For weeks prior to the event, advertising spots on JoziFM, together with live interviews with MAQ brand managers and orphanage representatives, encouraged people to come to the MAQ Fabric Conditioner Washathon and bring all their unwanted clothes and blankets to donate to charity.

The call to action resulted in thousands of Soweto residents attending, with many of them bringing numerous bags of clothes and blankets for donation. While the donated items were being washed by the MAQ Washing team, consumers were entertained by live performances from Amakabasa, Inthombi Zekhethelo, Thembeka and the Skorokoro ensemble, Sphesihle, Ballers Academy, Who r They, The Sophiatown Sistas and The Smangori. JoziFM presenters, who were broadcasting live from the event, also joined the performers on stage and provided great amusement for all.

“It’s the first time we’ve had an event of this kind in Soweto and we were extremely pleased with the response. For weeks prior to the event JoziFM listeners were told about the MAQ Fabric Conditioner Washathon and were invited to bring unwanted clothing and blankets for us to donate to orphanages. People really opened their hearts and helped to make the event a success,” says Jacqueline Jacobs, marketing director at Bliss Brands.

The Bliss Brands MAQ Fabric Conditioner Washathon was an extremely relevant way of connecting with the community and target market. It provided the opportunity for consumers to experience the MAQ Fabric Conditioner variants for themselves and allowed them to engage and connect with the brand.

The event also harnessed the power of shared values – that of caring for those less fortunate. This allowed the brand to reach consumers on a more personal level, thus creating word-of-mouth and enhancing loyalty to the brand and the product range. The washathon benefitted five shelters within the Soweto area.

The MAQ Fabric Conditioner Washathon was for the community and, in line with this, all the performers were from the greater Soweto area. They performed on a state-of-the-art, fully-automated mobile rig provided by Oomph! Africa. The rig, appropriately named Big Daddy, is a custom-built, fully-integrated ‘plug and play’ audio-visual solution with an impressive 11x6.8m stage, as well as an undercover 12m2 LED screen that provided a live video feed of the event.

In between performances, consumers had the opportunity to partake in a Spin and Win competition. Many branded spot prizes and bigger prizes, including a washing machine, a fridge and a microwave, were up for grabs. Furthermore, as part of the brand experience, each person who attended received a free MAQ Handwash sample to take home with them.

“Since its launch, the MAQ brand has always been a people’s brand and as such CSI campaigns are very much a part of the Bliss Brands corporate DNA. Over the years, the Soweto community has really supported our brands, especially MAQ Washing Powder, and the Washathon was one of the ways in which we could give back to the community,” concludes Jacobs.

Bliss Brands will be implementing a number of other CSI projects during 2014 and look forward to involving communities all over South Africa in their initiatives.

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