This feature is supported by agency and client advertising AGENCY FOCUS

S ince taking over as Group CEO at Leo Burnett SA 18

months ago, Andrew Fasedemi has set his sights
on building a cohesive group with a multibrand
strategy. Now the focus has shifted. “Previously our
aim was to deliver SA to the global network,” he says. “Now
we need to deliver sub-Saharan Africa.”
The African operations absorb about 20% of his time, a
Delivering the
goods —
measure of the priority attached to the continental expansion
by Leo Burnett Global. Half South African and half Nigerian,
Fasedemi sits on the boards of the Zimbabwean and Kenyan
agencies, and is soon to take up a seat in the Nigerian
throughout
agency once equity arrangements are settled.
“Apart from growing the network, our focus will be to
substantially raise the level of interaction with the African
Africa
agencies, improve creativity in line with international stan-
dards, and introduce training programmes,” says Fasedemi.
There are some jewels in the network, notably the agencies in
Nigeria (that won the Cadbury and Nigeria Airways accounts)
and Zimbabwe, which is growing rapidly and winning awards
despite political upheaval.
Leo Burnett SA is restructuring to integrate its various
activities under five broad divisions: media (Starcom); com-
munications (Sonnenberg Murphy Leo Burnett, Leo Xpress,
Leo Design and LB Interactive, soon to be rebranded Leo
Burnett Communications); and public relations (Fasedemi
Newman Leo Burnett, rebranded as Manning Selvage & Lee) Andrew Fasedemi

LEO BURNETT
and Red Nail. (MS&L), and will allow Leo Burnett to offer clients a better-
There are also plans to increase the empowerment share- integrated communications service. The glue that binds these
holding from its current 20% to more than 50%, with staff and units together is a common vision, enunciated in the slogan,
management likely to pick up a respectable slice of the equity. The “There’s power in the diversity of our people and our brands.”
new-look Leo Burnett SA will retain its multibranding approach SMLB, headed by MD Pat Goggin, who worked for seven years
believing that this creates focus and dynamic tension between the at LB Worldwide in Chicago before transferring to SA, and
business units. Red Nail, for example, will retain its branding and executive creative director Cal Bruns remains the backbone of the
continue to operate as a second agency brand in line with practice SA operation. It accounts for half of the group’s staff and most of
elsewhere in the LB Global network. Over the past year, it won its revenue. Business gains over the past year include four new
accounts from Incredible Connection, Revlon and Gauteng provin- brands for Kellogg’s, Ananzi, Johnnic e-Ventures, Johnnic Com-
cial government’s Shared Services Centre (SSC). Though owned munications and Levis. This is in addition to its ongoing work for
by Leo Burnett and sharing multinational brands such as Coca-Cola Light, Fanta,
the same premises, it McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble, Mercedes-Benz, SA
has a distinctive culture Breweries and Liberty. “The benefits of the LB
and approach. Red Nail Worldwide network should not be underestimated.
clients include Alcatel, The ability to tap into the network’s well of in-
5fm, Action Stations, tellectual capital and global expertise delivers a
Mercantile Bank and E- better product to our clients,” says Fasedemi. “No-
Trade. There is scope one understands the emerging market better than
for a second agency SMLB,” he adds, citing creative triumphs such as its
brand in the SA group, highly acclaimed “first kiss” advertisement for Coca-
according to Fasedemi. Cola, shot in Morocco but flighted internationally,
Digital design com- and the spot-on “Diski” township soccer adver-
pany Shape, which is tisement for MTN. Technology and training has
not part of Leo Burnett already delivered substantial productivity gains. “We
SA, will remain indepen- Levis store opening are producing more today, with fewer staff, than we
dent but maintain close did four years ago,” says Fasedemi. Finding quality
ties with the group. Re- staff is a perennial problem given the continued
lationship marketing com- exodus of skills. Leo Burnett SA expects to arrest this
pany LB Interactive hit a rocky patch three years ago when former seepage through a staff package that will give key staff a bigger
MD Clive McClean emigrated to the US, but has been reversed stake in the local operation. But “our biggest problem is our
under Lizanne Jones and Janine Wilson. The public relations unit inability to charge proper value for the work we do. SA ranks fifth
has become part of the global brand, Manning Salvage & Lee in the world creatively, but our fees don’t reflect this.” ■

AdFocus/Supplement to the Financial Mail/May 18 2001 149

 LEO BURNETT
The scramble is on for Africa’s markets
Jonny Cohen
A
frica is the final frontier. And global communications
groups are in search of new markets. Having con-
quered China, Eastern Europe and Latin America over
the past 10 years, advertisers are engaged in a
scramble for Africa — at least the parts of it that matter.
A new consumerism has seized countries once written off as
economic basket cases. Tanzania staged an extraordinary revival
in the past five years, while Uganda, having survived the
predations of despots and warlords, is regarded as an
African economic miracle. Nigeria, recently returned to
democratic rule, is battling to eradicate corruption, and
there is hope that peace may at last settle on the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Tanzania and
Mozambique are now among the fastest growing coun-
tries in the world, admittedly off a near zero base.
Zimbabwe, however, is a notable exception to this tale
of success, though democracy and rule of law have not
entirely perished thanks to a vigorous and noisy op-
position. Last year coup leaders were sent packing in
Ivory Coast, a resounding reversal of West Africa’s
traditional acquiescence to military rule.
Advertisers were pressured by clients to accompany
them into these new markets, triggering a scramble for
the biggest and best local agencies. “There’s no substitute
for local knowledge,” says Cohen. “You need people on the
ground who are familiar with the local scene, and who can add
value in strategy and understanding of the media.
“SA agencies often make the mistake of trying to deploy SA
idioms in Africa. We are careful to use the local idiom.”
Leo Burnett moved into Africa in 1997, building a network of
affiliated offices in Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Zimbabwe,
Morocco and Egypt.
LB does not have offices in the DRC, Congo-Brazzaville, Chad,
Sierra Leone and Uganda. They do, however, have a highly mobile
African “swat” team, lead by Jonny Cohen, and supported by
regional offices. The team travels and works with local clients and
media partners in countries where they have no offices.
Leo Burnett has equity in some of these African agencies, but
AGENCY FOCUS
plans to increase ownership after the customary courtship. All are
ranked among the top five agencies in their respective markets in
billings. Despite the country’s well-documented political and eco-
nomic chaos, Leo Burnett’s Zimbabwe agency had its best year
yet, gaining several new clients and walking away with a clutch of
creative awards.
This year Leo Burnett will expand its African network to
Mauritius, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Cameroon and
Gabon. “There’s a race on for the best agencies,” says Andrew
Fasedemi, CEO of Leo Burnett SA. “I see it as a business and a
social imperative to develop a strong African network for LB. This
year we will focus on raising the levels of creativity in the African
agencies, integrating them into the network and embarking on
extensive training.”
Cohen says clients such as Dutch telecommunications service
provider Celtel and Johnnie Walker whisky are behind this push
into Africa. Celtel has been successful in some of the most difficult
markets in the world, offering pre-paid cellular telephone services
where landlines are non-existent or unreliable.
The speed, not to mention audacity, with which it has moved
into Africa has made it something of a telecommunications
phenomenon. It launched its African service five years ago in
Uganda, and quickly spread to other East African and later West
African markets. In Kinshasa alone it now has more than 30 000
subscribers — proof of the consumer power waiting to be tapped
in supposedly dirt-poor countries.
Leo Burnett handles Celtel’s advertising account in Sierra Leone
through its Nigerian office, which has gained a number of major
accounts in recent months. Cadbury Nigeria recently moved its
US$2m Bournvita account to Leo Burnett Rosabel, the Nigerian
agency. No pitch was required, Cadbury citing the agency’s
superlative performance on another Cadbury brand. The agency
was also recently awarded the account for a radio campaign on
behalf of Nigeria Airways after a tough five-way review involving
Nigeria’s other top agencies.
The “Keep Walking” campaign for Johnnie
Walker is an adaptation of a global theme,
Johnnie Walker using inspiring quotes from famous historical
figures. African proverbs — such as “Keep
your eye on the destination and not on where
you have stumbled” — are substituted for the
wisdom of Abraham Lincoln and others.
“African consumers are known to be brand
loyal. In poorer communities particularly,
sticking to the brands you know and trust is a
low-risk option,” says Cohen. This means
brand investment yields a handsome return.
After some initial hesitancy, SA companies
kicked off their push into Africa in the mid-
Nineties, with SA mining companies eager to
replenish declining ore reserves at home.
They were followed by retailers and consumer
companies such as Pepkor, Profurn and SA Brew-
eries, and later service companies. Outdoor advertising com-
panies Corpcom and Primedia Outdoor ventured north into Africa
to service the growing demand from SA and multinational com-
panies for outdoor exposure. But many African cities have now
reached billboard saturation point, says Cohen, and there is more
opportunity for marketers to make a difference in broadcast
media, and through interactive activities such as events. “Africa is
an exciting market,” says Cohen. “People tend to look at the
dismal per capita income figures and write it off on this basis.
What they miss is that more than half the African economy is
informal, which makes the official figures unreliable as a guide to
the potential size of markets.” ■
AdFocus/Supplement to the Financial Mail/May 18 2001 151
AGENCY FOCUS
Leo Xpress — let’s
get it done fast
L
logg’s
eo Xpress is a high speed, below-the-line agency that
concentrates on retail, promotion and design. In the
past couple of months they produced promotional work
for McDonald’s, Vicks, Tampax, Coca-Cola and Kel-
Leo Xpress MD Marc Wachenheimer says they have a small
team with a “let’s get it done” attitude. “We are flexible in planning
and meeting our clients’ needs.”
Though Sonnenberg Murphy Leo Burnett is the brand custodian
on most of the multinational brands, Leo Xpress has produced a
lot of POS (point of sale) work for DaimlerChrysler SA. Recently,
Leo Xpress translated an “above-the-line” concept into a below-
the-line application, merging the two effectively. His team also
designed point of purchase hardware that excites and guides
consumers to purchase at dealerships.
They have also designed a complete dealer advertising solution
for the Mercedes-Benz dealer network to drive consistency in
terms of their offering. These will be updated regularly as models
of vehicles change, which means that the corporate look and feel
Work is taking
good shape
G
areth Paul and David Hillier started a new media
company, Shape, two years ago while studying digital
media communications at Vega School of Brand
Advertising Communications. This was at a time
when agencies were desperate to ride the new media wave, and
the job offers started rolling in. The pair decided to press on
alone, moving their embryonic company into vacated office
premises. “We ended up squatting in a corner of an office park for
a few months,” says Paul.
Its creative flair eventually brought it to the attention of Leo
Burnett, and a partnership was struck. Though no equity was
exchanged, Shape now shares an office with Leo Burnett in
Sunninghill and collaborates on certain projects. “Much of our
work now comes from Leo Burnett,” says Paul. The company has
grown from two to 10 staff, with an average age of 23.
Shape’s first client was sweet company Cosmic Candy, a young
business now headquartered in Greece. Rather than do the
standard packaging design, Paul and Hillier invented cartoon
characters and imbued them with mischievous personalities to
help Cosmic Candy sell its sweets. It worked like a charm, and the
sweets are now sold throughout Europe, and SA.
“We got so close to Cosmic Candy that we were on the point of
moving to Greece to help the company expand,” says Paul. They
didn’t move, but the relationship with Cosmic Candy has grown
from strength to strength. “We’re like family,” he says.
The original cartoon concept is about to be developed into a 12-
part television series and a full-length movie, according to Paul.
The packaging designed by Shape for Cosmic Candy has had other
spin-offs: “Cosmic Candy claims to have received orders from
people based on the package design.”
Shape is a new media company providing broadcast animation,
digital design and online promotion. With Leo Burnett advertising
subsidiary Red Nail, it recently won an account from the Gauteng
provincial government’s Shared Service Centre (SSC) which will
152 AdFocus/Supplement to the Financial Mail/May 18 2001
Wachenheimer
stays the same, as part of the brand building integration.
“The result of these guidelines has been a marked improvement
in the effectiveness of print advertisements, which in turn trans-
lates into enhanced business success,” says creative director
Alan Edgar.
Leo Xpress handles all design and execution of all in-store
materials as well as promotional activity for McDonald’s.
Loads of Linen and Living is another stalwart client with growing
visibility. “We started doing the sales advertisements for them
when they were operating as a stand-alone store in Emmarentia.
We have recently repositioned them under their new brand name,
as a specific lifestyle store nationwide.”
Wachenheimer’s agency played a pivotal role in masterminding
The Shape team . . .
Joanne Isemonger,
Ryan White, Dave
Hillier, Gareth Paul,
Justin Cloete
centralise certain noncore-government services. Red Nail is
creating the advertising campaign, Shape is responsible for new
media, including multimedia and Internet projects.
New media has had a bad rap, with dot-coms folding left and
right and thousands of staff being retrenched. Paul is anxious to
distance Shape from the e-commerce wave. “We’re not an IT or e-
commerce company. There are plenty of people out there able to
develop Websites. We develop marketing and promotion solutions
using the electronic media. Clients often come to us with
proposals for an electronic brochure. We show them what can be
done. Companies often don’t know what to spend on online
ventures. They may put money aside for building a Website, but
little if anything to market it.”
One of Shape’s earliest creations was the Website for local rock
band Boo! (www.boo.co.za), which was recognised by Johnnic
e-Ventures as one of the 10 most visited sites in its category in SA.
Some of its most visible pieces of work have been a TV and
cinema advertisement for Kellogg's Krispies Treats, low-budget
animated TV advertisements to accompany the launch of the
Mercedes-Benz A class and a 30-second animated TV ad-
vertisement for MTN produced in 24 hours.
Why has Shape succeeded where so may others have failed?
“Because we make sure that it remains fun,” says Paul. ■ Liberty portfolio clients, helping reinforce its
Mercedes-Benz
a sampling campaign for Kellogg’s Nutri-K, thus creating early
market presence for their product. Their packaging design for
Pillsbury Bran Muffins helped to further extend the range in line
with consumer demand. More recent Heinz SA work brought the
brand’s packaging in line with the rest of the world.
Leo Xpress recently signed up MapStudio to redesign the
packaging and branding of their map range to be in line with
overseas trends. Other clients include United International Pic-
tures, Plain Business Writing, Procter & Gamble, Minute Maid,
Celtel (MSI), Columbus Steel and Johnnie Walker. ■
Getting to know you one-on-one
I n an ideal world companies would be able to develop
personal marketing campaigns on a mass scale. “Mass
customisation” was the promise of the Internet, but it fell
short of expectations for several reasons, among them the
fact that the medium is not yet fully trusted. Customer Re-
lationship Management software brought mass customisation
closer. Each financial transaction and contact with a customer is
dutifully logged, furnishing a detailed profile of each customer,
their buying preferences and their complaints. Some companies
have refined this to the point where complaints can be anticipated
and handled proactively.
This is great for customers already on board. But how can you
make that initial contact and, better still, turn it into a sale?
Advertisers recognise that nothing beats the power of one-to-
one marketing, either business-to-business or business-to-con-
sumer. At business-to-business it is often the most cost-effective
way to prospect for new clients, or increase
business from clients where there is a choice
of two or three competitors. This prospecting
is the job of Leo Burnett Interactive, the
relationship-marketing arm.
Relationship marketing is about getting up
close and personal with potential customers
and business prospects, discovering their hob-
bies and getting their attention. In one case,
Leo Burnett Interactive discovered that the
CEO of a large mining group it was targeting on
behalf of a client was a bonsai fundi. It pur-
chased a bonsai tree in Taiwan, had it pho-
tographed alongside a woman holding a news-
paper with the date clearly displayed, and
delivered the bonsai to the CEO the following
day. “We got the attention of the CEO and the
client got the business,” says Lizanne Jones of
LB Interactive.
FedEx uses relationship marketing to great
effect, sending boxes of coffee or wine glasses
to decision makers to get their attention, as
part of a loyalty building campaign. LB In-
teractive has used personal direct mailings to
help Mercedes-Benz sell more trucks and to
LEO BURNETT
relationship with both clients and brokers. Liberty clients receive a
monthly portfolio statement, including details on investment op-
portunities and advice on how to manage their financial affairs.
“The mailing of the monthly portfolio statement is an opportunity
to communicate different things to different customers,” says
Jones.
The success of this venture has opened doors to other divisions
within the Liberty group. LB Interactive has a long-established
relationship with DaimlerChrysler and debis Fleet Management,
helping them put together tender documents for government’s
Taxi Recapitalisation Programme and with Telkom’s fleet man-
agement, which they won.
“There are certain parts of a tender document that must be
presented in a standard way, but other parts are highly personal,”
explains Jones. “So there is an opportunity here for one-to-one
marketing.”
To help Honda build customer loyalty, LB
Interactive mailed Honda owners an offer of a
free magazine subscription that elicited a 27%
Lizanne Jones and response, says Jones.
Janine Wilson Other clients include FedEx, executive search
company TranSearch and I-Net Bridge, which
repositioned itself as a business-to-business
electronic hub, broadening its offerings of busi-
ness and financial information. “We helped with
the development of I-Net Bridge’s repositioning
and spearheaded the activity, which we co-
ordinated with other business units in Leo
Burnett,” says Jones.
TranSearch is based in SA and Paris, with
operations in 58 countries. Jones says the
brief involved developing a brand essence for
the group, and a relaunch of the brand in-
ternationally.
Relationship marketing is a fast growing part
of the agency business, evidence of its ef-
fectiveness in winning new business. “It allows
you to get a specific message across to a
specific person,” says Jones. “Companies are
recognising it as a direct and cost-effective way
to win new business or increase business from
clients.” ■
AdFocus/Supplement to the Financial Mail/May 18 2001 153
AGENCY FOCUS LEO BURNETT

New star on the block has meteoric rise

I t took a year from its international launch in 1997 for
media agency Starcom to capture Media Agency of the
Year in both the US and the UK. And its growth in SA since
its launch in April 2000 has been no less meteoric.
Annualised billings have grown to R284m from R209m a year
ago. When it started, 75% of its business came from Sonnenberg
Murphy Leo Burnett (SMLB), now the figure is 30%.
Media agencies like Starcom have moved a long haul from the
The media mix demonstrated this positioning in a fresh and
unexpected way,” says Patterson.
The campaign for the Mercedes-
Benz C class took a different tack
by appealing to competitors’ target
market rather than the traditional
Mercedes-Benz buyer. “We did an
analysis of competitors and their
rudimentary services offered by media independents of 15 years media strategy and targeted their
ago, when clients were offered little more than media schedules customers.”
and simple media plans.“The days of leveraging purchasing power Starcom seeks to differentiate
to buy cheap media are gone,” says managing director Gordon itself from the competition by
Patterson. “It’s never been easier to get cheap media. Today, blending best international practice
media independents have to offer insight as well as buying power. with local insights, a diversity of
We work with the brands agency in developing a seamless brand skills, and a culture of learning. Its
and media strategy, and that is where we are able to add most executive team includes James
value. There’s a growing demand for accountability, which we Hier and Melanie Walter, both me-
welcome.” dia directors.
Patterson presented the Starcom SA business plan in October “James Hier brings a global per-
1999 and in the following months a market position for the new spective to the team, Melanie Wal-
company was crafted. This involved a critical analysis of the ter brings a human touch and her
industry and its shortcomings. Starcom presented Patterson and experience in media planning. I’m
his team with a clean slate on which to create a new type of media analytical and have a passion for
company, devoid of the legacies that hobbled other independents. innovation,” says Patterson.
The result was a fresh and contrary approach to media strategy “We encourage staff to get in
that yielded several early successes. Though agencies play up touch with the media, be it by Gordon Patterson,
their ability to customise media strategies to the needs of different consumer observation or direct in- James Hier and
clients, these strategies are often indistinguishable. “You can take volvement,” he says. Melanie Walter
a media plan and Tippex out one client’s name and replace it with Major business gains for the
a new name,” says Patterson. past year include media planning
Starcom deviated from script by weaving alternative media into for all Procter & Gamble brands,
its plans to deepen the impact of its campaigns. It broke new worth more than R70m a year, the Mitsubishi account, valued at
ground by promoting the new Mercedes A class on forecourt TV, about R20m, MTN and Levis. Starcom’s initial drawcard was its
plasma TV in shopping centres, through the Internet, and — a media planning strength, but it is establishing a reputation for
new outlet — in magazine margins. In a further break with media buying. Shrewd negotiator Melissa Read has augmented
convention, television advertisements were scheduled to match the buying team. It now handles media buying assignments for
programme content. “The message was that the Mercedes A several creative shops including Bester Burke D’Arcy, KingJames
class is a vehicle for vibrant aspiring people who are going places. and Dare Media. ■

People power is back in vogue

C reativity in advertising is un-
dergoing a quiet revolution.
Humans, rather than prod-
ucts, are being given star
billing. “Advertisers like Kellogg’s, Camp-
bell and Kraft are running TV campaigns
rooted in humanity. They are brimming
with behavioural insights that connect
their products to the vicissitudes of real
life,” writes Paul Kemp Robertson,
worldwide director of creative resources
at Leo Burnett in Chicago, in Power to
the People.
“Consumers are no longer seen as
demographics with a wallet but indi-
viduals whose attitudes and motivations
cannot be conveniently pre-judged by
markers such as gender, salary and
education.”
Pat Goggin One of the most dramatic changes in
the US was the decision by Procter & Gamble and General
Motors, two of the world’s largest advertisers, to replace flat
compensation rates with fee-based formulas that reward agen-
cies whose work produces higher sales. This risk-based approach
to advertising generated some astonishingly effective creative
campaigns and forced the agencies to experiment with al-
ternatives to the lucrative TV commercial. Not surprisingly, the
human element featured strongly.
Leo Burnett pioneered this drive to restore the human touch to
advertising. “In this way we try to differentiate ourselves from the
competition,” says Pat Goggin, MD of Sonnenberg Murphy Leo
Burnett (SMLB). “Our advertising seeks to excite deep-seated
human emotions and connect people with brands through pow-
erful story-telling.”
Leo Burnett calls it their brand belief system.
“The brand belief system converts buyers to believers by
creating the most compelling brand stories,” adds Goggin. “The
stories are based on a promise between the brand and its current
or potential believers, which is kept alive, whatever the challenge.”
Fancy verbiage has no place in the brand belief system. “A

154 AdFocus/Supplement to the Financial Mail/May 18 2001

AGENCY FOCUS LEO BURNETT

believer is a person for whom the brand promise resonates, a

person who believes that the brand lives up to its promise. Think
Harley Davidson, Ferrari or Levi-Strauss.
“The brand story is just that, the story of the brand. From values with human values, adds Goggin.
discovery to fulfilling and evolving the brand promise. This is not Examples include Microsoft, Oracle, Nike
really a system, more a philosophy. An underlying belief in the and Starbucks, all of which have huge
power of a brand story to exist, resonate and eventually become a social investment budgets and are seen
member of the community.” as “people-friendly”.
The world’s most successful companies align their corporate “It’s up to us to tell these stories, and
help the companies sell their products at
the same time,” he concludes. ■

Telling it like it is
vertisement for MTN was that Vodacom has snapped up
rights to SA’s top teams. Leo Burnett’s answer was to
Liberty “dreams” campaign showcase diski, the name used to describe township

A
part from being the world’s most recognised brand,
or perhaps because of it, Coca-Cola has produced
some of the most memorable advertisements of all
time.
Last year, Sonnenberg Murphy Leo
Burnett (SMLB) produced First Kiss,
about a Moroccan boy who likens a
sip of Coke to kissing a girl — only
better. This highly acclaimed com-
mercial was created by SA but
flighted internationally. To add to the
authenticity, a local boy who had
never tasted Coke was found and
his first sip captured on film.
Another locally produced home
run was the story of a township
entrepreneur who grows up with
Coca-Cola: first drinking it, then sell-
ing it from a pushbike, and later
from a truck. ‘When the Sun Rises’
reveals how Coca-Cola puts money
back into communities by creating
jobs. The visual effect of a painting,
in which characters appear to come
to life, deepens the impact of the
message.
Basil Mina, deputy executive cre-
ative director of the agency and re-
sponsible for the Coke adverts says:
“The visual effect created by super-
imposing shots of painted walls and
sky over the scenes gives the com-
mercial a painterly effect with a
uniquely township flavour. Its artful-
ness creates an air of dignity that’s
well deserved.”
“We believe in making adverts that
get under people’s skin,” says Cal
Bruns, executive creative director at
SMLB. “The truth is, when you touch
a nerve, you make a real connection.
We believe it’s at this level that
brands are built. There’s no award
better than being at a restaurant
and hearing people talk about one of
our advertisements. It shows we
created real impact.”
Mina says the challenge in coming
up with a soccer sponsorship ad-
soccer where personal style and flair are valued above
teamwork. “Our guys dug into the soul of the game and our
adverts struck a nerve for MTN with their insight and flair,” says
Mina. Informal feedback suggests the campaign was well loved by
soccer fans.
Sometimes great adverts are out there just waiting to be
made. When Bruns heard that 28 South Africans planned
to hire Wembley Stadium for an afternoon to live out their
dream by “worshipping at the altar of football”, he iden-
tified this as a perfect example of people “at Liberty” to
write their own life stories. “While the game was played in
an empty stadium and only a Queen lookalike handed out a
cup to the winning team, this dream come true made a
compelling example of what Liberty’s financial planning
can do. Campaigns are most effective when they reflect
truth in surprising ways.”
The message accompanying the launch of the quirky
Mercedes-Benz A class was “odd is in”. Rather than the
usual presentation of a shiny car going through its paces
on the open road, SMLB’s “Jealousy makes you nasty”
advertisement probed non-owner’s reactions to the new
design by depicting a young man in
a suit splashing mud on a new C
class Mercedes-Benz. “The risk of
not showing the car in its shiny, Cal Bruns
pristine form was overshadowed
by the pure, honest truth of the
message,” says Bruns.
The campaign worked, with the C
class back-ordered until 2002.
An even greater challenge was
developing a workable campaign
for Ananzi, the Internet portal,
which had little brand loyalty two
years ago. “We researched all the
things Ananzi can do and found it
was exceptionally fast,” says
Bruns. “This led us to the ‘Find it
fast’ campaign line, which we ex-
ecuted in absolutely outrageous
ways, to great success. Ananzi’s
page impressions have gone from
1,5m to 4m a month since the
campaign was launched.”
Though creative awards are wel-
come, client longevity is the great-
est reward for creative excellence,
Coke, Lion, MTN adds Goggin. SMLB’s relationship
with Mercedes-Benz goes back 36
years, Liberty 11 years, and SA
Breweries 15 years. ■

156 AdFocus/Supplement to the Financial Mail/May 18 2001

AGENCY FOCUS LEO BURNETT This feature is supported by agency and client advertising AGENCY FOCUS

Hammering home
the credentials
Kevin Kleynhans, James Daniels
Durban agency is on the crest of a wave

R B
Sexy guys are ‘fluid and dynamic’
ed Nail, 100% owned by Leo Burnett Holdings, tripled
its business in the five months to March, picking up
the Incredible Connection, Revlon, Colemer and the
Gauteng Shared Services Centre, lifting its billings to a
projected R100m. “We’ve started to apply the brakes,” says MD
Grant Baker. “We don’t want to overstretch
ourselves.” Other clients include 5fm, I Fusion,
Global Technologies, E*Trade, Mobil, Action
Stations, e.tv and Mercantile Bank.
Now 12 years young, Red Nail was better
known as a below-the-line agency until pressed
by clients to take on advertising assignments as
a way of ensuring creative consistency. In
1995 it won two Loerie Grands Prix and 11
Golds for below-the-line work. Then it moved
above the line and grabbed attention with
arresting campaigns for clients such as 5fm,
SAA and Cadbury’s. Baker ascribes much of the
agency’s success to the creative team —
headed by Kevin Kleynhans and James Daniels
— and an aggressive expansion programme. It
ditched much of the small-scale project work
that had been its bread and butter and styled
itself a “through-the-line” agency, handling ev-
erything from in-store promotions to TV ads.
It was helped by some particularly successful
creative coups. One was SAA’s Olympic plane
(Ndizani) painted in stark African colours and
seen around the world. One of the cheekiest
framed Finance Minister Trevor Manuel’s nor-
mally bald head in an Afro hairstyle with the
rowsing through the boardroom of Durban-based Flag-
ship Communications tells you a lot about what puts
wind in their sails. First sight of the solid, functional,
rather than ostentatious, hardwood furniture and
meticulously displayed naval memorabilia gives one the feeling of
being in the Captain’s cabin. But that’s hardly surprising and totally
in keeping with the organisation’s name. The feel-good vibe is
further enhanced by the fact that Flagship’s Berea offices just
happen to overlook the country’s largest port.
But there is more to it than that. Scratch below the surface and
one discovers that far from simply being an attractive display, the
theme closely reflects many of the values to which the or-
Grant Baker
ganisation aspires.
MD, founder, and creative director Craig Clay-Smith puts it this
line, “Where others way: “Though we have no direct maritime connections, we identify
see recession, we see closely with the ethos of the sea and along with the strong
growth”, for Alliance characteristics the nautical environment brings out in people.
Capital. “The client Things like: Boldly navigating previously uncharted waters and
liked the idea, but it discovering new worlds; adventure; teamwork and rowing to-
took us five months to gether; self reliance, coupled with hard work in having to tackle
Nutriphase, pluck up the courage challenges as they arise; and staying on an even keel in an
Alliance to ask Manuel’s per- environment (the ocean) which changes every millisecond.”
Odyssey mission,” says One could probably add to that a few other characteristics like
Daniels. “He agreed right away.” Timed to co- self-confidence rather than boastfulness, making actions mean-
incide with the Budget, it became a talking point. “The ad put ingful (read giving value for money) and sinking or swimming with Clockwise. . . Donovan Kennedy, Jon Ivins, Grant Walker,
Alliance on the map, which is what they wanted,” says your crewmates (read colleagues and clients). Daryl Harris and Craig Clay-Smith
Daniels. “It was cheeky, yes, but effective — and it brought us That said, what is Flagship? Some might describe it as a
new business.” Kleynhans cites other creative successes for through-the-line agency, but Clay-Smith strongly rejects this per-
Nutriphase dog food, and Cadbury’s “milk moustache” cam-
paign, borrowing a US idea, and playing on the “glass and a
half in every bar” platform. Market share rose nearly 7%. ■

Helping PR
come of age
with the advertising
agency. This is in line
with MS&L’s strategy. In
the past, PR supported
advertising, but the
Nick
Motsatse
F
MS&L philosophy is that
PR builds brands, and
asedemi Newman Leo Burnett (FNLB), the public re- advertising defends
lations arm of Leo Burnett SA, has been rebranded brands.” Companies, it
Manning Selvage & Lee (SA), the global PR network seems, are starting to
owned by Leo Burnett Worldwide’s parent company, appreciate the value of
BCom3. MS&L is the world’s tenth largest public relations firm PR. Many advertising
and is renowned for its counsel, supported by proprietary re- budgets are shrinking,
search and brand-building tools. “The network will be a huge but PR budgets in-
advantage for clients building a global presence, or research into creased by 30% last
their markets,” says FNLB vice-chairman Jenni Newman. “We will year according to a
be able to plan global PR campaigns for clients and give them study by the Public Relations In-
access to international media, which is virtually impossible for a stitute of SA. Using a variety of
PR agency with no global network.” Traditional PR firms tend to be proprietary research and brand-
press release factories, measuring their success in terms of building tools, MS&L has been
column centimetres of press coverage. They serve a vital function able to raise the effectiveness of
by feeding news stories to the bureaus, but they remain, by and its marketing campaigns. Suc-
large, on the periphery of the businesses they serve. MS&L has cess is no longer measured in
turned this around by placing itself at the centre of the brand- centimetre columns of press cov-
building process. erage. “PR has gone way beyond
“We want to differentiate ourselves through our input,” says that. Companies want PR cam-
FNLB MD Nick Motsatse. “With many of our newer clients, we paigns to focus on their brands,”
take over the marketing communications and then work closely says Newman. ■ Bottom . . . Jon Ivins, Russel Watson, Grant
158 AdFocus/Supplement to the Financial Mail/May 18 2001
FLAGSHIP
Jenni
Newman
Top left to right . . . Sam September,
Beverley Theron,Craig Clay-Smith,Tanya
Altshuler, Lesley Wright, AJ Brindley, Holly-
Anne Ford, Daryl Harris, Clarke Balie,
Walker, Grant Walker, Aradhna Padayachee,
Donovan Kennedy
ception: “We are a communications group that owns specialist
divisions — 10 in all with the latest addition, a PR company at the
beginning of the year — each addressing its market sector, but
working closely with its in-house partners to provide clients with
broadly based solutions. The divisions include above- and below-
the-line expertise, but also encompass a wide variety of other skills
from PR to change management."
In short, he adds, Flagship’s aim is to be a group of specialists
who operate autonomously while working the synergies with
clients covering the broad communications spectrum.
The concepts of change management “pushing the paradigm”
crop up repeatedly in any conversation with Clay-Smith and his
fellow directors Daryl Harris (group planning) and Donovan
Kennedy (account director). They see Flagship as being about
change and change management. “If clients want an ad agency to
create communications without challenging the paradigm, then
Flagship isn’t for them.
“If, however, they want us to challenge the paradigm and
challenge them to think differently, that is what we are about,”
explains Kennedy.
AdFocus/Supplement to the Financial Mail/May 18 2001 159