W
hen Cartrack embarked on finding a key
message that it wanted to convey in its
new TV commercial (TVC), it decided to fo-
cus on a promise it made to South Africans, which
no competitor has been able to match.
‘We are the only vehicle tracking company in
South Africa that offers our clients up to R150 000
in the unlikely event that we are unable to recover
their stolen or hijacked vehicle. We decided that
this powerful message which provides our clients
with the most exceptional peace of mind was to be
the focus of our new TV campaign. Not only does
it underpin the fact that we have a 94 percent in-
dependently audited recovery rate, but it clearly
shows that if we cannot recover a client’s vehicle,
that is legitimately reported stolen or hijacked and
complies with our terms and conditions, we will
put our money where our mouth is. In our industry,
if a vehicle is not recovered, most clients end up
holding the can, but not for Cartrack clients, as we
firmly believe that we are accountable to our clients
for the promises we make,’ saidd Jacqui Nel, Car-
track’s Marketing and Communications Manager.
It was up to creative agency, Grey Africa, to
find a way to get the message across clearly and
succinctly. ‘Many brands over-promise and under-
deliver, which influences consumer expectations of
what they see and hear in advertising campaigns.
We had to find a way to let viewers know that Car-
track’s R150 000 Warranty is sincere, and in fact un-
precedented in the industry,’ said Francois Boshoff,
Grey Africa Creative Director.
The creative team came up with the idea of a
car disappearing in pieces, made possible by supe-
rior production and a few incredible special effects.
‘As far as we know, the concept had never been
used in any film or TVC. Ultimately, we want the
R150 000 Warranty message to resonate with the
audience by showing them that even if their car
“disappears right in front of their eyes”, there’s no
need to worry with Cartrack,’ explained Boshoff.
Grey Africa enlisted the expertise of production
company, Giant Films, with Sam Coleman as direc-
tor and Laura Sampson as producer, to translate
it into a workable visual platform. You would ex-
pect the special effects of a disappearing car to be
computer-generated, but Sam chose for the major-
ity of the effects to happen live during filming, with
parts of the car literally flying off. Luthuli Dlamini
was cast as the lead actor in the TVC and portrays
a motorist whose vehicle literally disappears, piece
by piece, while he is driving it.
Downtown Johannesburg with its big city,
gritty urban feel provided the backdrop for the TVC.
‘Shooting in downtown Jozi on a Saturday evening
can be tricky, especially when you close off a road
that taxi drivers use every day. Other than some
rather impatient taxi drivers and a touch of Cape
Town weather, the eight-hour shoot progressed
very smoothly,’ said Boshoff.
‘We are delighted with the end result,’ said Jac-
qui Nel of Cartrack. ‘The team at Grey Africa and
Giant Films have done an excellent job. The TVC is
scheduled to be flighted from 21 July on a bouquet
of DSTV channels and I have no doubt that the mes-
sage it conveys about our R150 000 Warranty will
be as memorable as the commercial is,’ she con-
cluded.
Behind Cartrack’s new R150 000 warranty TV commercial
M
arketing is all about the process of draw-
ing attention to the functions, services of
products of a company. This is done in a
number of ways and through the use of a number
of different channels. A lot of time is spent trying to
find the correct channel and comparing one channel
with another to determine efficacy.
Very often the channel which is overlooked is
the personal approach. People respond and react to
other people, all that is required is the right oppor-
tunity to bring supplier and customer together and
to create the right atmosphere for open conversa-
tion between like-minded parties. One method of
achieving this assembly is to host a company func-
tion, whether it be a golf day, a party, a product
launch or a gala event.
The problem for many companies is to find the
right type of event and then to go about planning
and hosting that event. There are companies which
specialise in the organisation of functions and
events, some with many years of experience. While
this depth of experience brings certain benefits, it
can also mean that the ideas are staid and even
old-fashioned.
A new events company formed in January can
offer you a fresh and different outlook on a wide
range of events. Platinum Star Events was formed
by Melanie Lowe following three years at a leading
event organiser. Melanie believed that she could of-
fer a new perspective with fresh ideas which could
provide clients with something other than the usual
and familiar when it comes to planning functions.
Platinum Star Events offers a range of services
aimed at ensuring that customer events are memo-
rable and at the same time functional. All aspects
of the events are taken care of and managed with
full on-site and hands-on management. Melanie
will assist with venue selection and hire and then
take the function or event to full fruition.
If you are planning a celebration or simply look-
ing for a way to bring your customers together but
can’t think of a valid reason or don’t know how to go
about it, contact the new player in event manage-
ment and call Melanie on 0760695482 or visit the
website
Giving events the platinum finish
www.
nexmedia
.co.za
Nex Media • NEWS
Francois Boshoff
Jacqui Nel Cartrack
Marketing and
Communications Manager
54
Melanie Lowe
