The Smarties are a global awards program run by the Mobile Marketing Association and recognise excellence in innovation, creativity and results. All South African submissions were vetted by an international judging panel before being submitted for scoring and inspection by the local judges. Only 17 entries were shortlisted.
Pond's 7 Day Challenge was the only entry in the Messaging category to qualify. Judging Chair Tim Bishop had some insightful remarks regarding South Africa's creative power and the opportunity domestic internet usage patterns offers in terms of pioneering mobile marketing techniques.
"After being lucky enough to have previously judged the Smarties in New York, it was no less 'glam' sitting with the esteemed SA judges for our own regional version of the awards. It has always been very hard with our lower tech consumer market of SA to compete with the glam and glitz of global entries incorporating mass market new technology apps, wearables and fitness bands, but our clever, contextual use of this limited tech alongside the full understanding the wide range of consumers in SA really makes for really innovative campaigns that have true reach and success for the brands involved. SA has done well in the global awards every year, but now we can really focus on, and recognise the great work within our shores," comments Tim Bishop, Director Deloitte Digital and Chair for Standard Bank MMA Smarties™.
Six bronze, five silver and two golds were awarded, with no Grand Prix's.
"We were excited about being shortlisted, so winning a bronze is a cause for celebration," enthused Gorilla MD Michelle McEwan. "The Smarties scoring system weighs up creativity, strategy and results, so this really ratifies the blend of insight and execution we're applying to the marketing strategy for Pond's. We're creating brand love, which is great."
The 7 Day Challenge placed a text message mechanic at the centre of a multimedia integrated campaign that invited women of South Africa to see the lasting difference a week of daily changes could have on their lives.
About Pond's
For over 150 years, Pond's has been dedicated to making a real difference to women's skin care needs and way of life. To this day, generations of beautiful women continue to turn to Pond's for time-tested skin care products that work. No fuss, no drama, no complicated steps. Experience the art of simple beauty.
Pond's knows that beauty is an emotional experience for women. All their skin care solutions are designed to feel incredible as you use them, look beautiful on your dressing table and above all, work. With Pond's, it's all about creating a personal and unforgettable skin experience for every unique complexion.
About Gorilla
Think of us as a digital agency helping brands and companies meet marketing and business objectives through creative, digital solutions. We see ourselves as a group of people privileged to have the opportunity to do really cool stuff. We are honoured to take on the voice of some of South Africa's leading brands and, through design, creative, strategy or daydream, we work so that every interaction a fan or follower has with a brand is a good one.
You can follow us on our mission to build brand love on Twitter as @GorillaCM, like our Facebook Fan Page or check out our musings by visiting www.gorillacreativemedia.com.
Queries can be sent to mc.allirog@olleh.
