The Media Online’s weekly round up of people, account and business moves in media.
This week’s BIG move: Showmax acquires ‘United Apart SA – Lockdown Remembered’
Showmax has bought United Apart SA – Lockdown Remembered, the gripping documentary funded by Arena Holdings. It will be available exclusively on the subscription streaming platform from 9 September 2021.
In March 2020, with less than a handful of known infections, South Africa embarked on one of the strictest lockdowns in the world. ‘United Apart SA – Lockdown Remembered’ is a deep dive into the country’s official lockdown strategy and the effect it has had on society, the economy, and our most vulnerable citizens.
There’s also footage crowdsourced for the Sunday Times #UnitedApartSA campaign, which urged South Africans to show how they were getting through lockdown by submitting video clips, images, voice notes, or anything else that captured the essence of this extraordinary event.
“We are delighted to have sold ‘United Apart’ to Showmax,” said Debbie McCrum, managing director for Television and Entertainment at Arena Holdings. “It’s an informative, moving, and entertaining investigation of what we went through as a nation during an extremely challenging year. With its focus on local content, Showmax is making the documentary available to South Africans in the comfort of their own home.”
Produced by multi-award-winning Ochre Moving Pictures and directed by Anton Burggraaf, ‘United Apart’ features the likes of Professor Glenda Gray, president and CEO of the South African Medical Research Council; clinical infectious diseases epidemiologist Professor Salim Abdool Karim; deputy governor of the South African Reserve Bank Rashad Cassid; Business Day editor Lukanyo Mnyanda; Sowetan editor Nwabisa Makunga and Sunday Times editor S’thembiso Msomi among others.
People moves
Ogilvy Johannesburg announces Kabelo Moshapalo as new chief creative officer
Ogilvy Johannesburg has confirmed Kabelo Moshapalo will be joining the agency as its new Chief Creative Officer on 1 November. Moshapalo is currently the executive creative director at TBWA Hunt Lascaris.
“I am delighted to be joining Ogilvy Johannesburg which has a proud history of producing work of a global standard. It is humbling to have been approached, and I look forward to continuing to offer the very best in creative thinking to our clients” said Moshapalo.
“A priority for myself and the creative team will be to meaningfully engage our enviable list of clients to ensure future growth and prosperity for their businesses.”
Group CEO for Ogilvy South Africa, Enver Groenewald, said Moshapalo was globally recognised as a leading creative in the advertising industry. “We are very proud to have Kabelo lead our Ogilvy Johannesburg creative team. He is a man of immense talent and experience who has achieved a great deal in his career”.
Flow Communications appoints four new leaders as part of its growth strategy
South African communications agency Flow Communications has appointed four new leaders, with effect from 1 September 2021. Three of the four internal promotions are new roles – Richard Frank has been appointed chief technology officer (CTO), Kimisha Rajcoomar head of events and Nadia Moore head of marketing, while Ryan Thom takes over as head of digital from Frank.
Flow has transformed the challenges thrown up by Covid-19 and the subsequent lockdowns into opportunities and is now solidly set on a growth trajectory.
Flow’s move to being a fully remote company prompted it to choose Frank, a strong and experienced CTO to help steer the company’s vision.
“We’ve always been digitally led, but the pandemic has certainly accelerated our use of technology for both ourselves and our clients,” said Frank. “We know that we need to keep at the cutting edge when it comes to our use of technology in our internal and external operations, and we know that we need to continue to work on ways to keep our staff engaged, connected, working efficiently and delivering great results for our clients, in a remote setting.”
Frank will be replaced as head of digital by Thom, who has more than 20 years’ experience, including 10 at board level, and holds a degree in Information Systems from the University of Cape Town.
As head of events, Rajcoomar will be responsible for the overall events portfolio at Flow and will lead a team dedicated to ensuring the delivery of innovative virtual, hybrid and physical events.
Marketing lies at the heart of Flow’s business and it understands the need to create awareness of its evolving positioning among its target audiences. This will be key to Moore’s role as head of marketing, which includes growing the Flow brand, both internally and externally.
‘Wunderkind’ Safaraaz Sindhi appointed creative partner at Ogilvy Johannesburg
Ogilvy Johannesburg has appointed Saf Sindhi as creative partner. Together with the agency’s executive creative director, Peter Little, Sindhi will drive high quality creative output across the agency’s various brands and disciplines.
Over the years Sindhi has worked on some of South Africa’s most memorable and iconic ads and campaigns. He was the creative lead on the famous KFC ‘make a meal of it’ campaign that was viewed, liked and shared by over 4.2 billion people around the world. It is one of the most successful ad campaigns South Africa has ever seen.
Sindhi believes a great working culture facilitates great work. “I like to cultivate a work environment where everyone on the team feels as free as the artist they reference. I think that creativity serves brands best when observations are turned into insights.”
In his spare time, he spends his excess creativity writing screenplays with passionate creatives he’s met along the way.
Brazilian football star Neymar Jr. joins the Superdry family
The partnership between Neymar Jr and Superdry marks a milestone in Superdry’s history, which saw the brand kickstart 2021 by amplifying the message of sustainable style to a global audience. Joining forces with the footballing legend and style icon will further promote Superdry’s sustainable vision for the future of fashion. Superdry has pledged to become a 100% organic cotton brand by 2030 and is already supporting 400 farmers in India, in a transition to organic farming, as part of the brands Grow Future Thinking initiative.
On joining the Superdry family Neymar Jr. said, “Obviously, when we talk about clothes, whatever their type, the first thing we want is comfort. It’s not different with underwear and sleepwear. But when you add sustainability to both first conditions, Superdry is, unquestionably, the best one I’ve found. I’m very happy with the development and potential of this partnership.”
Hook, Line & Sinker Communications appoints Business Unit Manager to support agency growth
Integrated communications agency, Hook, Line & Sinker Communications (HLS), has appointed Emma Rijkers as its new business unit manager. As part of the agency’s rapid growth phase, the company is expanding its employee count to meet its increasing stable of clients’ needs.
With 10 years industry experience, including working in publishing and at some of the country’s leading PR agencies, Rijkers will tap into her passion for corporate communications, strategy, and all things content to deliver effective results for HLS’ global B2B tech clients across Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and North America. Rijkers will also guide the team to ensure clients’ objectives are met and support with the day-to-day running operations of the business.
Oliver Agency levels up with new management appointments
In-house digital agency Oliver South Africa is levelling up with key management appointments; this comes as the agency sees a doubling of its headcount in the past year.
Oliver’s CE for Middle East & Africa Paul van den Berg said three key role appointments have been implemented for the Middle East and Africa regions to ensure the agency’s growth trajectory continues and to deliver on the work that optimises the agency’s client brands with the innovative in-house digital agency model.
Key Oliver appointments include Nonhlanhla Koza, who has been appointed as the executive director of Africa and Colin Herholdt as operations director for Africa & Middle East and Theo Spencer who has been promoted to managing partner for UStudio Africa.
“As the world’s first and only company to exclusively design, build and run bespoke in-house agency and marketing ecosystems for brands, these brands need a great team, one that is firmly entrenched as part of clients brand teams,” said Van den Berg.
Business moves
Latest RAMS update from the BRC
The Broadcast Research Council of South Africa (BRC) has confirmed the RAMS (Radio Audience Measurement Survey) fieldwork and data processing for quarter two has been completed, but options for the release of the data to the industry are being reviewed.
“A sample of over 9 000 respondents was achieved in Q2 (April/May/June) by means of the newly introduced methodology, CATI-DAR (Day After Recall), by Ipsos,” said BRC’s CEO, Gary Whitaker. “This is a monumental release! The greatest care and examination of the data is now taking place before a firm RAMS release date can be announced.”
The new CATI (Computer Aided Telephonic Interviews) methodology provides audience measurement in 15-minute segments, along with audience tracking on radio events and roadshows. The programme covers 280 stations (commercial, African language and community).
Various scrutiny sessions have already taken place by the BRC’s radio members and radio research committee while an independent assessment, through 3M3A and well-known and respected researcher Professor Ariane Neethling, has been commissioned to ascertain the ideal release date based on individual station sample sizes and weighting efficiencies.
The BRC is expecting a report back during the first week of September.
Toyota SA takes the esports high ground with the launch of The Toyota Gaming Engine
Following a strategy developed by its activation and sponsorship agency, Brand Inc, Toyota South Africa has taken the esports high ground with the launch this week of The Toyota Gaming Engine (TTGE).
The launch of TTGE is yet another world-first first for the South African-based vehicle manufacturer, being the first of the businesses within the multinational Toyota Motor Corporation organisation to build and launch a proprietary purpose-built gaming platform.
Part of the HaveYouHeard group, Brand Inc is a unique sports sponsorship agency combining the experience and expertise of a traditional sports consultancy with that of an esports specialist.
Commenting on Toyota’s investment in eSports, Vice President Marketing, Glenn Crompton, said: “Gaming is part of a world without borders, and gives Toyota the opportunity to engage with a younger, more connected, audience. It’s a natural fit for our brand and we’re excited to be a pioneer in the space.”
Brand Inc’s Head of Strategy, Ryan McFadyen, added: “The world of sports is changing – people want entertainment, information, inspiration, access and the ability to be an active participant in the games they love, not just viewers.
“Smart marketers have realised that big brand presence in the form of sponsorships, billboards and ringside or fieldside advertising boards doesn’t cut it any more. They are looking past the traditional channels and into new ones leveraging new innovative ways to build an integrated approach to their sponsorships.”
Diesel appoints Just Exists Creative Agency for Diesel digital campaign
Diesel has appointed the rapidly growing Just Exists Creative Agency as its preferred local partner for the Diesel Denim Friday project. The agency will manage and execute the Diesel Denim Friday project in South Africa. The agency is made up of four creatives from various disciplines in the marketing and advertising industries. The agency says that it aims to not play by any of the long-established industry rules that have long governed advertising.
“Diesel is one of the most iconic brands in the world with incredibly brave and creative leadership. Being appointed by this global brand is an honour and testament to the strong project ideas and work that we do. We’re looking forward to driving the brand and its business forward as a team,” said Khosi Mkhaliphi, MD.
Europe’s largest digital skills youth programme appoints SA agency, Hook, Line & Sinker Communications
European digital skills youth initiative, Meet and Code, has once again appointed Hook, Line & Sinker Communications (HLS) as its integrated communications agency.
Backed by industry stalwarts SAP, Haus des Stiftens and TechSoup Europe, Meet and Code is aimed at reducing the digital skills gap in Europe. This is done by funding non-profit organizations across the continent to host digital and coding events for youth between the ages of 8-24.
“The HLS team is energised and amped to execute global communications comprising of EU media relations, stakeholder events, and management of Meet and Code’s popular social media channels for a second year running,” said Adam Hunter, head honcho at HLS. “The digital skills program is close to our hearts as it allows us to assist in effecting change and support youth tech innovation in European territories.”
DUKE lands Satrix account
The DUKE Group continues to add to its 2021 new business gains with its recent appointment as branding partner for Satrix, a provider of index-tracking solutions. The account was awarded to DUKE Advertising and Mark1 Digital in a four-way pitch.
Commenting on the win, DUKE Managing Director, Aileen Sauerman said, “Satrix is a pioneer in the South African index-tracking landscape, so we are obviously delighted to have been selected as their branding partner of choice.”
Adds Robert Thompson, head: marketing at Sanlam Investment Management, “We are excited to have DUKE on board and believe their depth of experience and comprehensive understanding of our business will serve to strengthen the Satrix brand.”
Bestmed Medical Scheme sponsors Let’s Play Family Fitness Mornings
SuperSport’s Let’s Play has partnered with Bestmed, a South African medical scheme, to sponsor its weekly on-air family fitness programme, Family Fitness Mornings.
The physical exercise programme, targeted at young children and their parents, is presented by Stacey Holland, a functional health, wellness and fitness expert, who is joined by different sports stars every week for the duration of the season.
“We are excited to have Bestmed as our preferred partner for the second season of Family Fitness Mornings. As a brand, Bestmed has been making strides in encouraging all family members to live a healthy lifestyle and this partnership offers Bestmed the unique opportunity to showcase its products to a diverse television audience, while also being positioned as a partner of Let’s Play and its programmes aimed at the youth,” said SuperSport CEO, Marc Jury.
The programme airs on Saturday mornings at 09:00 on SuperSport Variety 4, channel 209
Havas scores global De Beers account
Havas Media Group has been named global media agency of record for De Beers. It replaces Mindshare, which opted out of the pitch, MediaPost reported.
Havas Media Group U.K will service the account. It also handles clientes such as Hermès, Credit Suisse and Fabergé.
“The agency will partner with De Beers on its transformation journey, as it seeks to consolidate its communications in support of its jewelery houses, De Beers Jewelers and De Beers Forevermark, under the De Beers moniker,” the company said in a statement announcing the assignment. “Havas Media Group will also support De Beers’ ‘Building Forever’ sustainability commitment, leveraging its recently launched sustainability marketplace, which enables brands to invest in ethical and responsible media and reach audiences with an interest in sustainability.”
Making moves
New Red Bull can celebrates South Africa’s diverse dance heritage.
Red Bull has partnered with Soweto Pantsula dancer Tebza and US based freestyle dancer, Angyillto launch an exclusive Red Bull Dance your Style 250ml can and an interactive digital consumer activation, this heritage month.
The can celebrates Heritage Month and South Africa’s rich dance scene. The South African local dance scene is revered all over the world and has influenced many international dance styles.
“This was the best moment of my life! Being exposed to the Red Bull Dance your Style global scene has ignited my purpose and highlighted the spirit I have of promoting Spantsula and opening more doors for my fellow brothers and sisters,” said Tebza on seeing the can for the first time.
The can reveal is accompanied by an interactive digital competition showcasing the best dance moves and offers consumers a chance to win a VIP trip to the Red Bull Dan e Your Style World Final. The special challenge gives everyone the chance to flex their judging muscles in a digital street dance battle. Taking part is easy. Audiences can log onto www.redbulldanceyourstyle.comand test their judging skills between 1 September and 31 October 2021.
Designing a brave post-COVID world
The #cocreateDESIGN FESTIVAL is a local public event that consciously gathers together a diverse range of people, who may not often or easily come together, to have the difficult and uncomfortable conversations about South Africa’s biggest challenges. Secondly, the festival aims to support South African innovators and entrepreneurs to action their solutions to these issues.
The annual festival is an initiative of the Mission Network of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in South Africa, in collaboration with the Craft and Design Institute (CDI). With a broad theme of ‘Designing a brave post-COVID world’, the underpinning question of the programme is: “How might we design solutions for increased inclusivity and access?”
This year’s festivalruns from 20 – 23 September 2021, and takes participants on a deep dive into the major fault lines in South Africa – brutally exposed by the impact COVID-19 – in order to stimulate ideas and action that result in inclusion and change.
The event’s sessions will be streamed live, and most are free, and this will run alongside small group participation located at The Old Biscuit Mill in Salt River, Cape Town. Seating in venue is limited, with strict Covid-19 protocols.
Bolt partners with PinkDrive to build momentum in SA’s vaccination programme
Bolt, the ride-hailing service available in more than 35 South African towns and cities, has partnered with PinkDrive NPC, a community-based health care NGO, to get its health care workers to COVID-19 vaccination sites safely and efficiently.
PinkDrive, has been making the health of vulnerable South Africans a priority since 2009, provides trained vaccinators to public sector vaccination sites in Gauteng, the Western Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal, creating work opportunities for nurses who may otherwise not be employed.
“Many of the primary health care workers that are key to the success of South Africa’s COVID-19 immunisation drive depend on public transport to get them to vaccination sites – some of which are not on main minibus taxi routes,” says Noelene Kotschan, CEO and founder of PinkDrive. “This means that they incur extra costs in getting to work each day, and we identified the opportunity to collaborate with Bolt to get these vaccinating heroes to work, door to door, more cost effectively.”
“With so many health care workers being women, we’re proud to say that many of them have opted to use the Bolt Women Only service, which connects women passengers with women drivers,” says Gareth Taylor, Regional Manager for Bolt in Southern Africa. “Bolt welcomes the opportunity to work with PinkDrive in making it possible for health care workers to get to work, to add impetus to the country’s vaccination drive.”
