Branding News South Africa

Left brain, right brain branding

Nedgroup Investments, an investment company within the Nedbank Group, officially launched its brand advertising campaign by Cape Town-based purpleberry earlier this week. “We believe that our campaign is unique in that it engages both left and right brain thinking, by incorporating three differentiators namely colour, illustrated shapes (ovoids) and copy,” said Nic Andrew, head of Nedgroup Investments.
Left brain, right brain branding

“The primary aim of our above-the-line campaign is to create awareness for our brand with the objective to make our target audience stop, think and invest with us,” he added.

As simple as this all sounds, there's actually a complex process of intellectual engagement taking place between the reader and the communication. The right side of the brain (i.e. the part responsible for creative, solution-orientated thinking) reads the shapes and makes meaning of the visual language, while the left side of the reader's brain (i.e. the part responsible for logical, analytical thought) interprets the copy.

“Given that Nedgroup Investments' major competitors are already well-established in the market place, we realised that the campaign had to be differentiated in order to create high impact and high recall for Nedgroup Investments,” explains Vanessa Bolton, MD of purpleberry.

The first visual differentiator in the campaign is the bold use of colour. Large areas of bright, flat colour – particularly green and orange – pull the eye to the space. The second visual component of the creative execution relies on the configuration of abstract, illustrated shapes. Essentially, these shapes form the visual language of the brand.

“The use of text is the third differentiating component of Nedgroup Investments' brand advertising campaign; headlines are written to intrigue and pique curiosity. Copy calls to be read, and once reading, rational arguments work to persuade readers that the sure way to invest, is with Nedgroup Investments,” concludes Andrew.

The campaign launched with a wrap-around in Sunday Times Life 9 September 2007. It will continue with advertisements in selected business and financial newspapers, weekly magazines, in-flight magazines and radio spots during September and October. The radio advertisements can be heard on 702/Cape Talk, SAFM, RSG Finansiële Verslag and Classic FM Business Day.

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