The potential of avatars for online advertising

Popular Mechanics, which bills itself as the voice of science and technology in South Africa, has introduced more features on its new website, including avatars - animated characters. According to publisher Alan Duggan, avatars "have potential for online advertising because they offer a triple whammy: animated figure, voice message and branded background".

Souping it up

The main objective of the new brochure site for Unilever's Knorr Cup-a-Soup, developed by Durban-based pilotfish, is to introduce the brand to the office environment. According to Adam Shapiro, MD of pilotfish, Knorr has realised that "there is a huge potential in the market for quick, convenient snack solutions for large and small businesses in South Africa." "Our intention was to build on this by creating a design that placed the viewer in a digital office environment.

Chasing rainbows

New campaigns launched or aired in the past couple of weeks include new taglines for Amstel, an outdoor campaign by Vespa, The Agency's trip to Thailand, early 2010 advertising by FCB for client FNB and a preview of Puma's next action-commercials with famed director Andrew Zuckerman. {{image}}Uncomplicated and single-mindedA new advertising campaign for Amstel focuses on the intrinsic qualities of the beer rather than trying to sell a lifestyle to its high achiever market.

Giving as good as we get

New campaigns that have been recently launched or have been running over the past few months include a feisty television ad for a new Joko tea variant, a festive season giveaway from baking range Moir's, an outdoor campaign for short term insurer Santam, and a 360 integrated approach for Microsoft's new gaming console. Giving as good as we getWe're women, we're strong and, with a little help, we can give as good as we get.

This time shouldn't be the last

Recent campaign launches include a window campaign by YDE in support of World AIDS Day, branded trucks that make our mouths water for Moir's, billboards that to make us want to drive Toyota, a "rustafied" SABC campaign for media planners, Cadbury's gives us a hefty glucose boost, and reality TV hits the washrooms for DStv. This time shouldn't be the last time {{image}}For World Aids Day on 1 December 2006, Cape Town-based advertising agency, singh&sons has created a hard-hitting window campaign for YDE, the shop within a shop for young South African designers.Explains PJ Kensley, creative director at singh&sons, "Usually YDE windows are trying to convince people to make fashion decisions, but the AIDS window was about a life or death decision people make every time they have sex.

Cast in the act

Recent campaigns include two television commercials for Kia Picanto and Volkswagen, the South African National Blood Service doing pole duty, KWV educating brandy lovers regarding potstill, Nando's doing trolley duty, and a countrywide campaign against starting fires. Cast in the act{{image}}{{image}}singh&sons's first TV commercial for Kia Motors South Africa depicts a series of actresses, of varying skills, 'casting' for a Picanto ad.

Banking on differences

Recent campaigns and promotions include Standard Bank and Nedbank trying to differentiate themselves, L'Oreal Paris making the world colourful, Imperial having a case of the airport blues, and Emirates Airline going for a huge impact. {{image}}The core message contained in Standard Bank's latest television adverts by TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris, forming part of its image campaign with the new pay-off line "Inspired.

Bizcommunity.com inspires FNB ad

Recent campaigns and promotions include a FCB ad for FNB inspired by Bizcommunity.com's very own Chris Moerdyk; morrisjones&co experimenting with new TV techniques for Wimpy; Grey Worldwide SA making sure that Spitz packs a punch; and The Letter Corporation (TLC) framing Savannah Light for women. Why Australia is a winning nationClick to view the ad (3MB)It all began, explains Wimpie le Roux, FCB's business unit director for FNB, towards the end of 2006, when Bizcommunity.com ran a column from Moerdyk relating the true life story of an incident he witnessed at Cape Town International, which involved a cynical South African being put in his place by an Australian tourist (Why Australia is a winning nation)."The creative team saw the story on Bizcommunity and at the time they were busy with conceptualising a television campaign to announce FNB's involvement in and support for the 2010 FIFA World Cup," continues Le Roux.

The retturn of the exhibittionist

New campaigns and promotions launched or aired recently include Ogilvy “returning” with the Audi TT, 94.7 Highveld Stereo and Emperors Palace getting a life, The Agency and Depth VFX reminding people to dial 10 for Telkom, Net#work BBDO chipping away at cricket for Lays, Primall Media keeping things cool with Bonaqua, and BBDO Cape Town helping Capitec Bank go from rags to riches. Exhibittionist retturnsAudi’s recent TV commercial for the new Audi TT, which was originally created for Audi Spain and adapted by Ogilvy Johannesburg for South Africa, aims to challenge the audience through provocative art direction and sophisticated design, culminating in revealing the new car.

Democratising news in Africa

Muti, an Africa-focused social news platform driven by and for its users, is an alternative model of publishing making inroads into Africa, according to its creator Neville Newey, a South African based in California. “This model is untested in Africa but there are strong indicators that social news sites can, and will, grow within Africa, given time and development on the right platforms,” he says.