Intl ad blogumentary launches in South Africa

Ask Graves, "What effect is new digital media having regionally across the globe? Rather than contribute to the ever-more-crowded blogosphere from the comfort of my home or office in New York, I will travel to the source of the content I'm discussing, interact with my peers in these countries and create a web of conversation that spans around our increasingly interconnected world."

Graves will visit all three of the TBWA\South Africa's agency's offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, starting with Johannesburg.

"The Saturn Return Project is a unique virtual 'blogumentary', a real-time look into what makes creative agencies tick. We were attracted to it because of its visionary attitude towards open source information, collaboration and transparency. At the agency, we salute the game changers, the visionaries, the ones who do things differently," says Sophie Mayer, group marketing director for TBWA\South Africa.

Brianna Graves. Pic: Kayla Rocca Photography.

The project's social media presence should provide interesting, exciting and complementary content for interested parties. Visitors from more than 21 countries, 17 cities in South Africa, 31 different states across the US and 30 cities across Canada have visited The Saturn Return Project blog.

Spotlighting South Africa's spirit

In addition to the industry content that conversations with these agencies will create, Graves will also work to spotlight the spirit of South Africa through each city that she visits. Lifestyle posts will give her travel and tourism readers a robust picture of the musical, culinary and cultural treasures unique to South Africa, and give regional context to the industry-based commentary. "It has been amazing to connect pre-launch with professionals in South Africa, Canada and London who are supportive and excited to see where the project takes me," Graves said.

Her second destination is Canadian agency, Taxi, another industry heavyweight with offices across Canada, Amsterdam and New York. Also attracting international attention for its work, it was named Strategy Magazine's Agency of the Decade in 2010. Graves will partner with its Toronto office in early summer.

Follow her journey on www.thesaturnreturnproject.com and through various social media channels, including Twitter and Facebook.

Video added 4.41pm on 5 May 2011.