors, and importantly, we build on an event which has become the highest calibre awards ceremony for the digital industry in South Africa’, said incumbent chair of the Bookmarks committee, Nikki Cockcroft. ‘The 2011 Bookmarks will recognise and reward excellence in digital publishing, advertising and marketing, and as always, we will do this against international benchmarks.”
Sponsors who have already committed to supporting the industry’s biggest annual event include; DSTV, Brandseye, Effective Measure, The SpaceStation and Hertz.
The Bookmarks 2011 committee is made up of: Nikki Cockcroft –Primedia Online; Jarred Cinman – Native; Rob Stokes – Quirk eMarketing; Karen Dempers –Mweb; Mark Tomlinson – Hello Computer; Jack Kruger – Old Mutual; Theresa Vitale – DMMA; and Steph Powell – Primedia Online.
The SpaceStation sponsors successful ABF Ten Pin Bowling Evening in Durbs
This year’s annual Advertising Benevolent Fund (ABF) Ten Pin Bowling evening was held at Durban’s Gateway Ten Pin Bowling arena. Sponsored by digital sales company The SpaceStation, 11 lanes were sold with 88 participants making up teams from advertising agencies and media.
“The ABF provides vital support to our fellow colleagues and their families in the advertising and media industry. We as a company are privileged to have sponsored this event and to be associated with this charity,” said Mike Luscombe, CEO of The SpaceStation:
The winners for Best Bowlers were Public Address (advertising and design agency) and the Best Dressed team were The Hardy Boys agency. “The evening was a great success and enjoyed by all who participated. Thank you to The SpaceStation for the generous sponsorship. The evening would not have happened without your contribution,” said Daryl Harris, Chairman of ABF-KZN.
JWT Johannesburg wins Bronze APEX award for Jacobs Kronung
JWT Johannesburg won a Bronze APEX award in the ‘Sustain’ category for Jacobs Kronung at last week’s award ceremony held in Johannesburg. The ‘Sustain’ category recognises communications campaigns that benefit a business by maintaining or strengthening a brand over a long period.
“Congratulations to the whole team working on the Jacobs Kronung brand,” said Judy van Dam, Managing Director at JWT Johannesburg. “According to the APEX judges, our entry demonstrated that advertising was integral to the success and extraordinary growth of the Jacobs brand, not only because it has remained unswervingly true to the brand idea: The Power of Verwohnaroma, but also because it was successful at driving uninterrupted brand growth during the last six years.”
In the lead up to the awards the questions posed by APEX in this category were ‘What level of success would have been achieved without communications?’ and ‘what would the brand strength and sales of Jacobs been today, had it not had the benefits of sustained effective communication?’
Impressive line-up for second Getaway tourism conference
The who’s who of South Africa’s tourism industry will come together at the Sandton Convention Centre next month to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing this sector post 2010. Speakers will interrogate a broad range of subjects pertinent to the industry, including inbound tourism trends, Africa’s political landscape as it pertains to tourism, environmental issues, e-marketing and foreign exchange regulations.
Among the line-up of industry leaders offering their perspectives will be Rick Taylor, CEO of the Business Tourism Company; Simon Gear, Environmental Specialist, SDG Consulting; Mariëtte du Toit-Helmbold, CEO, Cape Town Tourism; William Price, SA Tourism’s e-Marketing Global Manager; and Branko Brikc, editor of The Daily Maverick.
They will address delegates attending the second annual Getaway Travel & Tourism Conference, which aims to provide a platform for role players to share their expertise and skills in an ongoing initiative to improve the South African tourism landscape.
“Tourism remains one the most important growth areas in South Africa and it’s important we continually strive to improve the standard of the traveller’s experience,” explained Getaway’s publisher, Jacqueline Lahoud. “As a role player in this sector, Getaway‘s objective is to bring together a diverse group of interested parties to work towards this end. Following the resounding success of our first conference, we are confident this year’s event will be able to deliver even more insightful gems and we earnestly recommend all those in the industry attend.”
Flashmobs give Strepsils a voice
Isilumko Media gave Strepsils Intensive a resonant voice with an award winning creative activation that saw flashmobs storm pharmacies across South Africa toitoi-ing against “voicelessness”. The interactive campaign was recognised at The Global Awards, an international medical advertising award festival held in New York earlier this year.
Brendan Powell, general manager at Isilumko Media, said; “The activation was executed at a very strategic time as the national public services sector as well as the motor industry unions were striking. Thus everyone that was fortunate enough to experience the activation caught the link or connection almost immediately.”
A team of five protest performers entered pharmacies across the country in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth demanding Strepsils Intensive to “allow their voices to be heard”. Once the leader had voiced the request, and given his fellow protestors a Strepsils Intensive, they burst into protest song and displayed their branded message placards. The activation was extremely well received by pharmacy staff as on more than one occasion the pharmacy employees joined in the protest and began singing along with the performers!
Old Mutual celebrates 10th anniversary of SA’s premier wine competition
The announcement of the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show results last week (1 June) marked the 10th anniversary of the most highly regarded wine competition in the country and a decade of continuous sponsorship by SA’s leading investment company. It’s an association Old Mutual is eager to continue, given the stature of the event.
“Old Mutual is proud of its 10-year sponsorship of the most prestigious event on South Africa’s wine calendar,” said Joy Khaole, the company’ sponsorship manager. “Not only does it provide us with opportunities to build relationships with the wine-loving community, it also enables us to support the pursuit of excellence in an industry important to the reputation of Brand South Africa.”
Co-convened by Wine magazine and leading SA wine authority and chairman of the judging panel, Michael Fridjhon, the competition has garnered a reputation for the highest standards and quality in the country. Gold medals are awarded sparingly by the tasting panel, which comprises three international and six South African judges, who this year judged more than a thousand wines over four days at the five-Star Grande Roche Hotel in Paarl.
