OLX launches campaign to reposition brand

17 Jun 2016

OLX has embarked on an advertising campaign to reposition the brand to create a more emotional connection with South Africans. Entitled #MoveUp, the campaign taps into the universal human truth that everyone wants to improve his lot in life, no matter how impossible it might seem. By showcasing the human progress behind each transaction, it positions OLX as an enabler of dreams, and the means by which anyone from any walk of life can facilitate forward progress - despite what the so-called 'system' might prescribe.

“We believe that this campaign will resonate particularly well with our resourceful population. Increasingly, South Africans have come to understand that, if they want to get ahead, they need to create their own opportunities and mould their own destiny. This commercial positions OLX firmly in that space, as a brand that provides the means by which South Africans can be who they want to be, and achieve what they believe they can achieve,” said OLX South Africa's brand manager, Ntsikakazi Mxenge.

The narrative of the TVC beautifully and effectively depicts how OLX makes it possible for people to be who they want to be, by beating the system. A young man stares into a shop window on his way home, dreaming of owning the guitar on display. The lights go out, symbolising that he cannot afford to buy the guitar. Then - the only light in the dark night - his cellphone lights up in his hand, to show a similar guitar – available on the OLX site. The message comes through loud and clear. He can #MoveUp.

The best way to buy and sell 'on the go'

The mobile app was launched in 2013 and provides the best way to buy and sell 'on the go' and for people to trade in their local areas. One of the great user-friendly features is the chat functionality, which enables direct human interaction between buyers and sellers.

“By positioning the brand as more than a retail environment, the #MoveUp campaign aims to encourage South Africans to use OLX as an alternative trading space to that which the system currently provides - not only for occasional buying and selling, but also as a valuable trading option,” said Mxenge.

As the commercial says: “It’s time to stand together, because together we have everything we need.”

The campaign was conceptualised and created by Publicis Machine, is spearheaded by a television commercial that broke on 6 June, and will be strongly supported in both the radio and online environment.