Today, Monday, 15 March 2010 sees the launch of the 2010 Loeries campaign, and it promises - tongue-in-cheek - to be the biggest event of the year. As Herman Manson writes, "Before those FIFA lawyers get their knickers in a knot again - Kulula-style - no part of the campaign actually ever mentions the FIFA World Cup or shows a football. It's called having a sense of humour." Saturday 13 March saw the launch of the Professional Journalists' Association (ProJourn), which aims to give working journalists (is there any other kind?) a voice. The Gautrain also hosted a highly successful #tweetuponrails tweetup, and excited Twitterers were treated to a spontaneous test trip on the tracks. Then, in the evening, South African Tourism hosted a braai to celebrate the inaugural flight of V Australia from Oz to Jozi. Last week, a contingent of South Africans landed in Austin, Texas, and have been tweeting up a storm ever since at the annual SXSW (South by South West) festival for the convergence of emerging technologies, original music and independent films. By all accounts, Eve Dmochowska's Saturday panel on her brand new www.crowdfunding.co.za project - which since accidental launch on Thursday 4 March has raised R795 000 already in individual pledges towards a single angel fund for South African start-ups - has been wowing the world. View our SXSW twitterfall to see what our Saffers are up to in the US! Also last week Thursday 11 March saw the launch of the new world-class Stark Studios in Fontainebleu, Johannesburg, the new home for the production of Afrikaans soapie Binneland Sub Judice. In April Binnelanders is going from half-hour to one-hour slots five days a week, and a legal storyline is being incorporated into the hospital theme. All filming is done in HD. Highly impressive and huge in so many ways. For the more competitive of you out there - especially those of you who have to pitch to clients - we've got three copies of veteran Bizcommunity contributor Sid Peimer's new book The Clear Win to give away. It's a piece of cake... all you have to do is find just the word. Come on, enter now! Go go go, South Africa, go! Simone Puterman & Rod Baker PS In this week's Ornico Ad Showcase, we feature TV ads for Tetra PaK, Virgin Money, Speko, South Africa and BMW, and radio ads for Virgin Money, DStv, Virgin Money 2, Koo and Vodacom.
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