Ogilvy and SAB have one for the road

South African Breweries (SAB) has appointed Ogilvy Johannesburg for a campaign aimed at promoting the responsible consumption of alcohol in South Africa. According to Haydn Townsend, deputy MD of Ogilvy Johannesburg, the agency won the account because of its innate understanding of the fine line that SAB walks: promoting its brands and promoting moderate and responsible consumption of those brands.

In addition, he says, the agency understands South African consumers and supports the belief that shock tactics are an inappropriate vehicle with which to reach them: "Through this campaign, we want to make people think. We want to make them re-appraise their actions. We want to alert them to the dangers of over-consumption. And we want to give those with the power to talk, an argument against over-consumption, at the very least a platform from which they can launch a discussion on the topic.

"We want to create a tipping point understanding and this can't be done by scaring consumers into submission."

It's Townsend's belief that the strategy that won Ogilvy the account has the ability to talk to both the top end of the market, as well as the bottom end of the market: "It is a concept that is broader than just drinking, and ties in perfectly with SAB's vision of contributing to a positive nation.

"We need to challenge the assumption that over-consumption of alcohol isn't necessarily risky or dangerous. We need to make South Africans realise that every time they push the limit, they are playing with their lives. We believe this campaign will do that."