Cherryflava

Idols + Cliff Jennings = The most pathetic promo stunt ever

It's no surprise that the local version of Idols had to do something drastic to lure people to watch it.

Everything about the show just seems wrong. Let's just say that it's painfully obvious that production budgets were tight.

But to fool the public into believing that they're watching a reality show and then doctor the thing with actors and self promotion....is even more wrong.

Cliff Jennings - the loser that keeps on coming back - is in fact an advertising stunt thought up by ad agency Ogilvy Joburg. His name is not Cliff Jennings, but rather  Eduan van Jaarsveldt.

According to the now removed page on Ads of the World [Oglivy obviously thought their idea good enough to be featured on Ads of the World] - the Cliff Jennings stunt was designed to 'keep the viewers interest up during the dull periods of the show'.
That's obviously why most of the show was filled with bloody Cliff Jennings.

Idols [tsk tsk] - this is not good and now you look like even bigger idiots than you did before. Here's a suggestion MNet, stop wasting your money on crap. If you can the show - replace it with the fake stuff if you have to. But misleading your viewers is never a great idea.

Obviously nobody is using your social networking site either - cause it's also filled with Cliff.

More from Joblog and Bruinman

More: Oglivy confirms Idols fake - News24
See: All of Cliff Jennings on YouTube

England's rugby team are good at staring?

Leading up to this year's rugby world cup - it's interesting to compare the different build-up advertising approaches that the different unions have chosen.

The defending champions, the English Rugby team have chosen an online staring game to promo their attempt to hold onto the cup. Closely associated with their sponsors O2 - you can stare into Jonny Wilkinson's eyes here. Clearly loads of broadband penetration in this target market. Interesting use of cutting-edge technology, but the idea is a bit lukewarm.

The New Zealand All Blacks have produced a nice, thought-provoking piece with their main sponsor Adidas. The main theme is an explanation of the Haka using freeze frame animation. It's very emotive and sensible...just like the All Blacks. See it here.

The Irish have a rather strange message in their offering. Clearly there's something going on over there that's bordering on being French. See that one here.

As far as we can see, the Aussies didn't bother...

...and, don't forget our own brutal, skop skiet en donner version. Here.

So - if you have to consider a result based on marketing input alone - our choice is an All Black vs South Africa final, but the cup awarded to the Impossible is Nothing ad from New Zealand.

South Africa's online viral promo finds a new gear

Whoa - brand South Africa is becoming more well known by the minute.

That YouTube clip of Miss South Carolina not so subtly product-placing SOUTH AFRICA all over her tricky personality and cleverness test, has now been viewed by more than 8.3 million people [and counting]- has attracted 28700 comments and has now sparked a Facebook group.
It's almost safe to say than her little 'mishap' has now done more to promote the country of South Africa than all other previous traditional marketing efforts....combined.

The growing Facebook group was started by Ivo Vegter who sent us this mail:

What a great idea! I blogged about her a couple of days ago:
http://ivo.co.za/2007/08/27/miss-south-carolina/

Having read your idea about marketing, I created a Facebook group, with
due credit given to you for the idea, so South Africans can show the
proper appreciation to Miss South Carolina:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=18039395053

Go join it. Deep in your heart, you know it makes a difference.:-)

Maybe some American kids should start a Facebook group called; 'I know where South Africa is on a map'.

See: Ivo's post here
Join the Facebook group: - South Africans for Miss South Carolina - here
Yesterday's post: Here

Silly beauty queen becomes famous and takes brand South Africa along for the ride

Now if this was an attempt by the people that are responsible for promoting South Africa's image as a tourist and investment destination...by paying this silly girl to say something nice about us....it has kind of worked.

Miss Teen South Carolina made such a hash of her question to test whether or not she had a brain, that now she's famous... just like Paris Hilton. Ok - so she was nervous and fluffed the question, but right now everybody in America is pulling out a map to see where the hell South Africa is.

Nice work people - Borat made Kazakstan famous now Miss Teen South Carolina does the same to us.

Miss South Carolina on the Today show - YouTube

Billboard house

Cape Town would have to rethink it's attitude towards billboards, but we think that this pretty radical billboard house could be a design to use going forward.

The Single Hauz, from Poland, offers cantilevered space for one atop a cement pole, allowing it to be installed anywhere from a mountainside or the top of an existing building, to a lake.

So the bonus is that you don't need a large amount of open land to put the thing on.
In fact, as shown here, it can easily be erected in a lake...or a small track of land anywhere.
It's a double story structure, that although looks a bit thin, can easily accommodate a slender, single occupant.

As some reports suggest - the roof can be packed with solar panels, or a wind turbine generator and slap an OUTsurance ad on the one side of it to make some cash - you've got a fully self sustaining unit.

You want to move house? Just uproot the pole and head on. What a pleasure.

More: Single Hauz - BLDGBLOG
See: Free billboard car

Previously: Nedbank billboard wins Cannes Grand Prix - Cherryflava

[Thanks Rich...!] [via]

5 sizes, 5 colours - outwit, outsmart, outplay

Cape Town's uber-niche book emporium, Biblioteq, is currently running a nice user-generated, creative pixel design competition.

The idea is that you head over to the shop in Kloof Street and pick up one of these Dotmatic 5 kits.

The kit contains a whole collection of sticker dots which come in 5 sizes....5 colours.
The challenge is for users to design and create a half usable image out of the dots, which can then [if it's good enough big boy] be used in a nationwide traveling show.
The kit costs R 30 and includes sheets of stickers in various shapes and colours, as well as a board onto which the design can be applied.

If your attempt cracks the nod to be used...you'll be famous and weighed down by loads of prizes [the finalists will be exhibited at Biblioteq in October, followed by a traveling exhibition at Vida stores nationwide. The winner will receive one year’s subscription to VISI, a book voucher from Biblioteq and free coffee from Vida].

The inspirational window display created entirely with dots [seen here] to promo the creativity competition was done by local illustration studio am i collective.

We're just glad that they didn't choose Post-it notes as their medium of choice.

Previously: Another Post-it note ad / art thing - Cherryflava

Got the message?

These Got Milk? ads have now been running in the US for more than 10 years now. Seriously...are they not working - or do they just keep running them to spend the money.

This latest one featuring Hayden Panettiere claims that milk will cause you to smash the glass it comes in...and can be used as a slimming agent. Huh! That can't be true.
Could it be then that these ads are not run by the milk people, but instead a collection of Hollywood agents? Cause you're clearly not a celeb [or a Hero] until you've been featured in a Got Milk? ad.

[via]

Put your hands up in the air - put your hands up...in the air

Not the greatest shot in a moving bus, but an example of how Cape Town's only LSM 10+ viable public transport vehicle has once again been tagged by advertisers.

The use of airport property as billboard hordings is out of control. Billboard advertising in the city is kept to a subtle minimum...until you enter the airport...where you're literally greeted with a round-house kick of commercial communication to the head. Understandably loads of business people and wealthy tourists hang out there, but how much of this stuff gets noticed by rushing executives and foreigners trying to catch their first glimpse of the mountain?

Surely, with this much cash being generated by advertising - the airport taxes should be free.

BTW - the ad on bus strap idea is clever, like this other one from Japan...

...or maybe one day your entire flight cost may just well be covered by advertising spend.

Read: Jets becoming flying billboards - International Herald Tribune

Marc Ecko cellphone street tagging billboard-type thing

This is an evil idea, even though we're not totally sure of how it works.

Mark Ecko and his clothing company Ecko Unlimited have set up these interactive graffiti boards, which passersby can tag with their cellphones.

Digital citylights are created that consists of an LCD and a bluetooth interface. People will get the possibility to access the citylight via bluetooth with their cell phones and spray their own graffiti with the cursor of their phone.

Could get completely out of control, but hey...that's kind of what you want. [Thanks Shane] [via]

Previously: Mark Ecko tags air force one - Cherryflava

At the top of the Sunday Times / Markinor Top Brands survey is the worst place to be

Egos were stroked, market departments fired and everyone waited with baited breath for the list of the 2007 Top Brands in South Africa to be published yesterday.

We were away - so didn't bother with the whole thing, but apparently the big news is that Carling Black Label is now the country's number one beer brand...just smoking Castle at the finishing post.

Ironic, 'cause for the life of us, we cannot remember the last time anyone we know, has raised the dull brown glass of a Black Label bottle to their lips.

What would however be interesting, is to map each one of the sales graphs on top of these research results. Is Carling the biggest selling beer brand as well?

But going forward, in a new world where small is the new big...where many seem to try avoid the mass produced...where the new cool is the niche, organic, farmers market kind of produce - is even being listed anywhere in the Top Brands survey a desirable thing?

Can these really be regarded as 'top' brands? Or just corporate products, with big marketing budgets, who's identity has been beaten into our heads for so many years.

See; Carling Black Label overtakes Castle in the Markinor/Sunday Times Top Brands Survey - Markinor