How interactivity can shake up mobile advertising in South Africa

Ogilvy created a microsite for Yum Brands that featured a video of a group of people in a kitchen. When viewers shook their mobile devices, the people and kitchen décor in the video would shake around too. The site promoted KFC’s ShakinShakin meal, which was made to be shaken before consumption.

media update’s Nikita Geldenhuys caught up with Barnes to find out what went into making the microsite.

Ogilvy was awarded Gold for the KFC ‘ShakinShakin’ campaign in both the Mobile Campaign category and the Microsites category. Why did Ogilvy opt for a microsite instead of a social media video?

The interactivity at the core of the campaign demanded a microsite – linking the accelerometer of the phone to sequence different parts of the video.

Can you take us through the inception process of this campaign, from identifying your client’s need to fine-tuning the final concept?

KFC’s new ShakinShakin meal had a novel USP; it was made to be shaken. This meal was a completely new format. In addition, the target audience is a mobile-first audience, so it made sense to combine the format of the product with a mobile-based campaign.

We built an interactive mobile video where the more you shake your phone, the more flavour you add to the video, just like the product itself. The easy part was integrating with the phone’s accelerometer. The hard part was convincingly shaking a whole scene, without relying purely on postproduction.

To do this, we had to build a special stage that we could drop over and over. Additionally, we had to use a combination of dummies and special effects to give the illusion of people being shaken around.

How was the microsite promoted in terms of marketing channels and advertisements?

We measure ideas on their merits, not by which discipline came up with the idea. This philosophy means that the core idea is integrated at birth and is raised in an integrated environment.

So when it comes to bringing a campaign like ‘ShakinShakin’ to life, the supporting mediums and messages are all part of the same ecosystem from the start. In this case, the microsite was promoted via various channels: TVC, radio, OOH, desktop programmatic, mobile, and social creative channels.

What targets did your team set for itself with this campaign and to what extent did you achieve them?

The original campaign metrics set at the beginning of the campaign were based on media spend. We exceeded these and the updated stretch targets as mentioned in the case video.

We had over 1.2 million views on the video, with more than 5.3 million shakes. We also moved a tonne of vouchers as people became intrigued enough to try the product.?

What elements of the campaign were vital to its success?

The way we work, review, and create is the most important ingredient of our work. It seems obvious, but collaborating – internally, with the client, with partners, and media – is the simplest way to ensure you create relevant work that resonates with the audience.

The core element to the campaign was interactivity. Once we agreed on the approach, the solution presented itself… sort of. It was vital that the clever [technology] was completely invisible to the audience; we had to work very hard to ensure the audience had a seamless experience.

This, in turn, dictated the platforms and tech we could use.

How unique do you think a campaign with interactive features, like the ‘ShakinShakin’ campaign, is within the South African marketing landscape?

‘ShakinShakin’ was a very unique combination of old ideas to create something fresh. The campaign was the first if its kind in South Africa and internationally.

Do you think there is an opportunity for more interactive mobile campaigns in South Africa?

Absolutely. The market has only really just begun to explore beyond SMS, USSD and social on mobile. The cost of data in South Africa is the single biggest challenge, but the interactive potential at the heart of mobile can ignite all sorts of creative, engaging, and ultimately very efficient campaigns.

But to realise this opportunity, we have to start thinking three-dimensionally and how different mediums combine to create a composite experience rather than comparing one medium to another.

Another agency that took home Gold awards at the 2017 Bookmarks for its work with mobile is Net#work BBDO. Read executive creative director Brad Reilly’s comments on the company’s wins in our article, Net#work BBDO’s Brad Reilly reflects on its victories at the Bookmark Awards.