You don't have to be an avid Checkers shopper to admit that Checkers is killing it in the marketing game lately. It is quickly becoming the new It-girl in South African brand marketing. That is why we decided to take a look at some of its best recent campaigns, in hopes of learning something.
There is a very specific colour taking over our screens and streets. Everywhere you look in South Africa, you will see the colour turquoise.
All the other brands and marketers are making way because Checkers is slowly becoming the new king — and queen — of South African marketing.
Its marketing never really sucked, but truth be told, Checkers has been stepping up its game over the last few years.
There is no need to swipe an Xtra Savings Card because Alrika Möller from media update is giving away the Checkers marketing tea, for free.
Fitting Collaborations
At the start of September 2024, Checkers launched a new ad to announce that it is now a Discovery Vitality HealthyFood partner. The ad explains the many ways you can save or get cash back with the new Checkers and Vitality partnership.
That is not the best part …
Jamie Oliver is the face of this ad campaign! Oliver is obviously a well-known chef from London. One of the reasons he is so famous is because of a project he ran to encourage and increase healthy food options for schools and families.
The project went with a string of TV shows where he helped schools and families embrace a healthier lifestyle and a Jamie Olivier cooking show where he cooked healthy meals.
All of this makes Oliver's appearance in the ad so much cooler. Not only is a major, international celebrity chef starring in a Checkers ad in South Africa, but he is also famous for helping people eat healthily and now he is promoting Checkers as a Vitality HealthyFood partner.
Talk about fitting.
Partnerships are great and all, but if the other brand or celebrity has nothing to do with the purpose of the collaboration or campaign, it will feel disconnected. A disconnected campaign will not resonate with your audience and, ultimately, fall flat.
Local is Lekker
One thing that Checkers understands better than most is who its market is. Checkers is a South African supermarket that caters to a huge portion of the country's population.
Checkers creates its marketing campaigns accordingly.
If you are South African and have watched any of the recent Springbok rugby games, you have seen the 'Team SA, We Play Better Together' ad campaign. Its ads revolve around a South African rugby game where local South Africans and “uniquely South African” things give the Springboks a helping hand.
We get a fun little kick out of seeing the car guard helping with the scrum and Tannies intimidating the other team. The convenient load-shedding when the other team gets a penalty kick makes people all over the country laugh.
When you know your audience the way Checkers knows South Africans, you can make jokes and references that they will really enjoy. Checkers including these 'local' moments tapped into some real patriotism that only South Africans will understand.
Situational Strategies
The clear sign of a good marketing team is when a brand can use current situations and conversations and make the most out of them. Checkers has a great marketing team.
During the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Checkers was one of the main sponsors of the SuperSport coverage. It utilised the event in multiple ways.
Checkers got people to download the Sixty60 App like crazy in hopes of winning R1-million. To enter the competition, you had to spend R350 on Sixty60, as well as have an Xtra Savings Card connected to your app.
Checkers also made a series of social media posts and ads featuring Sixty60 drivers delivering groceries to the families of Springbok players in Paris. The drivers were seen all over Paris, driving past so many iconic locations.
Instagram
The last genius moment Checkers had during the 2023 Rugby World Cup was when it got in on the joke about the turquoise Springbok jerseys. From the moment the jerseys were revealed, people started making Checkers jokes.
Checkers decided to join in and made an incredibly funny video denying and claiming credit all at the same time.
A Touch of Turquoise
Checkers started Sixty60 back in November of 2019. Since then, its delivery drivers have gone from noticeably bright drivers on the street to local superheroes.
Literally! You can now buy action figures and the whole outfit. Children are looking past the Spiderman costume in stores and begging their parents for the Sixty60 onesie and plastic motorbike.
Instagram
When children are begging for the merch, you know your branding is on point because, let's be honest, children have real power over parental shopping decisions. If your child idolises the Sixty60 drivers, you are not going to buy your groceries somewhere else.
Marketing matters and when some brands get it wrong, they get it really wrong, but when Checkers' marketing team gets it right, they get it really right.
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*Image courtesy of Checkers Instagram Page