We hi-jacked a hot local conversation, parodied a loved politician, started a new party and exceeded targets by 200% in three months.
Synopsis
OLX is a peer-to-peer online trading site.
Their brief to us was simple: reposition the brand making it relevant to the majority of the population for whom online trading is either unknown or not seen as beneficial.
The business target: 40 000 new listings on the site in 3 months.
Strategy
One of the legacies of Apartheid is a huge gap between rich and poor.
‘Economic freedom for all’ is high on the agenda of most South Africans. For political party, The Economic Freedom Fighters, it’s a priority.
In post-festive season January 2018, there was a spike in the media conversation around economic freedom and the need for saving and responsible living.
The EFF, and their spokesperson, Dr. Mbuyiseni Ddlozi (the people’s bae) were very vocal on the topic. We hijacked the conversation and sent a strong message that you can set yourself economically free by trading at better prices on OLX. We sent this message via a character - a parody of the people’s bae (Ndlozi) - who was played by beloved comedian, S’khumba Hlophe (the people’s SIDE bae)
OLX - Side Bae Single Bed
Each spot talks to an audience insight in a manner that is familiar.
OLX - People's Side Bae: Pawnshop
Pawn shops and ‘mashonisa’s’ (loan sharks) are more often chosen by South Africans to liberate cash. OLX offers a far simpler and convenient alternative
National Budget Speech Tactical
In the days preceding the national budget speech on February 21st, 2018, there was much confusion over who would actually deliver the anticipated speech. This was a hot topic on social media. We seized the opportunity by sending an open letter - (all the cool kids are doing it) - to President Cyril Ramaphosa. It was sent by the People’s Side bae, under the popular #sendme. In his inimitable style he volunteered his services to deliver the budget speech, complete with tips on how to maximise your income with OLX.