Gold for CNN's SA Tourism UGC campaign

19 Feb 2009

Gold was CNN International's reward for its “My South Africa” global advertising campaign at the recent Internationalist Awards for Innovation in Media. South African Tourism's “My South Africa” was one of only two global campaigns to win Gold from a spread of entrants representing more than 30 countries.

Commented Rani R Raad, SVP advertising sales, CNN International, “For a broadcast network to compete with creative- and full-service agencies and win is quite an accomplishment and a testament to the strong and successful partnership that has evolved between CNN and South Africa Tourism.”

“Feather in all our caps”

“This is a feather in all our caps,” said Roshene Singh, chief marketing officer at SA Tourism.

“It shows that our creativity is working not only to attract the attention of CNN's millions-strong global audience, but also to attract the attention and the approval of some of the most discerning, media-savvy and marketing people in the world... the people who judged entries for the 2008 award. We're getting it right, and we are delighted that CNN has received this accolade.”

The campaign used user-generated content (UGC) and was geared towards raising the profile of SAto CNN's elite audience of business and leisure travellers. The multimedia brand campaign, “My South Africa”, was driven via www.mysouthafrica.tv.

My South Africa encourages CNN viewers worldwide to harness their creativity and upload compelling photographs, moving images and stories that encapsulate their experiences of SA, via the ‘My South Africa' website, for the chance to win a trip to the country.

The campaign is being executed on air and in print, and features renowned artists such as Yvonne Chaka Chaka, and is running until the end of 2010. It will span the 2010 FIFA World Cup period, when attention will be focused on SA as the host nation.

For more, go to http://www.internationalist-awards.com.