Draftfcb was right on the money this year, winning Gold at both the Loerie and Pendoring Awards for the Lotto campaign. Associate Creative Director Grant Sithole is on hand with the winning formula…
RAB: Tell us a bit about the awards. What impact do they have for you, your agency and local radio creative as a whole?
GS: Being awarded at both the Loerie awards and the Pendorings is of significant importance to the agency and to me. It’s recognition for the hard work and crafting we put into our work. That the awards are for work done in one of the languages that seem to play an unintentional second fiddle to English on the radio medium, makes them that much more special. SA radio advertising is getting better and more colourful by the day.
RAB: Take us through the thinking behind the campaign; any interesting crafting features that really made it work?
GS: Lotteries are very well trodden territory when it comes to creative ideas and it’s very easy to find yourself doing work that somehow sounds like something you’ve heard before. We developed the character of ‘Donnie’ a sort of ‘anti-hero’ or the guy you wish would never win the lottery and had some fun with him boasting about the ridiculous things he’d done with the winnings. The colourful and beautiful language of Xitsonga made the spots that much more special.
RAB: Please share some top tips on writing for radio. What would you caution against?
GS: People don’t switch on the radio to hear ads. If your ad is gonna get in the way of me listening to my favourite song or favourite DJ (huh?) then it better be good. Humour does of course help, but we shouldn’t neglect the quality of the writing. Also, people love hearing characters they recognise or can put a face to. Oh, it doesn’t hurt to have a good concept either.
RAB: Your thoughts on the awards vs. advertising effectiveness debate?
GS: There’s no reason why award winning work and effective work shouldn’t be the same thing. But it’s gonna take advertisers acknowledging that our audiences are a lot smarter than we sometimes give them credit for. The thinking seems to be that we can be braver when it comes to ‘awards’ work but have to play it safer when we make the work we put out into the world. The sooner we bridge that gap the better.
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