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Johannesburg - Two of the country's biggest financial institutions, First National Bank and Old Mutual, are in the market for a new agency.
FNB is a top-ten advertiser that spent R300m on media advertising last year (as measured by The Nielsen Company's AdEx).
Putting its account out to pitch is a massive blow to Draftfcb, the incumbent agency, but the agency has been given a chance to re-pitch.
FNB Director of Brands Derek Carstens says Ogilvy Johannesburg, DDB and MetropolitanRepublic will join Draftfcb in the pitch. A decision will be made by the end of July. Cartens declined to comment on the reasons for the move.
Old Mutual and its agency, Ogilvy South Africa, "agreed to part company," we understand. OM's media spend last year was R110m, according to AdEx. Though Ogilvy will not be happy at the loss of an account it has had for 19 years, the much bigger FNB account could be some compensation - if it wins.
Afrikaans gets a leg-up
The Creative Circle, the ad industry body for creative directors, art directors, copywriters and other creative staff, is giving its official endorsement to the Pendoring Awards. These are presented annually for advertising in the Afrikaans language.
The Circle has hitherto recognised only eight awards events. Four are international (Cannes Lions, Clio, The One Show and D&AD) and the rest local (Loeries, Eagles, Ad of the Year and Ad of the Month).
The purpose of this official endorsement is to discourage hoop-la about second-class awards to a marketplace that doesn't know the difference. An agency might trumpet its success in winning a gold award at the Outer Mongolian Advertising and Yak-roping Contest, creating the mistaken impression that this was a worthy achievement. Clients and others could be taken in by such claims.
In the past, this recognition was accompanied by a system of points designed to make comparisons possible.
This system allocated, for example, 600 points for a Cannes Gold Lion, 500 for a Clio Gold and 350 for a Loerie Gold.
Now, however, the Creative Circle has abandoned the points system on the grounds that it fosters an unhealthy preoccupation with awards and earning of points for masses of mediocre work.
However, we at AdReview will retain the system with some modifications. Without a points system, the Pendoring endorsement carries little real benefit.
"While we can't favour one culture over another, Pendoring has come a long way in recognising other cultures," says Creative Circle chairman Rob McLennan.
Pendoring coordinator Franette Klerck says the endorsement is recognition of the growth in stature of the awards.
Pendoring entries close on July 17, and the awards take place on September 18.
Sunshiny day
The Cannes Lions Advertising Festival, the world's biggest and possibly most prestigious, opens on Sunday with entries down 20% and attendance expected to fall 40% from last year's (record) levels. As many people book at the last moment, confirmed attendance figures won't be known until the final day.
South African ad agencies have won Grands Prix for three years on the trot, an unprecedented achievement for this country.
But the results of the events leading up to Cannes (Clio, The One Show and D&AD) suggest this isn't a vintage year for SA.
A possible exception is Lowe Bull's Meet Wally's Heart campaign for Flora margarine, which has just won a D&AD Yellow Pencil.
While highlighting Flora's health properties, it climaxed with the world's first real-time live broadcast of open-heart surgery. Flora invested R1.4m in the initiative and received media coverage valued at R80m.
A TV commercial with huge public appeal was the documentary-style story about the three-legged cheetah that loves the vicarious sensation of speed it gets from travelling in a Golf 6.
But it got a mixed reaction from creative rivals.
South African agencies spent more than R3m on their entries, which averaged about €385 (R4 240) a shot.
- Fin24.com
