Stork Campaign scoops third place at Ad of the Year

It was a big night for The Hardy Boys (a VML South Africa company) at the Creative Circle’s Ad of the Year awards ceremony. The agency took third place for Ad of the Year in the Out of Home category for an innovative campaign for Stork, executed in partnership with PR and influencer agency Retroviral.

A living billboard

Dubbed “Order from the Country”, the campaign brought a taste of the countryside to the heart of bustling urban Johannesburg. It unfolded at one of South Africa’s busiest malls, the Mall of Africa, offering shoppers a unique opportunity to savour a taste of the countryside during the holiday season. At the heart of the experience was an interactive billboard designed to delight and surprise passers-by by magically interacting with them like something straight out of a children’s storybook.

Wholesome lunch incoming

But it didn’t stop there. Shoppers were randomly selected to participate and given the chance to place real-time food orders through the interactive Stork billboard. The menu featured three delectable options, each more mouth-watering than the last and, of course, always including Stork margarine as a key ingredient.

Shoppers could choose the Gourmet Tramezzini from Whispering Pines, a Waffle Stack from Toadbury Hall or The Fun Guy from Ground from The Venue. All of these options were carefully selected from unique country venues outside of Johannesburg.

As the surprised shoppers looked on, their orders were “magically” delivered fresh from the countryside in just 60 seconds, offering city dwellers a genuine taste of the country.

Making memorable experiences

Trends research shows that people are suffering from digital fatigue and looking for memorable real-world experiences from brands that build connection. The Stork “Order from the Country” campaign achieves all of the above. 

‘The dream is always to partner with creatively ambitious and brave clients,’ says Taweni Gondwe-Xaba, Managing Director of The Hardy Boys. ‘In partnership with the Stork brand team, we conceptualised and executed an intriguing, memorable and immersive brand experience in real life that was powerfully amplified online by our partners at Retroviral. It’s very gratifying that this big win with consumers has translated into a big win with the ad industry’s best minds as well. That’s the sweet spot!’

Geoff Paton, Chief Creative Officer at The Hardy Boys says, ‘It takes a lot of hard work, planning and collaboration to make an idea like “Order From The Country” look effortless and simple. And there aren’t a lot of second chances when you have so many live elements in the mix. So, it was really rewarding to see it all come together in an experience that truly surprised people and brought a smile to their day. Congrats to our team, our agency partners and to our clients at Stork for a great win and for pushing to get this idea out into the world.’