Shopowner bra Titi has 99 problems, but banking ain’t one of them.
Titi and his fellow township characters are currently entertaining South Africa’s entry level banking consumers in a five-minute-per-episode radio soapie called Iketsetse-Zenzele.
It’s produced by RadioHeads, an agency that specialises in listener-driven radio content “that helps companies to connect with consumers over the airwaves.”
In this Standard Bank-sponsored branded content, we meet typical township soapie characters who inhabit the community of Iketsetse-Zenzele.
In Episode 3, shopowner Titi is visited by his flashy, wide-boy acquaintance, Zesh, who makes fun of his little store. “You even have a swipey machine!” says Zesh, who changes the subject to ask suggestively after Titi’s daughter.
“It’s Standard Bank Access Point,” says the rattled Titi, throwing the dodgy Zesh out of his shop.
Titi’s friend Zach arrives, and thanks Titi for showing him how to send money to his mom via the Standard Bank Access Point in the shop. Zach also asks after Titi’s daughter, and poor Titi fends off yet another suitor.
We also meet Gogo Angie, whose grandson Lolo must have new boots or faces expulsion from the soccer team.
Oh, the drama of life in a soapie. Well, in this case, a bankie.
I’m not a soapie lover, but that’s irrelevant, because I’m not part of the target market. I suppose if you’re an entry level lower LSM banking consumer, this will sell Standard Bank to you, in an engaging and entertaining way. It’s been launched on 11 radio stations in six languages, so I bet it’s working well.
Wendy Moorcroft is copywriting course director at the Red & Yellow School in Cape Town. This post is the first contribution in what will be a series of posts from students and lecturers from the Red & Yellow School who will regularly supply advertising content to The Media Online.
