Bonny’s gets a face lift

Bonny remains the hostess for B!Right, however the new emphasis will be on 'test and show' moving away from 'shop and tell'. Where Bonny is not the specialist in a field, the test mechanisms will accommodate the opinion of people who are.

"After 12 years we felt it was time to evolve and wanted to lead the consumer into welcoming and instilling the same level of trust in the new look. Our research into consumer reaction has been positive with an 82 per cent rating for the new show being 'interesting' and 71 per cent for 'credibility'," says Bonny Richardson, director B!Right.

The composition of the logo and the name allow for some flexibility and extensions. For example word play like, 'be right' and 'bright ideas'. The exclamation mark in the logo is the icon in the TV production and represents the B!Right stamp of approval.

Reactions to the new logo drew a range of responses like 'bubbly', 'vivacious and fun', 'effective', 'well thought out', 'ready for change', and 'something different' among others. As many as 73 per cent associate Bonny with the new show and about 64 percent are in favour of the name, 77 per cent rated the logo as modern.

The show has moved from a homely, warm and fuzzy to a more modern, 'lifestyle' stage set. This is in keeping with the visual upgrade and the adjustment to the LSM 7 to 9 market sector, previously aiming at LSM 6 to 8. The content of the commercial still carries Bonny's endorsement, but the emphasis is more on the product. In the test forum B!Right emphasises the major benefits of the products.

"The show offers an unique opportunity for clients to show the magic behind the brand, something that there is seldom time for in conventional advertising. B!Right has retained the credibility that Bonny has always had, giving clients the added value of a credible third party endorsement to get the sales going. The show offers cost effective exposure and clients can get exceptionally good promotional value when opting for the B!Right stamp of approval, " says Richardson.

Existing clients have approved the new look and Smiley's have been the first to shoot a new product with B!Right.

"We agree that it's time for a change and the new look is bright and fresh. While we were concerned about the consumer understanding the transformation we are confident that the consistency of Bonny, as primary spokesperson, will provide the link," says Jill de Villiers, product manager, Smiley's.

Smiley's have advertised with Bonny for about four years and find the concept highly cost effective, especially when compared with the cost of producing conventional TV ads.

"We advertise regularly and shoot about six times a year to co-inside with our peak months. Using TV in this format, we are able to differentiate Smiley's from the rest of the group (Jet, Edgars, Sales House) and talk specifically to our target audience. We also enjoy the flexibility of being able to add pricing signs or other promotional signage which is important for our corporate obligations,' de Villiers says.

B!Right will be featured on eTV and SABC in shoulder time achieving an average of 25 ARs "We buy our clients the best value for money," Richardson says. Clients appreciate the demonstration ability that TV affords and understand that shoulder time is the most accommodating for the attention and response that the commercial demands. The print component in You/Huisgenoot is no longer part of the package but will be offered as an optional extra.

Produced by Red Pepper Studios, B!Right was flighted for the first time on 28 March.