Briefly… Avusa titles score in Vodacom regional journalsim awards; Toyota Zone leads the way for marque’s birthday; Audio post facility behind 13 Loeries; Billads supports breast health; Whisky Magazine goes large for Whisky Live
Avusa titles score in Vodacom regional journalsim awards
The work of Sunday Times reporters Stephan Hofstatter and Mzilikazi Wa Afrika has been recognised by judges of the Vodacom Journalist of the Year Awards with the pair winning a Regional Journalism Award for a hard hitting exposé of police chief Bheki Cele’s lease deals worth R1.7 billion. The story led to an investigation by the Public Protector and a board of inquiry by police top brass.
The Bheki Cele police rental deal report in the Sunday Times took top honours in the General News Winner (Print) category for the Northern/Southern region. Avusa’s Eastern Cape stable also excelled in the Eastern Region awards, as The Herald received awards in five categories and the Daily Dispatch four; while Devi Sankaree Govender (Sunday Times Extra) took top honours in the Kwazulu-Natal region.
Commenting on the successes enjoyed by Avusa journalists, Avusa Media editor-in-chief Mondli Makhanya said: “A newspaper or magazine really is a reflection of the staff behind it; from superior investigative work from journalists, to the quality of imagery from our photographers, and the many talented people within sub-editing, layout, administration and sales.”
Toyota Zone leads the way for marque’s birthday
From small beginnings to a megabrand with an enviable record for reliability and good service, Toyota has been moving South Africans forward for 50 years. In celebration of that milestone, the publishers of Toyota Zone have produced a special commemorative issue marking the country’s love affair with the iconic motoring brand.
The magazine’s October issue looks at the marque and its vehicles over the past half a century – where it all began, the people behind the story, the drive that made Toyota the market leader for more than three decades – as well as a glimpse into the future.
“For many of us, Toyota has been part of our coming of age; we have tales of the cars we fell in love with and others that simply run forever. We feature a few of those stories between the covers of this issue,” commented Toyota Zone editor François Rabe. “Our letters page attests to the dedication of the people behind the brand as experienced by the legions of Toyota owners.”
Toyota Zone joined the RamsayMedia’s Custom Publishing division last year. The media house introduced a 360-degree marketing solution to extend the print edition’s reach through a number of digital touchpoints. A website, digimag, regular promotional mailers and monthly webletter – now weekly – were all added to the mix.
Audio Post facility behind 13 Loeries
We Love Jam, the Cape Town audio post and music composition facility, led by well-known industry vets Graham Merill and Arnold Vermaak, have celebrated their first full solo year in partnership, credited on a significant 13 Loeries, as well as a Cannes film Gold and a D&AD nomination.
A haul which almost any local agency would be happy to announce spans television, radio, viral, integrated campaign and PR and included a Television Gold for ‘Drive Dry’ by Fox P2, a Television Silver for ‘Santam Ben Kingsly’ by King James, and three Television Bronzes for Tuffy, Frank.net and Stimorol Infinity. This was followed by six radio awards and 2 integrated campaign Silvers.
Formerly Merrill and Vermaak were partners at B&S Studios, and, now housed within the new Milestone Studios, they launched in 2010 under their own studio name, We Love Jam. WLJ’s broad expertise and combined 30 years of experience across TV, AV, radio and music composition has been immediately given the nod in its first year.
“It has been an amazing year for us from an awards point of view, but more importantly in the journey of setting up on our own, establishing our own brand, a new studio and experiencing phenomenal support from our clients. The credit should really go to them, quite honestly. Our focus for our second year is building this brand, comsunicating our skills into Gauteng agencies, into production companies nationwide. And maybe a few more awards if we’re lucky,” says Vermaak.
Billads supports breast health
Nine Mile Media has taken the Breast Health Foundation under its wing as part of its corporate social investment initiatives and will be running an advertising campaign for the Foundation in its consumer engaging Billads bill folder advertising platform in October, Breast Health Month.
The objectives of the Breast Health Foundation are to educate the public on breast cancer and breast health, to increase awareness and to empower women.
By partnering with the Dulce Cafe Group the Billads campaign will reach thousands of consumers, encouraging them to support the Foundation and its ‘Breast Cancer Chain of Survival’, which ensures early awareness of the disease and access to information, support, diagnostic intervention, and definite and continuous analysis of care.
“Billads truly believes in and supports the vision of the Breast Health Foundation,” says Craig Segal, the MD of Nine Mile Media.
“We are proud to partner with Dulce Cafe on this campaign and to be able to offer our media platform in such a way that it will generate awareness around the Foundation and enable it to realise its goals.”
Whisky Magazine goes large for Whisky Live
Whisky has announced its alliance with the FNB Whisky Live Festival, the largest and liveliest whisky and lifestyle event of its kind. WLF has agreed to an additional 15 000 copies being distributed by Tops at Spar, at the festival’s Cape Town and Johannesburg events.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to distribute Whisky at the festival and believe that having the Whisky stand alongside ours will offer great synergy,” said Jess Tivers, Group Promotions and Advertising – Liquor, The SPAR Group Ltd.
The additional 15 000 copies is in addition to the previously announced increase of 17 000, bringing the total number of copies to 32 000. “This additional increase over the festival period, will give our advertisers a fantastic opportunity to swell their reach,” said Shayne Dowling, publisher of Whisky.
Deliciously dark, and tempting
This month, Ogilvy Johannesburg launches the next series of radio spots in its award-winning ‘Deliciously Dark’ campaign for Cadbury’s Bournville. Featuring the mysterious Mr Fitzpatrick as the lead character, the spots play on the universal truth that dark fantasies lie dormant in the female psyche.
The radio spots centre on shockingly dark tales being recounted by Mr Fitzpatrick’s anonymous female counterpart, which expertly leads listeners to draw their own conclusions…conclusions that are inevitably proved wrong when the spot concludes.
According to Sydni-Gaye Plotz, Account Director at Ogilvy Johannesburg, “Although Cadburys Bournville has already achieved tremendous success following its launch last year, the client wanted us to find a way to continue to establish Bournville’s brand idea – Deliciously Dark. We felt that there was a clear link between the physical attributes of the chocolate itself, and the truth that women – like men – have dark fantasies. Through Mr Fitzpatrick, we found a way to give our consumers access to these fantasies while simultaneously positioning the brand as the sensorial, balanced dark chocolate that brings these fantasies to life in an accessible and fun way.”
