Jacques Burger, Gareth Leck, Danette Capper, Noelle Hardy
ADFOCUS CO-ORDINATOR
Danette Capper
AUDITOR
Patrick Ganesan Senior Consultant | PKF VGA
Foreword
How ads shaped my life, from the Camel Man to Boet and Swaer
Foreword It ’ s time for creativity to take centre stage once again PAGE
Foreword
Touch me, see me, feel me
This year ’ s winners have set the bar high
ADFOCUS JURY
Corporate prof ile
Joe Public
Luca Gallarelli, group CEO, TBWAThe Disruption Company; Vicki Buys, MD, Ogilvy; Sadika Fakir, group executive: digital marketing & media, Absa; Pepe Marais, co -founder & group chief creative officer, Joe Public United; Dean Oelschig, managing par tner and founder, Halo; Katherine Madley, VP of marketing, Massmar t (Walmar t); Sharleen James, MD, Accenture Song; Dustin Chick , par tner and MD, Razor PR; Sbu Sitole, CCO and founder, The Odd Number; Nkgabiseng Motau, founding par tner and CCO, Think Creative; Chris Botha, group MD, Park Adver tising; Yatish Narsi, chief marketing officer, MultiChoice Group
Comm entary & insight
Judges PAGE 38 AdFocus Are you ‘ man ’ enough to enter the AdFocus awards? PAGE 8 -3 0 Awards/winn ers
STUDENT JURY
Luca Gallarelli, group CEO of TBWA\South Africa and AdFocus Awards chair 2024 ; Pippa Misplon, MD, Retroviral; Firdous Osman, group MD, Boomtown; Thabang “ Tipi ” Manyelo, creative direc tor, The Odd Number; Kagiso Tshepe, executive creative direc tor, Grid Worldwide; Noelle Hardy, creative direc tor, Tukio Media; Dean Oelschig, managing par tner and founder, Halo PAGE 32 -33
Jacques Burger & Gareth Leck PAGE
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It is heartening to know the local ad industry remains vibrant
HOW ADS SHAPED MY LIFE, FROM THE CAMEL MAN TO BOE T AND SWAER
Oddly enough, for someone whose monthly stipend has been generated primarily from the sale of adver tising space for well over three decades, I’ve never really been too intimate with the ad industr y.
Back in the early 1990s, I sat next to journalist Marcia Klein, who handled the media and marketing segment for Business Day There was hardly a dull moment I seem to remember a flurr y of repor ts on ad execs flitting between companies with much conjecture around which large accounts would follow And there I was covering the industrial beat a comparative grind
Not that the world of adver tising completely passed me by As a young nipper, I was for tunate to have a mother who was an avid reader One magazine, curiously, that she for a shor t period procured from the local CNA was the “sophisticated” gentleman’s magazine Esquire There were only a handful of these great mags in the household I suspect supplies were shor t-lived The Calvinistic fervour that dominated great swathes of South Africa in the mid-1970s through to the mid-198s would have frowned ver y deeply on the local newsagent carr ying a magazine that published the odd naps of a scantily clad women
There was a lot to take in for a teenager though Gore Vidal’s essays might have gone right over my head What I really spent loads of time studying were the adver ts for cars (the brilliant Volvo tagline “It’s boxy but good”), the outrageous men’s fashion (“Test-drive Arnold Palmer’s new knit trousers”), the electric razors, aftershaves, liquor, watches, spor ts equipment all the stuff a man, and a wide-eyed boy from Uitenhage, could covet
My absolute favourite ad campaign and I think this was running into the early 1980s was the Camel cigarette campaign featuring the mustachioed bushyhaired man who really rocked that rolled-up sleeves, crumpled khaki shir t look doing the manliest things in faroff locales He was either lighting up next to his campfire in the frozen tundra (a wolf or husky lurking in the background),
puffing away as he paddled a canoe effor tlessly through gator-infested swamps or, my favourite, nonchalantly lugging a spare tyre in the kind of area where you’d probably not want to exit your car These images invoked such powerful narratives I would stare for ages at the adver ts What caused his trusty Jeep to breakdown? What’s he doing paddling up river with so few provisions? How did he keep his smokes dr y even intact?
Ever y single time I lit up a Camel which was rarely, because the damn things cost so much more than other cigarettes, I tried to make a ritual out of it I remember sitting back and lighting up a Camel with great satisfaction when I managed to hot-wire my 50cc motorbike after losing the keys outside the Amanzi junction many, many miles from home I still prefer a long-sleeve shir t, slightly crumpled rolled up to the elbows
They contend that life imitates ar t In my case, my life quite often imitates adver tising Not, for tunately, to the degree of Gysber t Jonker, the central character of a macabre Herman Charles Bosman yarn Jonker becomes fixated on the striking figure of a man in a tobacco ad, and then foolishly models his image and life on this idealised alter ego. My wife, on the other hand, will argue strongly that I have taken on many aspects of both “Boet” and “Swaer” from the classic Castrol TV ads. I can live with that.
The point is, after this ramble, that adver tising remains a powerful, powerful medium.
In a time of influencers and other surreptitious marketing, it is hear tening to know the local ad industr y, after some tough years, remains vibrant and, dare I say, ready to thrive again
Creatively speaking, the adver ts run in the FM as par t of the AdFocus initiative, I thought, were superb and inspired
If statistics and forecasts are to be believed, then 2024 was a grand old time for the local ad industr y
Statista reckons adspend in South Africa should reach $2 165bn (about R40bn) by the end of this year Interestingly, 50% of total local adspend is projected to come from digital sources and 83% of revenue will be generated through programmatic adver tising by 2029
I do note, with more than a tinge of sadness, that adspend in the print adver tising market in South Africa will be a sliver of the total, reaching about $144m (R2 63bn) this year, with the diminishing universe of newspapers still taking the bulk of that
But Statista does argue that in South Africa, print adver tising is experiencing a resurgence “due to its ability to reach diverse demographics effectively in a digital-saturated market” I really hope so and for much more than just my nostalgic yearnings
❒
Marc Hasenfuss is editor of the FM
Collectively, the industry can rise above its challenges
IT ’ S TIME FOR CRE ATIVIT Y TO TAKE CENTRE STAGE ONCE AGAIN
2024 has been a year of refocus. A reset, if you will.
It’s been a year in which the industr y took a long, hard look at the years that have preceded it and realised that despite our talk we have taken a few steps back, specifically as it relates to the quality of our work It’s been a year where, for the first time, I have felt strongly that something must be done and that we need the collective will to do it
It is a task that requires the entire ecosystem, including clients, agencies and media owners, to not only recognise the issue, but to coalesce around definitive actions that seek to address this Talk alone is insufficient Relying on talent alone will not get us there Instead, we need the will and determination to do
“the hard thing” . If the quality of the conversations in the jur y room are anything to go by, we are off to a good star t with a stoic determination tangible across all par ticipants
This year’s jur y was a privilege to assemble and a joy to sit among and debate the issues confronting our industr y and celebrate those pushing our industr y for ward That there are many issues confronting us both domestically and globally is nothing new The best agencies have always found a way to see through the challenges and identify the oppor tunities that reside on the other side, fuelled by a somewhat naive optimism that a better way can be found This is the ver y essence of creativity and it must, once again, be placed at the centre of all that we do
You have proved that our industr y is indeed alive and well and populated by passionate, driven, remarkable individuals determined to make a dif ference and leave a legacy
To all the shor tlisted agencies, be proud Judging was incredibly tough as the judges resolved to set a new standard Rest assured that no shor tlisting was gifted out of sentiment You have proved that our industr y is indeed alive and well and populated by passionate, driven, remarkable individuals determined to make a difference and leave a legacy These are traits that should be celebrated as you are the agencies that stand at the vanguard of our charge back to the top
To the winners, take a bow Another incredibly hard year where entries were dissected, scrutinised and debated You should feel justifiably proud of what you and your teams have achieved amid formidable competition.
But the above agencies and individuals don’t stand alone There is place among them for ever yone across our incredible industr y, and I would like nothing more than to see a South African industr y stand together as a collective creative force once again That challenge is not the preser ve of a select few but of us all
Let’s not waste this oppor tunity
❒
Luca Gallarelli, Group CEO, TBWAThe Disruption Company
The satisfying texture of print can make the lightness of being a digital ad unbearable
TOUCH ME, SEE ME, FEEL ME
There’s a weightiness to a print ad Not just in the feel of the newspaper or magazine it appears in, or the grammage of the paper on which it is printed, but in the intentionality that goes into committing a powerful idea to something that is tangible It is a medium that is not easily ignored with a quick swipe up
In today’s digital age, print media holds a unique and valuable position, offering creativity and craftsmanship While digital content is easily accessible, print allows for a slower, more thoughtful interaction, encouraging readers to pause and appreciate the work. Through design, typography, texture and format, print creates a tangible, sensor y experience that allows creativity to flourish in ways that digital often does not offer
Some of the most iconic print ads over the decades have become benchmarks for creative excellence, proving the enduring power of print media
Who can forget Volkswagen’s 1960s “Think Small” campaign, considered a pioneer in modern adver tising, with its minimalist layout and ironic tone? Or how Absolut Vodka’s long-running campaign featuring the bottle in creative settings turned a simple product into a cultural icon And, more recently, CocaCola’s “Recycle Me” campaign that won the Grand Prix in Print & Publishing at this year’s Cannes Festival of Creativity And then there is L’Oréal’s “Braided Histor y” campaign that explored the shared cultural significance of hair braiding across
communities, combining ar t and stor ytelling
It’s this creativity that the Financial Mail Creative Challenge seeks to champion and encourage In a world of digital banners, pop-ups and GIFS , of influencers, oversized billboards and million-rand television commercials, the challenge of catching a reader’s attention with a twodimensional A4 print ad is a ninja-like skill that needs to be celebrated
Ever y year, the Creative Challenge throws down the gauntlet and invites creatives to submit print ads that make readers
Some of the most iconic print ads over the decades have become benchmarks for creative excellence, proving the enduring power of print media
take note Taking the current news cycle as the springboard, entries are required to show ingenuity and outstanding craftsmanship in the print medium This year, the entries did not disappoint From the trademark irreverence of Nando’s to the gut-punch impact of the People Opposing Women Abuse submission, the jur y had a gamut of exceptional entries from which to choose
As the media landscape continues to evolve, and we navigate the challenges faced by the print industr y, the Financial Mail Creative Challenge reminds us just how an insightful, beautifully crafted print ad can land a message that lives long after the page is turned
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AGENCY OF THE YEAR
Halo shows there is far more to success than size, with gigantic achievements since 2021 culminating
in top awards
The AdFocus Agency of the Year Award usually goes to one of South Africa’s larger agencies This year, a significantly smaller player has scooped the prestigious award But don’t mistake small for insignificant Halo is a powerhouse of an agency that has grown its revenue by 280% over the past two years In the past year, it has grown revenue by 44% , winning 15 new clients and losing one only because of a global alignment
This past year has been a breakout one for the agency It announced itself as a serious player in the local adver tising industr y, beating out some formidable competition in the form of M&C Saatchi Abel and TBWA\South Africa
The judges were par ticularly impressed with Halo’s performance across the board: in the creative, commercial, thought leadership, profile and general impact areas in its categor y
In addition to being named Agency of
Their approach to creativit y isn’t just about creating at tractive content; it’s about understanding the hear t of the brand, its mission and its audience.
Marnus van Heerden
the Year, Halo was also named the 2024 Small Agency of the Year, beating last year’s winner, Retroviral
Since 2021, Halo has been on a serious mission; to become the most creative small agency in Africa After the success of work for Yoco, Pam Golding, iStore and Pineapple, the creative product at Halo finally star ted to get noticed
In 2022, the agency changed its business model, opting to operate exclusively on a “retained” client model, rather than retainers How this works is that clients are billed using value-based pricing and an outcomes-based model on a project-by-project basis The decision not to pursue retainer clients meant the agency no longer needed to worr y about time sheets This has paid off : margins soon rose to 25 2% on average, with a peak of 36% Its new business model allows for more time to be spent on projects, better work and happier, more inspired people
In 2023, the agency redefined its positioning with a new tagline, “Making standout brands and brands stand out” , referencing its design and adver tising capabilities as well as its desire to be a long-only agency, focused on building emotional and standout brands
It’s a positioning which clearly resonates, given the impressive calibre of new clients the agency has acquired in the past year. These include RMB, Cars.co.za, Ocean Basket, PSG, Mr D, FNB Speedpoint, Spark Schools, Discover y Vitality, Dubai-based financial ser vices star t-up Nuro, Lulabet, Asisa, Futurewise, Massmar t private-label brand Econo, RMB Energy Exchange and mobile game Super Dragon Punch Force 3
Its longest-standing clients, Pineapple, Exclusive Books, Auto & General, Capital Legacy and Peregrine, as well as its first international client, Deanston out of the UK, are healthy, committed and profitable, proving the sustainability of its client relationships and retained-client model
Clients are not locked into a fixedterm contract and are free to leave at any point. The health of its client relationships can be measured by its retention rate.
Its clients have only positive things to say about working with Halo Pineapple CEO Marnus van Heerden says: “I can personally vouch for the transformative role that Halo has played in revolutionising our approach to marketing Working with Halo has been an absolute pleasure, and the diligence, exper tise and
The Halo team
To read the full repor t , scan the QR code.
size matters
creativity they brought to our brand was second to none Their approach to creativity isn’t just about creating attractive content; it’s about understanding the hear t of the brand, its mission and its audience and creating tailored campaigns that resonate on a deep and impactful level.”
Grant Fietze, executive manager: marketing at Capital Legacy, is equally complimentar y, explaining that the business approached Halo after having seen some of the work it had recently done for Pineapple
“Halo is an agency that overdelivers, listens to our needs and requests and thinks deeply about the problem [It] truly understood our brand from the get-go It’s a small agency that punches well above its weight both creatively and strategically ”
Susan Steward, head of marketing at Auto & General, says Halo was selected as the lead creative agency based on its consideration for the brand, strategic understanding and creative excellence “The insurance industr y is a challenging one and when needing to stand out, one needs an agency that is as invested in your brand as the client and business is We truly feel we’ve landed on a special working relationship and determination to revive Auto & General as a true competitor in the insurance space
“Based on our relationship and par tnership to date, I would absolutely vouch for Halo as a desirable agency of choice for any marketer looking for dedication, senior input, availability, agility and the highest quality of creativity ”
Creatively, the agency punches well above its weight It is ranked fifth in South Africa’s 2024 interim creative rankings with a team averaging only 15 people Halo has been competing head-on with much larger agencies and creatively outperforming agencies 10, 20 or 30 times its size.
In the AdFocus review period it has been recognised at Cannes and was one of only two South African agencies in the challenging film categor y D& AD, One Show, Loeries, Ad of the Year, Ad of the Month, Bookmarks and Pendorings It recently entered an agency-record 75 entries across seven clients for the 2024 Loeries and had the third most finalists, with four at the Effie Awards (out of a total of just 27 finalists)
In 2023, Halo concluded a BEE transaction which saw 30% ownership of the agency transferred to black women A new hiring policy has ensured that 63% of
all new hires are black and 38% are black women It has also made significant investments in training and skills development of black staff and has provided bursaries to underprivileged black learners.
The agency has a goal to hire and retain the strongest concentration of talent seen in any agency in South Africa It likens its performance culture to that of an elite spor ts team, pointing out that most top-performing spor ts teams have fewer than 30 people, but employ only the best players or team members in each position Once the team grows to be more than 30 people, it’s time for a second team
Potential new hires are carefully vetted The No 1 attribute in new recruits is ambition; the second is attitude, including whether the individual will fit into the agency culture
The agency says it puts no time limit on hiring, knowing that the right person is exponentially more valuable while the
Halo acknowledges that burnout is the enemy of standout work, so staf f have unlimited leave
wrong person could be devastatingly costly Recruitment is an always-on activity for the Halo team
The agency admits that it probably takes longer than anyone to hire In some instances, it has taken up to 11 months to fill a position with the right person It recruits largely from word-of-mouth and networks and takes personal referrals ver y seriously In the absence of the right person, it would prefer to work with a network of senior freelancers to fill the gap rather than rush a hire
In an industr y where staff burnout is not uncommon, Halo’s approach to its people is unique New recruits are required to accept the Halo Code and document their one key goal for their time at the agency Salaries are competitive and bonuses are at the discretion of leadership Halo acknowledges that burnout is the enemy of standout work, so staff
have unlimited leave, in addition to three weeks in December when the agency closes They also have the option of working from home for three days a week. Ever y three months, the entire team logs off and enjoys an activity, day out or long lunch to get together.
In addition to using its profits to provide bonuses, the agency invests in international training oppor tunities During the AdFocus review period, 40% of staff had either just completed or were busy with international courses The agency invested more than R265,000 on training and development during the review period
Its own curated marketing event, Conspicuous, was an exclusive marketing event for marketers and special guests featuring the world’s top marketing speakers, including Mark Ritson, Nick Asbur y and Adam Morgan The agency made the content highlights from the event available to the broader industr y via LinkedIn
Agency representatives also contribute to various industr y bodies and awards shows including the ACA Creativity & Effectiveness Tribe, The One Show Boot Camp for young creatives, Loeries, Creative Circle, Bookmarks, Pendorings and AdFocus
The agency says at the ver y hear t of what it wants to do is produce creative effectiveness; standout work for brands with the type of work regular people talk about Its creative work is not only getting noticed, it’s also working for clients
Calling Halo a “standout in the small agency categor y” , the AdFocus judges said that after 14 years it has “claimed its rightful place among the ver y best agencies in South Africa, regardless of size A standout creative year led to significant growth In addition to the impact they have made on their clients’ businesses, they have also upped their stake in the thought leadership space, hosting Mark Ritson at their Conspicuous event in Franschhoek. Managing par tner Dean Oelschig sits on the ACA Creative Tribe, helping steer the conversation and actions around re-establishing the South African creative industr y as a world leader ”
The judges welcomed the fact that there is now another serious player in the local industr y, ready to challenge the more established agencies
Last year’s Small Agency of the Year, Retroviral, had another strong year The judges said it has car ved out an impor tant place in the local adver tising landscape
GROUP OF THE YEAR
Putting creativity centre stage led to top-quality results
The Group of the Year Award is given to the agency group that shows the best business performance as a group, demonstrating how its collection of companies represents the best in class grouping of agencies in South Africa. The judges pay attention to the performance of individual companies as well as the cohesion at a collective level, and how this enables agencies to deliver to clients
Ogilvy South Africa has been steadily reclaiming its dominant position since Pete Case, AdFocus Industr y Leader of the Year in 2023, became CEO in 2022 Last year, Ogilvy South Africa was a runner-up in this categor y, with the judges noting that the agency had produced some incredible work and commending it for its client retention The group’s momentum continued this year, leading to one of the best years in its histor y
In addition to recording its highest new business wins and profits in more than a decade, the agency put creativity at the centre of all its effor ts this year, and the result was clear in the quality of the work produced
It secured multiple new business opportunities, the most significant of which was rekindling the Vodacom par tnership after losing the business four years ago.
Ogilvy’s digital ser vices were relaunched as Ogilvy One, marking a distinct shift towards customer relationship management and relationship design, with revenue growing 30% Its adver tising division saw 33% growth in profit and in 2023 was named most creative agency of the year by the Loeries and most effective by the Effies Its PR and influence division grew by 65% , driven by retainer and project accounts
The agency recorded its highest new business wins and profits in more than a decade
Design Bridge & Par tners, par t of Ogilvy South Africa, continued to grow its international business, picking up work with global insurer Zurich, as well as one of the world’s largest logistics businesses, Brambles. It also launched the new corporate identity for the European Parliament
The C2 Hub was launched two years ago as a strategic initiative to showcase and expor t local talent to the global market The group has invested heavily in the hub to build systems and capability ahead of a long-term growth plan The unit secured new business valued at more than R90m in the past year which, conservatively, means it will be a R140m business in 2024 and a significant contributor to growth in the future This year C2 launched TK Lab, a first-of-its-kind centralised, end-to-end solution designed to help brands make a significant impact and connect with new audiences on TikTok
The group is using AI to create efficiencies across the business, including automating cer tain activities in its production
Ogilvy South Africa
processes to increase speed of output and reduce human error It also actively engages in AI-driven production of creative assets in the preproduction and ideation space, which has increased its speed to market and responses to briefs. In addition, the group is using AI-assisted tools to generate public-facing content, such as digital social content and full immersive content
Creatively, Ogilvy South Africa is back in force It was ranked the top South African agency for creativity at Cannes, The One Show, the Clio Awards, the Loeries and at the Creative Circle It’s also the top-ranking agency for direct marketing at the Assegai Awards, and was voted the No 1 agency to work with by clients MarkLives com awarded it the 2023 Agency of the Year title
Ogilvy invests more in the next generation of talent than any other agency, and boasts one of the largest graduate programmes in the industr y The agency is also heavily involved in the industr y Case is a member of the Association for Communication & Adver tising, and cochair of the Effies and Clios The agency is also represented on the Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council; the Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa; the Interactive Adver tising Bureau; EMEA Women in Leadership; the Assegai Awards; the Smar ties Awards; the Creative Circle; and the Global Adver tising Council, among others
The judges said: “This was the year Ogilvy South Africa rose once again to the top of both the Creative Circle and Loeries tables, in addition to winning two successive Cannes golds putting results alongside intent Pete Case was deser vedly named Industr y Leader of the Year in 2023, so this acknowledgment for the group should come as no real surprise Another hallmark of 2023/2024 is the return of Vodacom to the Ogilvy stable ”
Finalists in this categor y were TBWA South Africa and M&C Saatchi Abel.
The judges said TBWA’s agencies delivered strong results “At midyear, TBWA was the top-ranked creative agency in the interim Creative Circle rankings Had it not been for the loss of MTN earlier in the year, it may well have been its year again, such is its resilience ”
This was a big year for M&C Saatchi Abel, now South Africa’s largest independent group The judges unanimously praised the management buyout for its ambition and belief in South Africa Once again, a ver y wor thy finalist
LARGE AGENCY OF THE YEAR AND TRANSFORMATION AWARDS
Joe Public continues to set the benchmark for transformation and earns high praise from judges
For the second consecutive year, Joe Public wins both the Large Agency of the Year categor y and the Transformation Award The judges commended Joe Public for being the only agency on show in this categor y to score highly across the board They were also impressed with Joe Public returning to its takeaway roots as it innovates around the commercial model that has vexed, and continues to vex, the industr y
“This was another brilliant creative year for Joe Public , suppor ted by strong organic growth A well-deser ved acknowledgment for yet another stellar year for Team Joe,” said the judges
The agency has worked hard to find a solution for diminishing product and profit as a result of inefficient ways of working. It has reintroduced the concept
Their abilit y to achieve their transformation goals both through large -scale transactions as well as bot tom-up talent development is hugely impressive.
— AdFocus judges
of Takeaway Adver tising, bringing what it calls “haute cuisine adver tising” to its clients, by taking away aspects of the current laborious process Takeaway Adver tising is essentially a menu-based system that pays the agency for its thinking rather than for its time, with one rever t per concept delivered In the past year, the agency has delivered four takeaway campaigns to Chicken Licken, two to Nedbank and one to South African Breweries, resulting in a direct, positive impact on its margins
Creatively, the agency continues to deliver It was the second most highly ranked agency at the 2023 Loerie Awards and the highest-ranking agency at the Pendoring Awards, the latter for the third consecutive year.
Its top 10 clients account for 80% of its revenue. Its five largest clients are Nedbank, Cell C , Chicken Licken, SAB (AB InBev) and Clover (which has been a client for 21 years)
Formal relationship reviews are conducted with its largest clients In the period under review, Joe Public scored an average of 85%
A purpose-driven agency, Joe’s higher purpose is to grow its people, its clients and the countr y through the power of creativity This purpose is key to its culture and key to why people choose to work at the agency
For the second year running, Joe Public won the Culture Award in the MarkLives Agency Leaders 2023 poll and the Best Agency to Work For in South Africa by Scopen in its 2022/2023 repor t
Staff churn of 7% is well below the industr y norm It is a by-product of a robust
retention strategy which includes growth and promotion from within, training and coaching, leadership development, employee benefits and self-management through the tracking of personal growth. The agency invests more than R7m a year in various development initiatives through its School of Growth
Joe Public continues to set the industr y benchmark for transformation In 2021, 60% of the business was acquired by a black private equity investment firm and a management buyout, making Joe Public the largest independent, majority black-owned agency in South Africa
A deep-seated belief that diversity is the cornerstone of creativity means the agency has remained committed to the ongoing journey of transformation, through the training and development of its people The agency has its own inhouse qualified growth coach and in-
vested nearly R6m on skills development and training. Its School of Growth, an accredited MICT Seta training institute, facilitates the personal and professional growth and development of staff and clients
Joe Public continues to show the way when it comes to transformation, noted the judges “Their much-praised equity deal remains an industr y best Their ability to achieve their transformation goals both through large-scale transactions as well as bottom-up talent development is hugely impressive,” they said
This year the agency launched Joe Public London
There were two finalists in this year’s Large Agency categor y The judges noted that M&C Saatchi Abel has forged strong relationships with clients while its management buyout of M&C Saatchi is a
bold and brave commercial move, both hallmarks of this agency. It won the MTN account in the process, a defining win for the agency.
TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris\ Joburg is a creative powerhouse with a strong legacy Its ability to navigate what could be catastrophic at worst, traumatic at best for most agencies after losing the MTN account tells a stor y of its attitude, character and resilience It was the only local agency to win at Cannes this year
Ogilvy South Africa was the only finalist in the Transformation categor y The agency, which conducted its first empowerment deal in 1999, achieved more than 51% black staff ownership by 2019 It makes a concer ted effor t to develop the careers of black staff members and has made significant investments in developing youth and emerging talent through its graduate programme
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Joe Public makes it a double again
MEDIUM AGENCY OF THE YEAR
The Odd Number set out to ‘liberate’ itself and has acquired many new clients while also working to look after its employees
The past year has been a good one for The Odd Number, which is this year’s Medium Agency of the Year
The judges said this was a well-deser ved win from an agency that has consistently punched above its weight creatively “The Odd Number consistently produces work of a world-class standard,” they said Its creative output was accompanied by revenue growth of 96% A number of new account gains meant the agency increased it’s staff, growing its headcount from 32 to 54 full-time staff members during the period under review
Not only has the agency had its strongest year yet from a financial perspective, but creatively it ranked as the No 1 mediumsized agency at the Loeries Awards, where it won its second grand prix It has retained its top five agency ranking among the leading medium-sized agencies in the Africa and Middle East Region over the past three years
Since inception, The Odd Number has been driven to change the negative narrative associated with black-owned agencies and to prove that a 100% blackowned agency can compete creatively among its peers, locally and internationally What it did not expect were some of the challenges it would face along its journey, including a pandemic , as well as the critical shift in mindset and the operational approach that came with becoming a medium-sized agency
The agency struggled in the immediate aftermath of Covid and had to make retrenchments Without a pipeline, the business was in crisis The arduous process of building it up again commenced with defining what the agency stood for This was summed up in a simple but powerful sentiment, “liberation”
The agency explains that its purpose was to liberate itself and its thinking, as well as that of its clients and the brands it
worked on This year, liberation has been experienced in full swing It acquired TymeBank, Momentum Group, M-Kopa and Tanzanian Breweries, Excella Cooking Oil, Jumbo Cash & Carr y, Parmalat, Strawberr y Lips and Coco-Rico, Converse, Sky Distribution and Sasol Delight
The judges commended the agency for using its creative identity to create thinking that points the way towards a uniquely South African tone of work but that still manages to stand out globally
Its approach to its people is centred on creating a suppor tive, rewarding and innovative work environment and which prioritises mental wellness Its annual leave policy is unusual in the industr y, offering annual leave that doesn’t affect the standard leave allocation. Employees are encouraged to use their leave throughout the year, with the added benefit of bonus leave days during the festive period The agency says this approach reinforces its commitment to a balanced lifestyle and acknowledges the impor tance of mental and physical rest Each month, staff also get a dedicated “Odd Day Off ” for rest and self-care
The agency has established a management committee consisting of five managers who have been earmarked as the future leaders of the business
The agency launched a new positioning
Since inception, The Odd Number has been driven to change the negative narrative associated with black-owned agencies and to prove that a 100% black-owned agency can compete creatively
The Odd Number
campaign on behalf of Budget Insurance
Titled “Bad Things Happen to Good South Africans” , the campaign connected strongly with price-sensitive consumers and turned shor t-term insurance categor y tropes on its head.
It also launched a new brand campaign for Game, and a completely new promotional day known as Halfway Day, a day right in the middle of the year Halfway Day has been so successful that it has been adopted by the entire Massmar t Group On that day alone, Game had an uplift of 109% in total sales
In the past year the agency added three accounts to its roster: TymeBank, Masscash and Momentum Interestingly, none of these new accounts was won through a creative pitch, but rather through client par tners who bought into the agency’s business philosophy
Chief creative officer Sbu Sitole ser ved his final year as Loeries chair, helping to revive the awards show and bring back the spark As par t of its contribution to the industr y, the agency launched the new and current Loeries campaign pro bono
There were two finalists in this categor y: last year’s winner, Grid Worldwide Branding & Design, and Ogilvy Cape Town Grid, a pre-eminent brand agency in South Africa, has brought innovation and purpose to the hear t of what it does The agency once again delivered strong work and solid client par tnerships
The judges commended Ogilvy Cape Town for a strong creative and commercial year and said it was wonderful to see this iconic agency reclaim its rightful place among South Africa’s best The strength of its par tnerships, par ticularly with SAB and Volkswagen, continues to be industr y-leading Vicki Buys and Camilla Clerke’s par tnership drew strong praise from the judges
MEDIA AGENCY OF THE YEAR
The MediaShop’s approach is built on empowering people, fostering an inclusive culture and driving impactful change
The MediaShop, under the brilliant leadership of Chris Botha, remains a juggernaut in the media industr y and an indisputable powerhouse After winning this categor y last year on the back of impressive billing and revenue growth, the agency has had another excellent year, growing revenue by 15% well ahead of inflation and winning attractive new business including the high-
Its data-driven approach and creative exper tise enable it to deliver measurable grow th and return on investment
To read the full repor t , scan the QR code.
Dashni Vilakazi, MD, The MediaShop Johannesburg
profile Telkom account and L’Oréal Kenya and Nigeria, a digital client L’Oréal has been a long-standing client of the agency and is now entrusting it with more work in Africa It also added PG Glass, Henkel, Milady’s and Playtex to its client roster, all midsized accounts where it believes it can make a difference
Its five largest accounts are Shoprite, Famous Brands, Nedbank, L’Oréal and Telkom With the exception of the recently acquired Telkom account, these are also the agency’s longest-standing clients Shoprite has been a client for a remarkable 24 years, Nando’s for 19 years, Famous Brands for 14 years, Nedbank for nine years and L’Oréal for eight Shoprite gives the agency a client relationship score of 90% , a significant achievement given a more than two-decade relationship.
The agency says it has made innovation a cornerstone in the past year, setting new benchmarks It has leveraged cuttingedge technology, advanced analytics and fresh creative thinking to redefine how channels innovate for clients These effor ts have already resulted in the agency being shor tlisted for innovative media work Innovations include pioneering new formats in digital, out of home, television cost per audience ef-
ficiencies and programmatic adver tising, as well as integrating AI-driven insights into many of its insights in the macro media landscape and personalised content strategies
What ensures that The MediaShop stands out is a data-driven approach and creative exper tise which enable the agency to deliver measurable growth and return on investment Hyperlocal strategies for its many South African brands resonate powerfully with audiences
The agency has also done well from an awards perspective, winning Most Awards in 2023, an Assegai Award for Nedbank and a Marketing Achievement Award for Debonairs
The agency says at the hear t of its success is its people Its transformation strategy is not just a policy but a core par t of its DNA that drives how it operates, innovates and grows Its approach is built on three pillars: empowering people, fostering an inclusive culture and driving impactful change In the past year, the agency spent more than R3m on external training and development Its commitment to the growth and development of its people has resulted in high employee satisfaction and retention rates, while its client-first philosophy has built enduring par tnerships based on trust, transparency and mutual respect
Agency representatives sit on a number of award juries including the Cannes Lions adver tising festival and the Effie Awards. In addition, agency representatives sit on the boards of industr y bodies such as the AMF and ABC
Beyond the world of media, the agency also actively suppor ts social and environmental causes, integrating purposedriven initiatives into its work and making a difference in the communities it ser ves From launching campaigns that promote diversity and inclusion to par ticipating in sustainability projects, it has shown that it is an agency with a conscience
The AdFocus judges
commended The MediaShop for always innovating and doubling down on what is right for its clients “The agency stands as a model for all to follow beyond the agency media landscape ”
The MediaShop was a hot contender for Agency of the Year this year an accolade that cer tainly wouldn’t have been out of place had it walked away with top honours, commented the judges
Finalists in this categor y are Juno Media, par t of the United Growth Group which includes Joe Public , and Publicis
Previously Joe Public ’s in-house media division, Juno Media launched as an independent media agency in 2022 The agency, which grew its revenue 22% in the period under review, is regarded as a different kind of media agency, with strengths in research, strategic planning and digital and creative media
Publicis also had a good year, achieving revenue growth of more than 30% in the period under review and adding 20 new employees to the team The agency has committed more than $3 5m to research and data investments in its African agencies over the next three years
Arisha Saroop, MD, The MediaShop Durban
Bonita Bachmann, MD, The MediaShop Cape Town
PARTNERSHIP OF THE YEAR
The two-decades-old relationship between Ogilvy South Africa and KFC has survived many changes and upheavals to win this accolade
Ogilvy
’s bold and innovative work has played a key role in our success, consistently delivering impact ful results and helping us gain recognition locally and globally.
Grant Macpherson
Though long-standing par tnerships between clients and agencies can provide great results, it is not the length of time that determines this award It is given because the par tnership was a continuation of success rather than a spike Ultimately what the judges are looking for is a relationship with proven, continued results
Last year this award went to Ogilvy South Africa and Carling Black Label This year it goes to Ogilvy South Africa and KFC The judges noted that this was a brilliant year for both par ties
“The relationship between Ogilvy South Africa and KFC dates back more than 20 years The success of the par tnership is testament to the benefits of institutional knowledge married to current relevance This was a fantastic year for this par tnership, helping to drive Ogilvy back to the top of the Loeries and Creative Circle rankings,” said the judges
KFC and Ogilvy tied the knot in 2002 It’s
been a monogamous relationship, with a shared goal to build and maintain the brand’s market leadership Central to this partnership has been a single-minded pursuit to own the iconic taste of KFC, based on the idea that when you own the core category benefit, you claim the market.
In the early days the brand reinforced its taste narrative with the iconic “11 herbs and spices” It then built its taste credentials to penetrate the mass market with deeply nuanced cultural truths, including its Streetwise value proposition, and even extended beyond chicken to novel formats that brought signature recipes and unique flavour pairings to traditional products such as desser ts, beverages and snacks
In an unprecedented move at the time, the brand gave taste a higher purpose with the Add Hope initiative, tackling hunger by feeding those who couldn’t feed themselves It went on to capture the nostalgia of its taste by introducing the Original Recipe taste to new markets across Africa, and drove brand appetite with “lick-the-screen” retail, tapping into hearts, minds, mouths and wallets
The problem with a brand being a categor y leader is that its size can become its Achilles heel By 2021, KFC ’s “taste” strength had become a weakness, with production issues and consistency within franchises becoming harder to maintain, leading to the brand suffering reputational damage and diminishing quality perceptions
This was worsened by the onslaught of Covid, which limited the brand’s ability to use its famous “Finger Lickin’ Good” taste line or images of people licking their fingers During this time, the brand diluted its taste messaging and lost the attention of its core audience, focusing predominantly on hard-sell product and price messaging. Taste satisfaction levels quickly declined and a younger generation of consumers saw KFC as their parents’ brand All this while competitors were upping the creative ante in the taste stakes
A renewed creative and strategic direction was clearly required KFC put the account out to pitch and, despite agencies such as Mother in London being involved, Ogilvy South Africa stood out and was re- awarded the business
As the par tnership reimagined the
boundaries and tradition of KFC ’s taste promise in a new light, it made a new commitment to the brand’s DNA
Food quality production was improved and a new taste guarantee was introduced. KFC even romanced its taste by proving how some “Will Do Anything for the Taste” with the telling of a great brand epic of a crafty customer pretending to be a KFC employee to get his hands on KFC
To challenge perceptions, encourage innovation and showcase KFC ’s relevance across different mealtimes, the menu was modernised and limited-time offers were made
Products were not only launched in store but also in the streets and in culture This was cemented with a flagship concept store in Jozi’s youth hotspot in Braamfontein as a youthful food hub where innovation meets culture
KFC ’s breakfast offering was rebooted; consumers were encouraged to eat chicken for breakfast By using stor ytelling that broke all the rules, the campaign contributed to a 70% increase in sales, a huge 130% above target
has been ranked the No 1 quick-ser vice restaurant brand, grown sales 36% and built 86 new stores KFC South Africa has been the biggest market globally in terms of sales for the past two years.
KFC chief marketing officer Grant Macpherson says: “Since par tnering with Ogilvy, our shared focus has been on maintaining KFC ’s market leadership by emphasising the brand’s iconic taste This strong collaboration has allowed us to push creative boundaries and achieve significant business growth, while continuing to grow our position as the No 1 quick-ser vice restaurant in the countr y Ogilvy’s bold and innovative work has played a key role in our success, consistently delivering impactful results and helping us gain recognition locally and globally Ultimately the strength of our par tnership has been our greatest achievement ”
Johanna McDowell, the managing par tner of Scopen Africa and CEO of the Independent Agency Search & Selection Company (IAS), the sponsor of the Par tnership of the Year Award, says exceptional work is possible only when there is a strong relationship based on trust and integrity “KFC and Ogilvy have built a true par tnership that has stood the test of repitching for the business and has delivered the brilliant work that KFC has been able to rely on and that achieves great results The innovation in creativity has been ver y evident in the work seen in the past 12 months in par ticular ”
One of KFC ’s most significant campaigns of the past year was MakeItKFC , which aimed to get South African youth to rethink KFC ’s taste by inviting them to share their favourite dishes, which KFC then transformed into unique creations.
By engaging with this elusive and sceptical audience, KFC succeeded in capturing the attention of the youth and meeting their demand for constant innovation and excitement to keep the brand relevant The campaign had an exceptional effect on business, with a 25:1 return on investment, while earning a 100% positive sentiment in online publications and broadcasts
Since the creative reset in 2021, the brand
Ogilvy South Africa’s par tnership with Volkswagen (VW) was a finalist in this categor y The par tnership is one of the longest and most successful client-agency relationships in South Africa and is the envy of other automotive manufacturers and agencies “It’s surprising that they did not submit an entr y for this award previously, but we are so glad that they have [done so now],” says McDowell. “Their work over the years has proved to be highly successful, and while this year the automotive sector faces major challenges globally and locally from the ‘Asian invasion’ , the Volkswagen South Africa and Ogilvy teams are committed to a level of creative work designed to bring growth in market share for the brand The outputs in the past 12 months have been par ticularly inspiring ”
The judges commented that the par tnership between Ogilvy and VW is one of the most celebrated in South Africa “This more than fourdecade-old par tnership has seen the VW brand work its way into the
hear ts of South Africans across the countr y Despite its tenure, the relationship retains the energy and vitality of newlyweds, and credit must go to both agency and client for working hard to retain this. To many, this relationship is the standard bearer of an effective clientagency relationship.”
Magna Car ta’s relationship with MTN was another finalist in this categor y McDowell says: “I was really happy to see that this agency was one of the finalists, as I wanted the judges to look fur ther than the relationships between adver tising agencies and their clients What is striking about this relationship is the quality of the interaction and the reliance by the client on the strong reputational suppor t that Magna Car ta can provide The agency is clearly adept at responding to crisis situations and has the strategic ability to help MTN build its reputation locally and globally ”
The AdFocus judges commented that Magna Car ta’s work with MTN is industr y leading, in a categor y that demands much of both agency and client “Some brilliant results delivered across multiple campaigns are testament to this union ”
The par tnership between TBWACoastal and Spar rounds off the list of finalists in this categor y “Again, another long and creatively productive relationship, in which true par tnership continues to flourish This is a highly competitive retail sector and yet the par tnership has managed to create adver tising that builds the brand and produces the weekly results that keep the tills jangling What always strikes me about this relationship is the depth of commitment on both sides and the ability of TBWA to build capabilities for the client that ensure that Spar stays ahead of the pack,” says McDowell
The judges noted that the TBWACoastal and Spar par tnership was the recipient of the first ever Par tnership of the Year Award “This 53-year old par tnership has endured numerous management changes at Spar. The fast-paced nature of retail and the fact that TBWA appears to have deepened the par tnership through this period is testament to the strength of the relationship ”
The last word goes to Luca Gallarelli, the 2024 AdFocus jur y chair: “This year there were some incredible par tnerships on show, each representing the ver y best of what we should all aspire to All credit to Ogilvy and KFC for rising to the top ”
SPECIALISED AGENCY OF THE YEAR
As a ‘passion agency’ , Levergy is driven by finding smarter solutions for clients’ business challenges
Levergy continues its winning streak! This is the third consecutive year that Levergy, par t of the M&C Saatchi Abel Group, has won this award, and the four th consecutive year that it has been an AdFocus winner after winning the Adaptability Award in 2021
The agency grew its revenue 12% in the past year and lost no accounts Its new accounts include Mkuru, SuperSpor tBet, SA20 and Showmax Its largest accounts are Nedbank, Telkom, SuperSpor t, New Balance and Energade Its longest-standing cli-
Their work, par tnerships and innovation in the world of sponsorship is hugely compelling.
AdFocus judges
ents are MultiChoice (12 years), New Balance (10 years), Energade (six years), Nedbank (six years) and Telkom (four years)
Two years ago, Levergy shifted from a pure spor t sponsorship and enter tainment agency to an agency that specialises in creating brand connections with a target audience to attract new business more broadly The agency calls itself a “passion agency” , explaining that ever ything it does is driven by pushing boundaries and finding smar ter, more effective solutions for clients’ business challenges
In many respects, Levergy is redefining its categor y The agency commissioned its own qualitative research study, Passion Pulse, in response to what it says are outdated insights on consumer passions Passion Pulse used the world’s largest first-par ty data platform to extract the nuances around things that matter to Mzansi. The agency also leverages AI to tap into real-time audience passions. It uses advanced tools to gain insights into what people say, do and feel, and then uses AI to test ideas and refine its approach to accelerate the research process
Levergy’s belief that culture and passions provide the best meeting points
for brands and their audiences has proved to be accurate In the period under review, the agency was nominated for 72 awards and conver ted 36 Last year was the agency’s best awards performance to date, but this year it improved on that previous best by 44%
It competes and wins across channels and disciplines In the past year its relentless pursuit of effective creative solutions was recognised across awards platforms that emphasise results and returns It won 12 awards (out of 16 nominations) in the Marketing Achievement Awards, Assegai Awards and Effie Awards, and this year became the first South African agency to win gold at WARC , in association with Cannes Lions, for its work on Telkom’s Stand Tall
At the 2023 New Generation Awards it won three gold awards, two silvers and a bronze, the most wins from an agency in its sector.
Four designers have been upskilled in the use of AI-powered image generation This has allowed the agency to produce striking authentic campaign visuals The benefit of AIpowered image generation is that it cuts costs and speeds up delivery, allowing the agency to create imagery around anything that captures people’s hearts, from lifestyle imagery to bringing experiential moments to life to life Leveraging AI, content is created quickly and efficiently
An online influencer marketing program analyses data, content and performance to identify the right creators for each brand
The judges commented on Levergy’s win: “Their work, par tnerships and innovation in the world of sponsorship or passions as they refer to it is hugely compelling ”
The finalists in this categor y are Playmakers, Social Lab and TBWA Coastal The judges noted that this year’s finalists delivered some interesting entries, some coming closer to Levergy than in previous years For 2024 , however, this award belongs to Levergy yet again
Struan Campbell CEO, Levergy
Melissa Daniels MD, Levergy
PUBLIC RELATIONS AGENCY OF THE YEAR
Since its inception 30 years ago, Magna Car ta has been a pacesetter in the local public relations industr y, evolving with the times while retaining its core mission: helping brands lead through effective communication It has also adapted to industr y shifts with precision, creativity and purpose
Last year Magna Car ta was a finalist in this categor y after a strong year from a new business perspective with the judges noting that the agency was clearly making a return to being a PR powerhouse This year the agency continued its growth trajector y, growing revenue by 35 9% Less than 10% of its revenue growth was from new clients
Its work was recognised in several industr y awards including the 2023 Prism Awards, where it won five gold awards, two silvers and two bronzes; the international Sabre Awards where it won, among others, a platinum Sabre Best in Show; and the 2023 World PR & Communications Awards, where it won the Best Public Ser vice campaign for the MTN Group.
The judges said this was “an incredibly strong year where its work and commercial acumen shone, a testament to strong leadership and client stability Flying the flag both locally and internationally, the agency should feel proud of its achievements ”
At the hear t of the agency’s success is its understanding of communication as a dynamic , evolving force in a constantly shifting landscape
One of its strengths is its ability to amplify brand communication by injecting creativity, relevance and meaning The agency’s approach isn’t about just staying on the pulse of cultural trends but rather about being the pulse, ensuring that the brands it ser ves resonate with the people
they are meant to reach
In the past year the agency invested more than R800,000 in training and development, including sending some employees to the prestigious TBWAGlobal Training Academy in Madrid Staff also have access to world-class training resources through the Omnicom and TBWA networks
It’s no small feat that its biggest accounts are also its longest-standing Clicks, for example, has been a client for 14 years, Allan Gray for nine years, MTN South Africa for seven years and Old Mutual Ltd for six years
The agency says the strength of its client relationships lies in meeting its targets and key performance indicators, as well as in the ongoing value it delivers for its client brands. Regular informal temperature checks are conducted with clients to ensure that any flags, questions or concerns are quickly raised and managed
Magna Car ta’s work with MTN contributed to the telecoms provider being named the most valuable brand in Africa for the fifth consecutive year, according to Brand Finance’s 2024 ranking repor t Its work for the Spar Group saw the
After being a finalist in this category last year, this is finally Magna Carta’s moment
Moliehi Molekoa MD, Magna Carta Public Relations
retailer placed in the top 10 in 2024 , alongside Standard Bank Old Mutual moved from seventh in 2023 to second in 2024
The agency understands that diverse voices build stronger, more resilient organisations A level 1 BBBEE organisation, it is 51% black-owned and a 36% black women-owned agency Describing itself as a cultural architect, Magna Car ta believes it has successfully created a space where ever yone, regardless of background, can thrive
One of the agency’s greatest strengths is its ability to interpret and anticipate cultural currents, and create long-term sustainable value for clients by fostering meaningful connections with stakeholders. This not only drives brand awareness but also unlocks oppor tunities for business growth. The agency excels at helping its clients manage risk, innovate for growth and build robust reputations all while generating positive, impactful publicity
What sets the agency apar t is its ability to blend strategy, creativity and flawless execution into campaigns that resonate, creating real change and delivering measurable results It’s not just about the creative spark but about ensuring that
spark leads to tangible success
Its reputation for creative and strategic PR has established it as a leader in the industr y, par tnering with some of South Africa’s most valuable brands The agency’s strength lies in its ability to offer clients integrated perspectives that bring together sector exper tise, stakeholder insights, creative strategy, and the agility to execute By doing so consistently over time, Magna Car ta builds brand equity and fosters deep, enduring relationships with its clients
Magna Car ta’s reach extends beyond South Africa, positioning itself as a thought leader across the continent The 2023 launch of the inaugural “Africa PR & Communications Repor t” , in par tnership with Black House Media, is testament to the agency’s commitment to innovating within the industr y. The repor t is a comprehensive study of PR trends across the continent, providing in-depth insights that help clients navigate the complexities of Africa’s diverse media landscape, unlocking new oppor tunities for growth
The other finalist in this categor y was Tribeca It had an impressive year, winning 11 new retainer clients across a diverse range of industries
The Magna Carta team with Jacqui O’Sullivan and Leigh-Ann Chetty of MTN
SHAPESHIFTER OF THE YEAR
How Neil Schreuder is revolutionising retail
Personalisation is the future of retail. Shoprite was the first retailer globally to deliver personalised of fers via WhatsApp.
— Neil Schreuder
In ancient mythology, a shapeshifter is somebody with the ability to change their physical form at will The most successful marketers today are increasingly adopting the traits and embodying the principles of the shapeshifter, with an innate ability to find new ways to understand and engage with consumers
This year’s Shapeshifter of the Year is Neil Schreuder, chief strategy and innovation officer for the Shoprite Group and MD of ShopriteX The latter is Shoprite’s digital innovation unit which fuses data, technology and talent to create a smar ter Shoprite, able to provide enhanced and personalised customer experiences.
The judges commented that Schreuder has been quietly going about revolutionising retail in South Africa for more than two decades “Though he is not someone who seeks recognition, his work cer tainly demands it Thrust into the head of marketing role at Shoprite Group at a young age, Neil thrived before moving to establish a tech and data practice at the hear t of the group as chief strategy and innovation officer, fostering a culture of exploration and innovation Sixty60 stands as an incredible initiative developed under his watch A true shapeshifter in terms of his ability to evolve in his career, and one who has shape-shifted an entire categor y This award is a wonderful acknowledgment for an incredibly well-deser ving recipient.”
ShopriteX represents the group’s investment in fit-for-the-future precision retail and is par t of the group’s strategy to grow its ecosystem of value for consumers and monetise new and diverse revenue streams The unit is staffed with software and machine-learning engineers and data scientists Among other things, ShopriteX enables the company’s Sixty60 deliver y ser vice, its Xtra Savings rewards programme and a retail media network called Rainmaker
Schreuder is responsible for customer strategy and digital transformation at Shoprite, tasked with driving a more customer-centric culture in the organisation using data and creating personalised experiences for the group’s 31-million consumers
With consumer technology at its core, his role focuses on disruptive changes affecting grocer y retail and unlocking alternative sources of revenue through media and data monetisation
The growth trajector y of the Shoprite Group in recent years has been extraordinar y as it continues to dominate the local grocer y market
One of the reasons for its success is an obsession with the performance and satisfaction dynamic Schreuder says one of the secrets to its success is closed-loop measurement, track-
ing what consumers are purchasing in stores and online
One of the group’s most successful innovations is its on-demand grocer y deliver y app, the multi-award-winning Sixty60, which pioneered one-hour grocer y deliver y in South Africa. By the time of the first lockdown in 2020, Sixty60 had been rolled out in just nine stores The group quickly scaled up the platform, which has gone on to enjoy unprecedented success
Today, the group owns a 75% share of the online grocer y market It has expanded the number of stores used to fulfil Sixty60 orders to 539, from 466 a year ago Shoprite says the number of deliveries made by Checkers Sixty60 grew sales by 58% in the 52 weeks to June 30 2024 and the average deliver y time has fallen from 42 minutes in 2022 to 33 minutes last year, with more than 94% of deliveries made on time
Schreuder says Sixty60 is the most disruptive thing that’s happened to food retail in the past four decades He rightly points out that it wouldn’t have gone ahead had the business not been focused on better ser ving customers, putting their needs at the forefront of ever y business decision
The trick, says Schreuder, is bringing the physical store and the digital experience together “The success of Sixty60 lies not only in the technology and user experience online, but also in the back-end integration with Checkers supermarkets,” he says “It is the relentless hard work of our in-store employees who are committed to making our customers happy, whether they shop via Sixty60 or in one of our supermarkets ”
Sixty60 was initially imagined as a “forecour t in your pocket” , with about 500 products Today it offers more than 20,000 grocer y and 10,000 general merchandise lines, after the recent launch of Sixty60’s new app, which combines grocer y deliveries with larger household goods and accessories as well as alcohol still all delivered within 60 minutes. Schreuder says Sixty60 is doing 180 times its best five-year business case scenario
Another hugely successful innovation was the launch of the Xtra Savings rewards programme Though Shoprite was late to the loyalty game as the last of the large grocer y retailers to launch a rewards programme, it had last-mover advantage A million people signed up to the programme within 72 hours of its launch Today, Xtra Savings is the largest rewards programme in South Africa, with more than 31-million members
Its success relies on hyperpersonalisation, with the app suggesting products that the shopper normally buys but may have forgotten. Using machine learning, the app is also able to suggest purchases such as chewing gum if garlic is already in the basket. The group sends out more than 60-million personalised and unique offers ever y month “Personalisation is the future of retail,” says Schreuder “Shoprite was the first retailer globally to deliver personalised offers via WhatsApp ”
Machine learning and AI are playing an increasingly prominent role in both the customer-facing and operational aspects of the retail sector, with AI-driven analytics helping retailers to predict trends, optimise inventor y and reduce waste
Xtra Savings was named the Best
By harnessing the power of technology we’re driving innovation to stay at the forefront of an ever-changing retail landscape and, most impor tantly, to enhance customer satisfaction.
—
Shoprite CEO Pieter Engelbrech t
Programme of the Year, for the four th consecutive year, at the 2024 South African Loyalty Awards More recently, Xtra Savings was named the Best Rewards Programme in Africa while Xtra Savings Plus received the award for the Best Loyalty Launch or Initiative globally for its new unlimited deliver y offers at the 2024 International Loyalty Awards Xtra Savings Plus is a monthly subscription service that provides members with unlimited Sixty60 grocer y deliveries, a 10% extra in-store discount once a month and double personalised offers in store and online.
Judges at the International Loyalty Awards noted that grocer y is a challenging categor y with thin margins To
create a subscription programme that guarantees value is a big statement but Shoprite pulls it off They said there is evidence that creativity has been introduced across the programme through the introduction of the Xtra Savings Plus model, funeral cover, green bag and Sixty60. “This was a strong submission in a highly competitive categor y.”
Schreuder says though technology and algorithms are impor tant, the most critical element is people
Innovating at pace in a large corporate, he says, has less to do with the cuttingedge code, the slick UX or even the AI models running behind the system Rather it is mostly down to people and culture “As a team, Shoprite has dared to dream of a future with less friction for customers Countless failures have taught us how to deliver excellence at scale Ever y new project aims to deliver solutions that elevate the business and ultimately better ser ve our customers ”
Shoprite CEO Pieter Engelbrecht agrees, adding that the most impor tant aspect of the group’s success is a culture that stimulates creativity and ideas “By harnessing the power of technology we’re driving innovation to stay at the forefront of an ever-changing retail landscape and, most impor tantly, to enhance customer satisfaction ”
The local grocer y sector has faced challenges in recent years with costs and margins a top priority amid low economic growth, high unemployment and interest rates and inflation However, according to McKinsey’s “The State of Grocer y Retail 2024” repor t, there are signs of a turnaround While consumers continue to search for value, they are more likely than before to trade up The repor t notes a rising demand for convenience, with more shoppers turning to online channels More than a quar ter of South African consumers said they intend to increase their grocer y spend online in 2024 .
Shoprite is working hard to tap into the often overlooked and frequently undervalued mass market and to solve realworld problems, says Schreuder. It was the first grocer y retailer, for example, to offer free funeral cover to consumers who shopped in-store four times a month
As the battle for market share between grocer y retailers continues, the Shoprite Group has positioned itself ver y favourably Checkers is successfully pushing into the premium grocer y retail market, traditionally dominated by Woolwor ths
What is clear is that neither the group nor Schreuder is missing a trick
INDUSTRY LEADER OF THE YEAR
Khensani Nobanda, group executive for marketing and corporate affairs at Nedbank, is this year’s AdFocus Industr y Leader of the Year This is not the first time that Nobanda has received this award she previously won it in 2021
That year AdFocus wrote that Nobanda was “an extraordinar y marketer with a track record to prove her capability” That is no less true today than it was then
The judges made the unprecedented decision to crown her the industr y leader for the second time, pointing out that if agencies can win on multiple occasions, industr y leaders should also be able to
“In a year when we have acknowledged that the work has not been where it should be, and in a year that follows more of the same, Khensani relentlessly sought to push our industr y for ward on any platform offered One of the most vocal advocates for creativity as a lever for commercial impact, she has put her money where her mouth is The work developed on Nedbank under her stewardship has been industr y leading, while the par tnership forged with Joe Public is the envy of many This year required industr y professionals, par ticularly clients, to stand up and unashamedly champion creativity And this is why Khensani is a well deser ving recipient of this award for a second time,” says AdFocus jur y chair Luca Gallarelli
AdFocus is not the only awards platform to have recognised Nobanda in recent years In 2022 she was named the MarkLives com marketer of the year and in 2023 she was named Scopen’s most admired marketer
What has always set her apar t is her genuine love for marketing She discovered marketing while studying information systems which she hated after being persuaded to give it a tr y. And she fell in love with the discipline. “I knew in my ver y first class that this is what I wanted to do with my career,” she recalls.
Before joining Nedbank, her career spanned stints at Unilever, Diageo, SAB and Vodacom One of the most significant career lessons was learnt while she was running the skin categor y for Unilever in Africa, the Middle East and Türkiye “One of my biggest lessons was that brands need to show up differently in different markets,” she recalls It’s a lesson she took to hear t A year after launching Pond’s in the Gulf market, the brand had a 10% market share in the region Her stint in
the Middle East remains one of her career highlights
She joined Nedbank in 2017 as the executive in charge of marketing One of the conditions she insisted on before joining the bank was that she refused to enter tain what she calls “vanilla adver tising” and that her marketing team would be focused on long-term brand building
Under her leadership, Nedbank has cultivated a diverse and talented marketing team, driving innovative campaigns that resonate with South Africans A standout achievement was winning a prestigious Loerie Grand Prix in 2022, a rarity in the banking industr y, for a campaign called “Money Secrets” in par tnership with Joe Public
The idea behind the campaign was to open up conversations about money Originally called “Confessions” , it promoted the idea that you have to understand money to manage it better
“The campaign addressed real-world challenges faced by South Africans such as overspending, business failure and financial anxiety, and aligned perfectly with our brand proposition of being money exper ts who do good,” she says
Mike Brown, the Nedbank CEO at the time, loved the idea but was concerned that the name “Confessions” had a religious connotation and suggested changing it to “Money Secrets” . Despite concerns from some Nedbank executives that the campaign would harm the brand, Nobanda decided to trust her instinct and ran with it The rest is histor y
The success of the campaign solidified Nedbank’s commitment to creative and impactful adver tising
It was at Nobanda’s insistence that Nedbank continued to show up as a brand during the Covid hard lockdown, as she recognised the long-term consequences of going dark This decision proved wise, as Nedbank tracked well in the first three months of the pandemic at a time when many brands were not as for tunate
“As a marketer it’s impor tant that you are prepared to take risks but also that you trust your instincts,” says Nobanda “When your instincts suggest that a campaign won’t resonate, you have to be confident enough to say no to your agency ”
In commemoration of Youth Month this year, Nedbank and Joe Public launched an emotional campaign honouring the
class of 1976 Tackling a sensitive issue, Nobanda concedes that “you never really know how work like this will land Fortunately, it landed really well Brave work like this is reflective of the par tnership that we have with Joe Public ”
Beyond the bank’s official procurement contract with its lead agency, Joe Public , Nobanda and her team also have another contract with the agency which ar ticulates the purpose of the par tnership and how both par ties treat each other “The par tnership we have with Joe Public is based first and foremost on trust and mutual respect It’s a relationship which has been invaluable in helping to build Nedbank as a brand,” she says
Nedbank has a policy that supplier relationships are reviewed ever y three years Nobanda has had to justify the fact that the bank’s account hasn’t gone out to pitch since Joe Public was appointed “I don’t believe that putting the business out to pitch ever y three years ser ves the brand, par ticularly as a longer-standing relationship means that the agency understands and knows our business better ”
Nedbank hasn’t always got it right A series of digital ads in 2023 missed the mark creatively, she concedes, but it did teach the team valuable lessons
In 2022, Nobanda reviewed the structure of the bank’s marketing and communications function to create better efficiencies. This resulted in the implementation of AGILE and the use of more technology and data.
“Driven by technology and data we’ve moved to a ver y agile way of working, focusing on hyperpersonalisation and targeting,” she says
The use of data and technology has helped to prove the case for marketing
One of the biggest challenges facing marketing, she says, is to prove its return on investment and show that it’s not a cost centre “While there is now agreement that creativity is a business enabler, data and technology are allowing us to prove the case for marketing more than ever There is no question in my mind that marketing is a value creator that grows businesses and brands Critically, it must have a seat at the boardroom table ”
The bank has experimented with AI, taking two campaigns already in the market and putting the original briefs through the AI process to produce an AI-generated campaign “While we would never have used one of the campaigns, the other campaign was usable,” says
Nobanda “We’ve since used AI to generate campaigns, which has reduced time to market While AI-generated campaigns will help us be more efficient, it’s still not as creative as human-created campaigns Big, strategic campaigns still need agency involvement Where AI will be useful will be in taking over some of the grudge work and improving efficiencies ”
Nobanda’s risk-taking approach, rooted in deep consumer insights, has been instrumental in shaping Nedbank’s brand identity In 2023, Nedbank’s brand value improved by 15% , with the bank ranked as the eighth-most valuable brand in South Africa, while its brand strength improved from 81 4 to 85 2, according to Brand Finance’s brand strength index
Heavily involved in the industr y, Nobanda sits on the Effies Awards South Africa committee and is a Loeries board member She is also a regular member of the Bookmarks judging panels “As a result of my involvement in industr y initiatives I end up seeing a great deal of work outside my categor y That exposure ensures I carr y on growing and learning ”
Despite being at the pinnacle of the marketing industr y, Nobanda says she’s the first to admit that she doesn’t know ever ything and is always keen to learn When she heard that AB InBev has a model to help systemise creativity, she approached the company and asked it to share what it has learnt which it did.
“No matter how successful you think you are, always be prepared to learn and grow,” she advises “We learnt a lot from AB InBev I encourage my team to invest in their growth and development and I take my own advice: I recently signed up for a course on AI marketing ”
An insatiable curiosity, she says, is one of her biggest strengths She’s also ver y competitive “My goal is for Nedbank to boast the best marketing team on the African continent I think it’s impor tant to put goals and intentions out there To realise this goal I am ver y intentional about the people I appoint as I don’t believe in leaving anything to chance ”
As she is frequently asked to act as a mentor, Nobanda established a platform called “Own your path” , which matches mentors with mentees “I love mentoring, because both par ties end up learning,” she says
A voracious reader, she says she consumes books from ever y genre She’s also recently turned her marketing talents to a wine label she co-owns with friends
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT OF THE YEAR
AdFocus’s Lifetime Achievement Award is given to an individual who has made a profoundly positive impact on the industr y This year’s award is posthumously given to Kevan Aspoas, who was chair and CEO of The Jupiter Drawing Room Cape Town for 17 years
Aspoas was a true leader in ever y sense of the word The agency, which he co-foun-
ded with creative directors Ross Chowles and Joanne Thomas, went on to achieve great things locally and internationally His background in media meant he was not initially that well-known in the industr y, but his name would ultimately become synonymous with excellence, effective leadership, a keen eye for spotting and nur turing talent and a ver y mischievous streak
Aspoas completed his schooling at St John’s College and went on to study quantity sur veying at Wits University After realising that this wasn’t the right career path for him, he changed to a degree in marketing His first jobs were in the media industr y, working at the Rand Daily Mail and Reader’s Digest His introduction to the adver tising industr y came when he joined Ogilvy in Joburg He moved for a brief stint to Ogilvy Cape Town before being appointed media director at Y&R. It was while he was at Y&R that he met Chowles and Thomas.
When Graham Warsop, the founder of The Jupiter Drawing Room Johannesburg, approached Chowles and suggested he open an agency in Cape Town, Chowles jumped at the oppor tunity and chose Aspoas and Thomas as his par tners
The trio faced a formidable challenge Advantage magazine warned: “Cape Town is not a growth city, so any business The Jupiter Drawing Room attracts will have to come from a competitor This is not going to be easy Known for its conser vatism, Cape Town will be a hard nut to crack ”
Market Place wrote: “All the work wor th billing in Cape Town goes to The White House, O&M and Hunts The rest goes to the 130 freelance two-person set-ups in this city The market is saturated But passion knows no pale ‘If we open an agency, another agency will have to close, that’s all,’ said Aspoas ”
The new agency launched in Februar y 1994 with Aspoas as its MD Chowles was its creative director and Thomas its ar t director; they had just one client Though the agency had only four people and almost no business, Aspoas bullishly went on record as saying he was targeting billings wor th R10m in the first year It was a prediction many thought fanciful
Chowles recalls: “We were just two boys from Joburg playing in Cape Town We had zero contacts We hadn’t attended the University of Cape Town or Stellenbosch University We didn’t have Lions or Rotar y connections we could call on So we went for retail, assuming quite rightly that retailers don’t care about
old-school tie stuff We chose accounts that the traditional agencies didn’t want and went on to produce provocative work that garnered attention The Jupiter Drawing Room Johannesburg was pumping, and that gave us a modicum of cache and glow. That, and our sheer optimism that we could fix anything, helped to open doors.”
In its first year of business, the agency won a few M-Net Plum and Argus Cat awards, which created a buzz of publicity for the new agency Aspoas augmented these wins by relentlessly cold-calling prospective new clients
His constant contact with potential clients meant that when the time was right and a client needed an agency, The Jupiter Drawing Room was top of mind There is no question the agency would not have been as successful as it was had it not been for Aspoas’s tenacity and determination to connect with clients, says Chowles
As it turned out, Aspoas didn’t meet his target of R10m by the end of the first year he reached it in four months By December 1994 the agency had billings of more than R20m And the following year it won the Loerie Mixed Media Grand Prix for its powerful “Listen With Your Soul” campaign for Musica The launch TV ad featured a deaf girl using sign language to say: “You have been blessed with a wonderful gift, use it ”
Warsop says: “It was an auspicious beginning to a remarkable journey In the years that followed, the clients, the awards and the records kept coming Kevan had sublime faith in the agency, its staff, its clients and its destiny He cultivated a unique culture No other agency, for example, could boast that its depar ting staff gave presents to the agency He relished the challenge and the competition ”
The Jupiter Drawing Room Cape Town went on to become arguably the most successful Cape agency of its generation, with a reputation for honest dealings. Chowles says: “We returned any media kickbacks and non-invoicing. We paid the right amount of tax Kevan’s high levels of integrity meant that he earned the respect of staff, clients and our agency network, WPP ”
But what truly stood out about Aspoas was that he cared: about the work, the agency’s people and its clients “He cared more about the work than about the profitability of the agency,” says Chowles “He was first and foremost an adver tising man, and second a CEO Money was a byproduct rather than the destination He
created an environment for the creative team in which what we produced was the beginning and the end He loved presenting the agency’s showreel and he was extremely proud of our work.”
In an era when the adver tising industr y was ripe with big egos, Aspoas had none. “He had an uncanny ability to connect with anyone from clients at CEO level to youngsters straight out of ad school I recall many occasions when a young recruit seated at their desk would be approached by Kev, who had no idea how intimidating it might be to be spoken to by the leader of the agency He was completely oblivious to this and was genuinely just interested in getting to know them better,” says Thomas “He really had this knack of making people feel comfor table and heard, and was the ultimate diplomat far more so than Ross and I ”
His generosity of spirit was underpinned by an astute intelligence Widely read, he
He put an enormous amount of ef for t into growing and developing people
could talk about most subjects knowledgeably.
“He had a habit of talking in these quiet, measured tones in meetings which would force ever yone to be attentive and listen to his ever y word It was a powerful way of getting and holding people’s attention,” says Thomas
Thomas, who was also Aspoas’s life par tner, says he put an enormous amount of effor t into growing and developing people “He instilled such a sense of confidence in so many that it’s not surprising that they would eventually leave to begin their own agencies Though he was always upset to lose someone when they went on to spread their wings, his pride in them remained His best times in the past few years were when he had the oppor tunity to reconnect with those who had worked with us many years ago ”
Industr y leaders including Luca Gallarelli, Ahmed Tilly, Claire Cobbledick, Adeshia Singh, Gavin Levinsohn and Myles Hoppe are just a few of the agency’s alumni
“He loved growing people,” agrees Chowles “He was good with people His staff knew he had their backs, which gave them the confidence to take on big projects. He genuinely cared about the wellbeing of our people and worried about them. He anonymously helped staff in tough situations and was always happy to bump up people’s salaries when we were flush He was never mean and never vengeful ”
In most agencies, rallying the troops is the domain of the creative director At The Jupiter Drawing Room Cape Town, however, it was Aspoas’s “He made us all believe that anything was possible and did it all with an infectious and mischievous sense of humour,” says Thomas
His colleagues all have fond memories of his relish for the agency’s famed formal par ties, which usually dissolved into chaos “He budgeted for fun, like our Loeries trip to Sun City by train,” says Chowles “We’d get on the train in Cape Town up to Joburg and then bus to Sun City On our ver y first trip he had arranged cooler boxes of booze We weren’t even 10 minutes out of Cape Town and the booze was finished Kevan called a liquor store in Paarl and arranged for them to meet us on the platform and restock our supplies for the long trip to Joburg That was so typical of Kevan he got stuff done ”
What his business par tners all recall is this gung-ho attitude “No client was unmanageable, and no task was impossible,” says Chowles “He led from the front, knees deep in whatever situation we found ourselves in And he never asked somebody to do something that he wasn’t prepared to do himself ”
Warsop says his favourite image of Aspoas is a black-and-white photo taken at an industr y awards evening “He’s dressed in black tie, his arms are outstretched, he is brandishing a bottle of champagne That picture speaks of victor y, joy, enthusiasm and camaraderie.”
The industr y lost one of its finest in Februar y this year.
The AdFocus jur y agreed that it was Aspoas’s energy and vitality that thrust The Jupiter Drawing Room Cape Town to prominence, a position it held for several decades They were unanimous that his contribution to the industr y through the agency he co-founded, the work they produced, and the immense talent they discovered and nur tured, will live on If this award is an acknowledgment of the influence someone has on our industr y and the people in it, there is no more deser ving a winner than Kevan Aspoas
STUDENT OF THE YEAR
The 2024 AdFocus Student of the Year is Nicole Thikeson, a third- and final-year student studying a BA in visual communication design with photography as her elective at Cape Town Creative Academy Being selected as a finalist, she says, is a huge honour and is also meaningful for her parents who have sacrificed so much to get her to this point
She chose this course, she says, because she’s always been more right-brained rather than left-brained “Numbers freak me out in the funniest way possible,” she says
Thikeson always gravitated towards creative expression, she reveals “Beyond just my passion for design, I’ve come to realise that ar t and life have such a beautiful overlap Ar t imitates life to a cer tain degree and whether you’re designing a poster, a car, or a building, ever ything has the power to communicate an idea and evoke emotions I’m fascinated by how design can hold that power and how it can shape experiences and perspectives.”
She chose to study at Cape Town Creative Academy (CTCA) because of its strong academic presence in the ar t and design world and its ability to stay relevant in an ever-changing industr y
“The focus on real-world issues and the drive to shape innovative, for ward-thinking designers is something I admire What I also love about CTCA is its approach to education balancing ar tistic practice with business elements like commercial law and accounting That blend of creativity and practicality is so impor tant in preparing us for the real world And, of course, the academy is located in Cape Town, which is an inspiring city in itself CTCA is nontraditional in the best way and constantly pushes you to think outside the box ”
The course has challenged her to think beyond just a design or photograph and pushed her to imagine how something will exist in the real world and how people will experience it
“In my final year, I’ve star ted to see how my major, elective and theoretical practice come together to form meaningful bodies of work This process really adds purpose to what you do and pushes you to make your work original and impact-
ful It’s been so fulfilling to see how ever ything clicks and takes shape in a way that feels complete and powerful ”
Her creative style is rooted in research and conceptualisation She’s a firm believer in finding value through a thoughtful process “I think this abstraction allows
the viewer to bring their own subjectivity and interpretations to the work, making it more meaningful ”
Describing herself as “quite social” , she says photography is one of her hobbies She also does commercial modelling, which has provided her with a new perspective on the film and production industr y
Creating with meaning is where her inspiration comes from.
After graduating, she plans to dive into the industr y, either working at an agency or exploring other oppor tunities. “I know the creative industr y can be unpredictable and there’s always the concern about securing a job, but I’m open to whatever oppor tunities come my way I’d love to travel and experience different creative environments abroad which I think would be invaluable for my growth as a designer Wherever I end up, I’ll be grateful for the experience as I don’t plan to stop learning and evolving ”
Finalist Catelin Plomaritis is a final-year student studying towards a BA in visual communications at the Red and Yellow Creative School
Nicole Thikeson
Plomaritis positions her creative style as a culmination of the digital and the traditional, perfecting the forms of handcrafted media through editing software The result is a uniquely human touch, using highly decorative forms to capture a softness commonly found in children’s illustrations
“I’m inspired to create more things that I want to see in the world That means ar tworks that aren’t just visually breathtaking to look at, but ar t that ser ves a purpose by resonating with viewers,” she says
She initially chose to study visual communications because she was passionate about ar t, but unsure of the type of career it could provide “I quickly realised that I could pursue my passion for creating beautiful things while learning how to push them in new and exciting ways There is something so rewarding in creating work that impacts people through aesthetics and design ”
The creative freedom and unique challenges of each assignment have been par ticularly rewarding, she says, adding that she’s also loved how she’s grown into the role of an illustrator “There’s a narrative approach that adds such depth to our work that I am extremely grateful to be trained in this way ”
ever y task with a strong sense of dedication and is willing to put in the hours to obsess over the details Her personal passions seep into the work she creates It’s been such a pleasure to see her in her element as an illustrator What impresses me most about Catelin is her maturity; she’s not focused on merely chasing grades but on fostering genuine personal growth and ar tistic development I’m so excited to send her off into the industr y and watch her thrive ”
Finalist Jess Hattingh is in her third and final year of studying communication design through the CTCA
Plomaritis grew up in Knysna and later Jeffreys Bay, completing her schooling at Global Leadership Academy in Jeffreys Bay “My family run a surf school and we’re all ocean fanatics I have many hobbies, including surfing, downhill skating, rock climbing, weightlifting and ice skating. Moving my body is how I find balance in my life. I also love curling up with a good science-fiction book or having ar ts-and-craft days with my friends.”
In 2025, she will be par t of Game Global’s
one-year postgraduate programme, where she will be taking on the role of graduate graphic designer She plans to experience the creative industr y for a few years before using her connections to pursue a career as a freelance illustrator
Revealing that she has overcome many personal struggles and pushed herself to get to where she is today, she says she is proud of what she has achieved
Her illustration lecturer, Steph Simpson, says Plomaritis is an exceptionally disciplined student who is always eager to climb into a new creative process and add to her skill set “Catelin approaches
She says she chose this par ticular course because she has always been passionate about stor ytelling and visual communications “I have a degree in film and media studies from the University of Cape Town and it then seemed fitting to dive into communication design and explore news to tell stories The combination of film and design thinking has given me a deeper understanding of what connects with people and how to craft stories that really resonate,” she says
What she has enjoyed most about the course is stepping out of her comfor t zone “Over the past three years I’ve had the oppor tunity to tr y so many different types of design ever ything from publication and web design to corporate identity and brand manuals. Ever y project taught me something new.”
She describes her creative style as one that blends vintage design with a modern twist, revealing that she’s drawn to bold typography and iconography to help organise information in a clear and visual way
“My style can be experimental at times, but I think it sits somewhere between
Catelin Plomaritis
timeless class design and something a bit more bold and contemporar y ”
Hattingh grew up in Somerset West and enjoyed a childhood that was all about outdoor adventure, from exploring the Kruger National Park to studying bugs under a microscope and admiring her grandfather’s butterfly collection.
“My dad, an entomologist, played a huge role in sparking my curiosity for the little
things that are often overlooked That sense of wonder has stayed with me into adulthood while my love for the outdoors is something I continue to draw inspiration from ever y day,” she says.
After graduation, she would like to work at a design studio, focusing on brand identity and packaging design. Her longterm vision is to have her own design studio in Cape Town, working with a small team focused on brand identity and packaging design “But for now, I’d be excited to be par t of a creative team, collaborating with like-minded people to bring brands to life ”
Where is the diversit y?
Diversity in gender and demographics is vital to the transformation of the industry
While the AdFocus Awards student jur y found the quality, innovative thinking and creativity from all this year’s entries of an exceptionally high standard, they were once again disappointed by the lack of diversity that made up the entries
This is not a problem unique to the AdFocus Awards student entries but an issue for all student awards in the countr y
While the problem is reflected in the awards, the problem is not with the awards
The lack of diverse representation highlights a gap at the ver y beginning of the funnel to the industr y.
“The adver tising industr y falls shor t by
Clayton Sutherland, programme co-ordinator at the CTCA is delighted that the school has two finalists at this year’s AdFocus Awards “It represents the pinnacle of creative acknowledgment as it assesses a complete student por tfolio as opposed to a singular piece of work, enabling the student’s work to be seen holistically ”
He says Thikeson and Hattingh’s portfolios embody the
traits that define them “Both are humble about their work, have a darn good sense of humour, undertake each brief with quiet dedication, do diligent research and drive insight through their work They put the hours in, integrating skills gleaned from electives such as photography, illustration, animation and critical theory And they craft Their bodies of work are distinctly different, reflecting individual interpretations of the problem’s they’ve posed You’d never say they’re in the same class That’s a good thing ”
failing to offer adequate awareness, training, and skill-building to high school students, especially among previously disadvantaged youth,” says Pippa Misplan, MD of Retroviral
The panel drew an analogy between rugby’s grassroots programmes that nurture future Springboks, and the success that has led to for the team, and similar investments needed by the industr y to develop the next generation of industr y leaders and build a truly representative creative landscape
“There is phenomenal talent out there that we need to find, nur ture and grow,” says Misplan.
While the good work being done by Blackboard and the Loeries high school programme is a star t, the jur y felt much more needs to be done
The jur y suggested that the various organisations and awards shows such as AdFocus under take roadshows to schools and communities and develop a more comprehensive plan to reach and assist young people
Thabang “Tipi” Manyelo, creative director at The Odd Number, says he has realised that, unlike the adver tising agencies,
creative schools act in silos, operating in their own pockets of the industr y The adver tising industr y has bodies such as the Creative Circle where most agencies are members and are united with a common goal, thereby anchoring all the agencies
He suggests the formation of a student union with a mandate for diversity that is also used when entering awards
One of the obstacles is the high cost of creative schools, which puts them out of reach of most people in South Africa
In terms of the entries, the work that excited the jur y and led to the top 10, the top 5 and then to the three finalists were students who showed diversity and uniqueness in their work.
Kagiso Tshepe, executive creative director at Grid Worldwide, says there was some sameness in some of the entries
“We really want students entering the industr y who show they can take a brief and interpret it in a unique way ”
The jur y members were impressed by entries that showed a variety of work but also work that was well thought out and well crafted Consistency was impor tant
Jess Hattingh
R O F I L E
Joe Public
WE GO BY THE NAME OF Joe Public
OUR CORE SPECIALITIES ARE
Integrated through-the-line brand and communications group
OUR BIGGEST BRAG IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS
Best Agency to Work for in Scopen 2023/2024 repor t (second consecutive year); No 1 Independent Agency in the Middle East & Africa in the 2023 Global Effie Index; Agency of the Year at the 2024 Loerie Awards
OUR BIG CLIENTS
SAB (ABINBEV), Cell C , Chicken Licken, Nedbank and Santam
Aromat (SA), Santam (SA), Britvic Plc (UK) ACCOUNTS WE’VE LOST OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS
None WHO OWNS US
We are a proudly South African independent agency that is 63% black-owned
OUR BEE RATING
BBBEE Level 1
OUR REVENUE BAND R300m-R350m
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES
285 WHO’S THE BOSS
Xolisa Dyeshana; Khuthala Gala Holten; Gareth Leck; Pepe Marais; Laurent Mar ty; Mpume Ngobese
OUR BUSINESS IN 140 CHARACTERS
To ser ve the growth of our people, our clients and our countr y through the greatness of creativity
OUR KEY MOMENT IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS IN 50 WORDS
Being awarded Agency of the Year at the 2024 Loerie Awards as well as No 1 Independent Agency in the Middle East & Africa in the 2023 Global Effie Index
THIS IS HOW YOU GET IN TOUCH WITH US
Call 010-591-7770 or e-mail khuthalag@ joepublic co za or mpumen@ joepublic co za
Don’t dabble with dull
T he makers of an unimaginative ad have to spend about $100bn a year more for it to have the same ef fect as an interesting ad, a study has found
We all enjoy a good ad Well, we say we do, but when it comes to creating an adver t that is sharp and effective, most businesses worldwide tend to dabble with dull
System1, a UK research house, found that an ad of a cow eating grass was more interesting than 50% of the more than 50,000 TV ads on its database That means that one in two TV ads out of a collection of more than 50,000 is less interesting than watching a cow eat grass The research revealed that creators of dull ads need to spend about $100bn more a year to have the same impact as their non-dull counterpar ts If being creative for its own sake were not enough, what about wasted money roughly equivalent to Kenya’s GDP? Ever y year Just to make up for the cost of being dull
Karen Nelson-Field from Amplified Intelligence shared a study in 2023 which assessed 130,000 digital ads across more than 1,000 brands The findings should give marketing depar tments and CFOs sleepless nights: 85% of the ads didn’t reach the threshold of holding people’s attention for more than 2.5 seconds. That’s the minimum amount of time an ad needs to have any chance of landing a message in the consumer’s mind. Only 15% of ads managed to hold the attention for 2 5 seconds The implication is that more than R8 of ever y R10 spent on digital adver tising is going down the drain
Similarly, a recent Ipsos study across more than 500 brands, looking at 5,000 assets in 25 countries, found that only 15% of work being done used brand assets in a way that was distinctive In other words, 85% of the time the adver tising creative isn’t distinctive to the
extent that it is associated with the brand resulting in a significant percentage of work that ends up doing a job for the categor y or, worse, being associated with a competitor!
We should never forget that we have a choice As Adam Morgan of eatbigfish, says: “Dull is inherently a choice We make it that way, or we choose and allow it to be that way ”
This choice star ts with being intentional about creativity It means putting creativity at the centre of our business and the problems we need to solve it’s not just a marketing or communications tool, nor is creativity a solution to be rolled out only for proactive work or to be applied only to challenges that are not fundamental to the business
Putting creativity at the centre star ts with understanding that the first step in creativity is strategy This requires a shift from mere communications tactics to a clearly defined strategy for the brand Are we clear on our brand stor y? Do we know what our core assets are that drive distinction? Do we have the most precise positioning in the market for our brand? Have we done a sharp diagnosis of the problem we are tr ying to solve?
As the industr y star ts to prove the cost of noncreative work, we have an oppor tunity to prove the upside of creative excellence Key to delivering this evidence is to spend time on the matter of diagnosis, or on ar ticulating the problem It is only in the sharp ar ticulation of the problem that one can define the measures for success and showcase the effectiveness of creative thinking
In the absence of this key strategic step, we often develop a
set of measurements that are not related to th problem we are tr ying to solve, so we end up measuring the wrong things and building case studies that tout success when the commercial needle is not being moved, or if it is, it is because of a happy coincidence. Global brand adidas famously turned off its performance budget in South America by mistake, but its sales were unaffected. It turns out that it was misattributing sales to performance media when in fact it was coming from strong long-term brand investment
Speaking of long-term brand investment, Laura Jones, former CMO of Uber and executive at Instagram, emphasised the impor tance of brandled growth at a talk she gave at the Cannes Lions festival She shared her journey at Instacar t, where she set about proving the power and impor tance of brand-building communication Initially a hypothesis, she proved over a period using marketing effor ts that she would turn on and off in cer tain US geographies the impor tance of focusing on brand-led growth and how this built business growth on top of product-led growth and performance marketing growth What I loved most about her case study was summed up in this one quote: “Turns out telling a great stor y is more powerful than a giant call to action ”
Being intentional about creativity requires focus, a clear strategy and rigour in how we diagnose, how we position, what tactics we employ and what and how we measure. The high commercial cost of not doing it demands that we embrace this journey.
❒ Jacques Burger is CEO at The Up&Up Group
“To be intentional, we need to put creativit y at the centre of what we do, of how we solve business problems”
How to inspire creativit y
Here are some ways to incorporate it into your work so thoroughly that it becomes an integral par t of your organisation’s functioning
Am I in the business of creativity, or is creativity my business?
If I have to be honest, I’ve been a sleepwalker for a large par t of my adver tising career someone who worked hard but could not see what was most impor tant for the business to focus on
Businesses that value creativity are more valuable than ones that don’t This is a fact, according to a recent McKinsey study, which says businesses that value creativity have a 67% above-average organic revenue growth and a 70% above-average total return to shareholders We ignore these statistics and other similar ones at our peril
Their actual impor t really sank in only recently When did this “missing it” first begin, you may ask For me, it may have star ted when I chose to study accounting at UCT after I got a D for accounting and an A for ar t in matric I think this was the tipping point
Pepe Marais and I co-founded Joe Public in 1998 and sold it to a multinational adver tising group in 2001 From then on, we got sucked firmly into the business of creativity, and after coming spectacularly close to losing ever ything, we bought our company back in 2009 This was another tipping point and, thankfully, it was one in the right direction this time
But unlearning is hard, and fighting a tsunami of daily challenges we deal with to buck the status quo is even harder It’s been a long and difficult road back for me but, lately, I’ve been able to see things more clearly And these are the lessons I’ve learnt, during the course of my career, about how to make creativity my business:
1 Make creativity measurable
The best way to make a business value creativity is to make it measurable Business understands numbers According to a recent study by adver tising research organisation WARC , only 12% of CMOs feel they can sell creativity to their CFOs As worr ying as this statistic is, it’s clear that a powerful way to shift the business’s perception of the value of creativity is to have robust metrics in place that show a proven link between creativity and business success
My advice is to create your own bespoke measurement system for creativity or to engage with an external exper t to build it for you It need not be overly complicated Our experience is the simpler, the better
2 Make creativity a key cultural item
Great creative companies have a great creative culture, a culture that puts creativity at the hear t and centre of ever ything they do
Make creativity a daily habit and a systematic process
Align it with people’s key performance indicators and rewards These are just some of the things that need to be done to ensure that creativity is stitched into the fabric of the business
3 Make creativity purposeful
If you are a marketer or agency leader who wants to harness the power of creativity, my advice is to make it purposeful.
Within our own organisation we understand that creativity is our “how” However, knowing why we are doing what we are doing is equally impor tant
You can’t have one without the other if you want to achieve long-term sustainable success
4. Make creativity contrac
Even the best marriages have contracts It may not be sexy, but it holds you to account
Creating a contract with your creative par tners that is clear about the creative goals you want to achieve and the behaviours and actions required to deliver on these goals is a powerful way to align with your creative ambitions Make it collaborative and co-create it And make it as inspiring as possible
Like any marriage, if it is onesided, it will never last, so unless both par ties are fully committed to the same cause it may as well be a lost cause
5. Make creativity your belief
Without belief in the power of creativity, the task of making creativity our business will be near impossible to achieve
In “The Biology of Belief ” , Bruce Lipton argues that our thoughts and perceptions can influence our genetic activity, and concludes that our beliefs shape our outcomes If this is true for a human being, it is most cer tainly also true for an organisation
A good way to start believing in the power of creativity is to see it Start small by noticing the gradual gains you achieve with incrementally better creative output; take it from there
They say creativity is action, so take the right action to make creativity your business
❒ Gareth Leck is co- founder and group CEO of Joe Public
“A good way to star t believing in the power of creativit y is to see it”
Matric lear ner Bayanda Walaza wins gold in the 100m and 200m World Championships
ADFOCUS 2024 JUDGES
To read the full repor t , scan the QR code.
size matters
Are you ‘ man ’ enough to enter the adfocus awards?
Now, more than ever, the AdFocus Awards are necessary in a landscape of daunting challenges, they show what is possible
I’m not quite sure when I joined the AdFocus Awards team it was 2015 or 2016. Never theless, whenever it was, it was a long time ago, and since then the world and industr y have changed
My first few AdFocus Awards were all about the paper Reams and reams of paper Ever y entr y was printed out for each judge as well as for me and the co-editors of AdFocus at that time, David Furlonger and Jeremy Maggs
It was a huge under taking of two days of printing and then sor ting these into packs for each judge on the first judging day
I have this memor y of Craig Page-Lee at the judging table with entries piled in front of him, all tagged with sticky notes in the relevant places by him (His dedication led to him being jur y chair the following year )
Back then the main jur y sat for two days There was also a media jur y and a student jur y
The days inevitably ended with some wine and long stories about the “old days” , especially when we had Gar y Leih (with his wonderful stories) on the jur y
The second day called for lunch when the judging concluded and that could become dinner and drinks
Today the main jur y has only one day of judging, and it also includes the media entries The students’ jur y is an online judging followed by a morning in-person session
There is still wine but it is more whining ( joking, our jur y members never whine!)
This compression of time reflects how fast our lives have become; a frantic pace set by rapidly changing technology.
But technology has saved some forests, as the AdFocus judging moved online a few years ago. Also, scoring is done online and not manually in an Excel spreadsheet
These are not the only changes I have witnessed in my decade as AdFocus coordinator
The industr y has not been immune to the changes brought about by technology and now faces, in par ticular, the challenge of AI
Locally, as in other countries, the industr y has fallen out of favour with young people (the long working hours)
In South Africa there is also the issue of senior creatives choosing to emigrate, or to live in the countr y but to work for overseas agencies
On top of that, the pace of transformation remains a challenge, and this shows up ever y year in the AdFocus entries.
This year there was a new challenge: the state of the industr y after a bad performance at Cannes and a significant drop in the Cannes rankings
Discussed at industr y events such as the Creative Circle and Loeries, this topic was also discussed around the AdFocus jur y table
So, one would have been forgiven for assuming that entries for these awards would be far and few But the opposite has been true
What it shows is that South Africans really do live up to their reputation as a resilient bunch, and local agencies are no different
The result was not only a good number of entries, but also some ver y good entries so good that some of the categories were debated down to the smallest detail and won by a hair
Amazing, considering that AdFocus is not an easy award to enter
It is a business case study of how your agency functions to get to the best creative, which is your business The
The awards have stood the test of time, moving from paper to online and adapting to the needs of the industr y
questionnaires are onerous and require time and effor t
Which also means it is not easy to win
However, those who persevere year after year learn from each year and use the feedback to improve their agencies, and they are the ones who rise to the top
This is why the AdFocus Awards are so impor tant They are not only a barometer of the industr y but a showcase of the best we have to offer
Therefore, now more than ever, they are necessar y
In a landscape of daunting challenges, the AdFocus Awards show what is possible and give inspiration exactly because they tell us not only about the agencies that are finalists and win, but about the industr y itself
The awards have shown their value to the industr y and stood the test of time, moving from paper to online and adapting to the needs of the industr y
They reflect the resilience of this industr y
And so, I encourage you in fact, I dare you to show what you are made of and what your agency stands for, and to demonstrate the innovation and resilience of this industr y and enter the AdFocus Awards
❒ Danette Breitenbach is the AdFocus Awards jury and entries co-ordinator
Th e South Af rican LGBTI market is wor th at least
R250 BILLION A YEAR
despite persistent barriers and a heavy burden of social responsibility. The value could be double that am ount .
