New Wave Outdoor Media recently launched an out of home campaign for MWEB that aimed to raise awareness around wifi hotspots in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
Seventeen taxi/cabs had custom-designed adverts put on to them. The campaign targeted audiences in areas where traditional media had no presence, areas such as Florida Road in Durban. With the branding on the taxis and in areas where there was little or no traditional OOH media, it makes it more difficult for the audience to tune out the adverts, thus maximising awareness.
The question is, can 17 taxis really generate that much awareness? The answer is simply, no. The amount of different branded taxis driving the streets of Cape Town for example, means that it is already a cluttered environment. I rarely find myself reading the ads on taxis anymore. They are too commonplace.
What could have worked better would have been the MyCiti buses. They are fast becoming a Cape Town icon with their easily recognisable blue and red paintwork. There are certainly fewer buses than taxis and there is a much bigger surface area on which to place the advert making it easier to notice and comprehend. You also have the advantage of placing further OOH adverts at the various bus stops. You could use this to either build up to a main advert, or use it to supplement the campaign as a whole.
The buses are much more prominent, at least in Cape Town, which means they stand out more than the taxis. This can help draw the audiences’ attention. The buses also have set routes, so the adverts informing people about the various MWEB wife hotspots could have been placed along the routes that went through the actual hotspots. This after all is the USP. By advertising in or around the hotspots, it helps raise awareness about the actual location of the hotspots.
Branding something that is already operating in a cluttered environment will not grab the audiences’ attention. By branding an icon, or something that stands out from the clutter will ensure a wider reach ultimately increasing awareness.
Guy Grovè is a media, advertising and communications student at Red & Yellow School.
