CAPE TOWN: Carat Saracen has collaborated with South African creative agency Metropolitan Republic to handle all aspects (creative and strategy) of advertising for MTN in Uganda. Carat Saracen will handle media platforms whilst Metropolitan Republic will handle the creative side as well as client service.
Both companies will maintain a "together-but-separate" arrangement, sharing office space for ease of servicing clients, but as separate entities, with a combination of joint clients and individual Carat Saracen clients.
"We are excited to be working with MTN Uganda for their advertising campaigns. Mobile is a medium that is growing in a massive way in Africa and the partnership of Uganda's biggest mobile network MTN, Metropolitan Republic and ourselves has come at the right time to make a difference in consumers lives. Our business is not just advertising for its own sake, but in this case, to help MTN Uganda achieve its essence of being the "... community that lives your passions and champions your aspirations." Already, we are very excited to see the response to some new advertising campaigns that are already on air," said George Wanjohi, director, Carat Saracen and MD in Kampala.
Servicing the East African market
In terms of collaborating on future clients, Wanjohi said: "The mix of an independent world-class media agency with a world-class creative agency for the first time in East Africa means a powerful marketing communications offering. As partner agencies, we are targeting multinationals and the bigger local clients."
The Aegis Group, through its brand Carat, partnered with Saracen Media Limited to serve the East African market, including Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, resulting in the entity Carat Saracen. The collaboration began in 2010 in Uganda, primarily for Nokia. In 2011, this extended to serving Nokia in Kenya and Tanzania. Carat Saracen's current clients in Uganda include Nokia, Western Union, HP, Smart TV, Beiersdorf, Wrigley, Tetra Pak, and Brookside. From June 2011, the Coca-Cola brand "Novida" as well.
