The first stage was the Hummerville campaign, which allowed Studio 4332 - then proximity#ttp - to collect data on several thousand targeted customers. Create Me then engaged those customers in the recruitment of supporters for four charities identified by Cell C. The number of supporters a customer was able to rally for a given charity dictated how much of a share of the R1 million made available by Cell C would be given to that charity.

“The fun, interactive ways in which customers were able to engage with the Create Me website gave us far more direct and in-depth insight into their lifestyle preferences and the issues that matter to them than one could achieve via traditional CRM and direct techniques,” says Studio 4332 managing director, Brendan Wade, adding that the true two-way conversation with customers meant they volunteered information about themselves allowing Studio 4332 to provide them with content that fits squarely within their lifestyle, making Cell C a participant in their lifestyle.

“So, the campaign is a superb example of how our premise that creative thinking is the best way to solve business problems for a customer works in practice. Clearly, the judges also recognised that Create Me is a benchmark for the creation of commercial content as a means of building - and driving value for - a brand. It's the most compelling way to get customers to engage with a brand,” says Wade.

He says that what is particularly gratifying about being awarded the Loerie for Create Me is that it indicates that market sentiment about advertising is shifting. There is a growing understanding among customer organisations that creating commercial content is not only the most progressive but also the most effective way to build the brand, but that it takes specific skills to create commercial content.

“The Award acknowledges that Studio 4332 has those skills,” says Wade.