My long-time clients and friends at SA Rugby brought me back on as Consulting ECD (or “One-man Agency”) for another HSBC SVNS CPT event campaign (formerly known as “The HSBC Cape Town 7s”). I was responsible for conceptualising, writing and/or creative directing and managing all aspects of a full, end-to-end TTL campaign, spanning four months. Including brand positioning and pay-off line, TVCs, radio, event branding, liaising with World Rugby, and acting as ECD/”client”/Senior Copywriter to SARU’s social agency supplier, Moonsport.
BRAND POSITIONING AND CAMPAIGN TAGLINE
First, I developed this year’s event campaign line “It’s a Whole Vibe!”, alongside SA Rugby Senior Brand Manager Marlon Kruger. Along with all of the campaign’s consistent copy constructs, nomenclature, Content Matrix and messaging pillars.
TVC
Our TVC, which I wrote, CDed (and voiced) was edited and produced by Kirk Stoltz from Black and White Stripes. With audio from our friend Myles McDonald at Hey!PapaLegend Studios.
A MASSIVE SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN
I worked alongside SARU’s Social Media supplier agency, Moonsport, in a hybrid ECD/”client” capacity. I created the Content Matrix, then oversaw, creative directed, copy edited and – in many cases – wrote an intensive, four-month social media campaign, across Instagram, Tik Tok and Facebook.
To see the full campaign in more detail, visit the @CapeTown7s Instagram page‘s posts, from 18 September to 11 December 2024.
A WHOLE LOT OF RADIO
After Social Media, radio was our biggest awareness channel. I wrote, produced and voiced more than 30 radio spots, with ads covering brand, retail, rugby, entertainment line-ups, sales promotions, event information, countdown timers, station-specific giveaways, and more. Many required various cutdown versions – usually including 30″, 20″, 15″ and 10″ – to accommodate mixed flighting packages negotiated with regional stations. Audio production, as always, from the excellent Myles McDonald at Hey!PapaLegend
PRINT MEDIA
There were a great deal of print assets also needed. Including street poles, flyers, posters, pre-tournament promotional events, stadium information and more. All of which needed writing and creative directing, across a wide range of SARU’s supplier network. With CI approvals from World Rugby all across the process.
WE BROKE A WORLD RECORD!
With the “Amapiano Tik Tok” dance phenomenon going viral after the 2023 Rugby World Cup, SARU wanted to capitalise on the trend and cement the dance into SA Rugby culture, by setting a world record in-stadium dance, with 50 000 fans all executing the same moves (well… more or less!)
A great deal of pre-event marketing went into awareness of the record attempt, including mall and beach activations where professional dancers taught the moves to audiences whilst also promoting event attendance.
And it worked! The record was officially set at SVNS CPT 2024!
THE EVENT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS
The 2024 event was critical for SARU and the SVNS CPT brand, after a few challenging years for Sevens in Cape Town. The previous year’s Sevens World Cup event having been hosted in Cape Town (during particularly bad weather) had saturated demand and “muddied the waters” of the annual Tour event’s identity. Along with a string of poor finishes for the home-team Blitzboks in recent years, attendance has steadily dropped since 2022. We really needed a good showing with this year’s campaign, and at the event itself.
It was a resounding success all around! With each year’s attendance generally depending on the year before’s event quality and sentiment, we’re looking forward to a BANGER in 2025!