First of all, it's a branding coup that the Springbok logo has done so well. It's a self-reinforcing feedblack loop thing...the Bok logo becomes the stuff of legend, the players aspire to the legend, they become legends, further reinforcing it. Now even Bafana Bafana are copying the green and gold thing, and Mbeki, having experienced Bok Power firstahd, is telling the soccer lads to chuck Bafana and get a Bok-style makeover.
Then, simply because I feel it is my duty (and I'd like to encourage the collective, communities all over) to celebrate nature, I love Pam Golding's new print campaign. One image shows a massive whale and a diver in a pristine, crystal clear ocean lit with desaturated carbon color. The charcoal appearance understates the simple but important message: Discover the place that makes you happiest. I like the implication behind that; that nature is where a person can find themselves, and some of their highest happinesses.
"A new home is an important contributor to the overall feeling of happiness."*
Sonja Bulkin in the Saturday Star punted the TOTAL ad. It's an excellent concept promoting the economy of the fuel, using The Three Degrees song: "When will I see you again?" Caltex is onto the same thing, but they render it less well. BP has their split screen version; also not quite bad.
Lowlight: Terrible ads include the perfume spray that a cartoon elephant punts, then suggests that even smelly shoes aren't a problem if you're a mother to centipede. But you're an elephant!
Highlight: At Vida e cafe I noticed on the earpiece - is that the correct term - of the white cup, a small card dangling. It was branded with Halo 3 advertising. A great ploy. Nowhere is offlimits, and the fresher the advertising turf, the more effective the message comes across.
