The Bland and the Spicy (part 2)

The Bland

The current MiWay campaign has been on air for quite some time now. If you watch Isidingo or 7de laan, you would see all the variations of the campaign.

There is the "Fame has it Perks" where fans ram their vehicles into Mpho's car just to get a look at him. And there is the one that shows his vehicle with "You Suck" all over it implying you can claim online. There is also an ad that shows the geyser bursting over him. The intention is to show geyser is standard with homeowner's policies. But this is not unique to MiWay. All homeowner's policies (as far as I am aware) have geyser cover as part of the Homeowners policy. This clearly shows a lack of understanding of the competitor offering.

I happen to like the MiWay campaign. It is innovative and shows that you can claim online and insurance is made simple. However, this campaign has been flighted so many times that is now beyond wallpaper. I don't notice it any longer. In 2012 alone MiWay spend R99m on TV advertising (Rate Card Value according to Telmar Transmit). If they took only 5% of that budget, they could have refreshed the campaign at least twice a year if not longer. Playing in a space in which there is so much clutter means brands need to stand out - but outspending the competitor is not always the solution.

The top 15 competitors in this category had approximately 40,000 spots flighted in 2012. That relates to over 3,300 spots per month. This brings us back to the point of remaining relevant and also standing out.

Hence, MiWay your campaign has gone Bland.

The Spicy

I have seen this ad many times on TV and to be honest I quite liked it. But I never thought of giving it a Spicy. However, my view of this ad changed when I was treated to the 90-second version on cinema in a big screen with all its grandeur. The ad I am referring to is Coca Cola's Difference campaign.

The 90-second version gives you goose-bumps and certainly shows that ordinary South Africans can make a difference with small things. Be it a smile, small change, a hello to a stranger.

With South Africa going through its own challenges at present, crime, poverty, corruption, Marikana to name a few, Coca Colas ad certainly makes you feel good. It's a pity that the majority of South African's won't see the full version. The SABC and e.tv should ensure that this version is shown in their top-rated programmes such as Generations, Isidingo, 7de Laan and E-News part of their CSI duty to promote goodness, togetherness.

We should adopt Crazy For Good in our daily lives. Coca Cola this ad is really Spicy.

Here's the 90-second version...