This campaign reminds me with the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Online Guerrilla campaign, this time it was for an automotive supplement in South Africa called Drive Times, the idea was to circulate fake car sales ads, each leads to a made-up character that would answer people’s questions about the cars, well, kind of! Check the video for more details about the campaign.
The Cape Times newspaper supplement, the Drive Times, is one of the more reliable places to look if you’re interested in buying a vehicle. In order to demonstrate this, we went about dramatising just the opposite by creating three rather interesting characters who are attempting to sell their vehicles directly to the public at a remarkably good price (via posters around the city, emailers and ‘for sale’ signs attached to their cars). When callers call the cellphone number (+27) 82 234 5800, they are greeted by one of our three fabricated characters: Clifford, Mike or Doris. However, these are merely pre-recorded messages made to sound as if the caller has in fact gotten through to them. Once the caller puts down the phone, they are immediately sent the following SMS: Before you consider buying a vehicle from anyone else, consult the Drive Times for new & used vehicles. Free every Thursday with the Cape Times. Know all about it.
Advertising Agency: Lowe Bull, South Africa
Executive Creative Director: Kirk Gainsford
Art Director: Romano Cardinal
Copywriters: Natalie Rose, Chris De Villiers
Client Services: Kyle Dewar, Claire Dodds
Media partner: Strike Media
Producer: Brian Scott
Sound Studio: Sterling Sound
Sound Engineer: Lorens Persson
