It is hosting its first Creative Shop Hackathon for Africa in Cape Town on 18 September. In addition, Rob Newlan, Head of Facebook Creative Shop, Europe, Middle East and Africa will be a judge at the 2014 Loeries and a keynote speaker at the Loeries DStv Seminar of Creativity.
As the head of a team of creative directors, strategists, entrepreneurs and technologists, Newlan focuses on building creative ideas through a combination of art and science. "The Loeries Creative Week is an annual creative hub that attracts over 4000 people from the brand communications industry, making it a perfect platform for us to meet the South African creative industry to share ideas.
"We believe that creativity is king again and during the hackathon and the seminar I will be talking about how to unlock the potential of technology with creativity. I will also be focusing on how the company is bringing back storytelling and ensuring those stories reach the right people at incredible scale."
The first Facebook Creative Shop Hackathon in Africa will give young creatives the opportunity to work in teams on a real creative brief for the Loeries Creative Future Scholarship. Designed specifically for young creative designers with one to two years of experience, the Hackathon is free and limited to 40 participants and will take place between 10am and 4pm in the Protea Room at the Cullinan Hotel in Cape Town.
Winners will be announced at the end of the workshop. In addition to offering winners free credit to bring their idea to life, Facebook will provide an educational session showcasing award winning work as well as the latest developments from Facebook HQ on tools and systems being developed specifically for Africa.
At the DSTV Seminar, Newlan will talk about how creative can bring together the science of data and the art of storytelling to delight people, and deliver business results. "We will be highlighting how Facebook allows brands to create campaigns that allow them to make marketing personal, yet engage with people on a massive scale."
As a judge at the Loeries, Newlan will be looking for work that embraces storytelling - particularly on mobile - to deliver personalized, powerful brand stories. "I'm particularly interested in campaigns that target an audience precisely and capture its imagination. I'm eager to see examples of compelling creative on social networks that is authentic, distinctive to the brand and has genuine value for people."
Facebook's focus on the Loeries is part of its strategy to invest in the high-growth markets of Africa and South Africa. "With more than 100 million active Facebook users a month - 80% of them on mobile devices - Africa is an exciting market for us. Making the world more open and connected is Facebook's mission and high-growth African countries are central to that mission," concludes Newlan.
