A clever 'Unite Mzanzi' digital mobile campaign which made nearly 300 000 consumers interact with the adidas brand over a 6 month period netted a Silver Award for media agency Carat SA at last night's Assegai Awards in Germiston.
Carat identified the mobile social networking platform, MXIT, as the channel to reach the brand's core consumer base.
A series of touch points were developed including soccer chat rooms, a FIFA World Cup fantasy league and a digital adidas version of the well-known rock/paper/scissors game (shoot/pass/score) to engage MXIT's more than 10 million users.
The awards, hosted for the eleventh time by the Direct Marketing Association of South Africa's, recognise outstanding campaigns in direct response marketing ranging from infomercials to microsites to direct mail.
Carat SA, collaborated with creative agency TBWA and digital agency, Isobar, to create the mobile adidas activation platform for their 2010 FIFA World Cup 'Unite Mzanzi Unite' campaign with special focus on the Bafana Bafana jersey and match ball.
Consumers were also invited to 'befriend' adidas on MXIT and sign a digital version of the giant Bafana Bafana football jersey.
More than 116 000 MXIT subscribers befriended adidas, 78 883 signed the digital national jersey, 289 244 users played the rock/paper/scissors game and a further 50 000 took part in the adidas chat zones.
The Assegai award is the third honour this year for Carat. It was also named AdReview's Media Agency of the Year for 2009 and one of only two South African media agency to receive an "A" RECMA ranking.
Carat South Africa belongs to the global Carat network which is part of Aegis Group Plc, listed on the London Stock Exchange.
The Carat network spans 70 countries with 5220 people worldwide, and is today the world's largest independent media agency network.
