Leading international cement brand, Lafarge, has appointed Boomtown to make its brand relevant to the local South African market. Established for over 180 years, but only part of the South African market for ten years, Lafarge is a challenger brand in South Africa competing with established brands with local heritage.

Glen Meier, Boomtown strategic director, remarks on the appointment saying: "We are proud to have partnered with the global Lafarge group and its local marketing team to challenge the market and position the brand as a solution-based brand. We're utilising our strategic strengths to grow Lafarge brand awareness with its audiences, and to develop a creative campaign that is inspirational, memorable and that disrupts the market."

Boomtown created a campaign centred around the fundamental human need for sustainable buildings and construction that supports a rapidly growing population. In evolving the brand strategy to ensure South African relevance, the positioning ‘shape the future’, was created. "The campaign speaks to building the nation by providing progressive and innovative construction solutions for future generations. And, by placing the Lafarge "L" iconography at the centre of campaign visuals we are placing Lafarge at the centre of construction and development in SA," adds Meier. The campaign has been placed across various mediums including radio and civil and building print media.

On the appointment, Lafarge Marketing Manager, Madoda Manitshana comments, "Lafarge South Africa focuses on providing solutions to help the sustainable development of better cities that benefit communities. This message, along with insights Boomtown uncovered during its research, has ignited the brand and made us relevant to the South African market.”

Vietnam is the worlds largest recipient of illegal rhino horn from South Africa. To reduce rhino horn consumption and therefore demand, Wilderness Foundation Africa is working with school-going Vietnamese youngsters to create a generation of ambassadors who will grow up to be in a position to influence their peers, parents and families to reduce and ultimately stop the demand for rhino horn.

Building on the story and campaign developed with the expertise of Boomtown in 2015, Rhino Ranger returns this month for a second instalment of the Rhino Ranger comic book.  Rhino Ranger is a superhero character that was conceptualised and created to spread the message of the “Wild Rhino | Vietnam, be my Hero” campaign to the target audience in Vietnam.  The story of Rhino Ranger continues as he travels to Vietnam to discover why his mother was killed in South Africa. “Our first edition was incredibly popular, and our competition to become a Wild Rhino Youth Ambassador has been a huge success,” remarks Cheryl Reynolds, Relationship and Communications Manager of Wilderness Foundation Africa. "To target a younger audience, we are adding an activity book for those under 12. It's incredibly exciting to see the campaign grow and reach more young Vietnamese children and mould future generations.”

Using cultural insights, the personal experience of the Wilderness Foundation Africa team who have been to Vietnam on various occasions throughout the campaign, Boomtown was able to create a comic that was truly believable to its readership. “The appearance of streets and the depiction of the culture need to be a true reflection of Vietnam,” remarks Andrew MacKenzie, Boomtown Managing Director, who has visited Vietnam with the Wilderness Foundation Africa when it first launched Rhino Ranger. “We need the youth that we engage with to buy into the campaign and become ambassadors for change. We cannot do that if they cannot connect with our content.”

The story for each edition is left open-ended to feed a hunger to know more and create word of mouth between children in the playground, in the classroom and at home.

Published alternate years, the comic is complimented by a competition to become a Wild Rhino Youth Ambassador and visit South Africa to experience rhino in their natural habitat. Junior children are chosen through a competition to draw a picture and write a poem, and senior children are tasked to write an essay on reducing the demand for rhino horn.

In addition to expanding the Rhino Ranger story and material, the campaign is extending to international schools in Hanoi. “We have already had a great reception from the international schools we are working within Ho Chi Minh City, and the team is excited to launch in Hanoi this September,” adds Reynolds.

The Wilderness Foundation Africa team will visit Vietnam in September 2018 to launch the third round of the Wild Rhino competition, and distribute the Rhino Ranger comic book and activity book, along with other marketing collateral to the participating schools in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

Building on the corporate identity seen in the summer custard campaign, the First Choice custard winter campaign created by Boomtown sees the custard character ready for the colder temperatures.

Building on previous campaign lines, and understanding that during good times or bad, comfort food makes anything better, #custardmakesitbetter will be used in all communication alongside iconic typography, striking colours and engaging visuals. 

“First Choice custard is a well-loved product, and we want to create a community and following around the brand and its campaigns and create talkability,” remarks Lauren McNish, the Boomtown account director who oversees the First Choice/Woodlands Dairy account. “Our character will be placed in different scenarios consoling different winter desserts, playfully making them better.” 

The campaign includes intrigue creating point of sale as well as a competition to win cash prizes. “It is envisaged that the First Choice custard character will become a brand mascot,” adds McNish. “We will be giving him a real persona that has infinite longevity, placing him in different scenarios and developing his role within the brand.”

Working across three brands under its Food Service Division on a B2B campaign and with the fresh and frozen Country Rangefor a B2C campaign, Boomtownis delighted to announce it is working with Sovereign Foods.  

Cater Chicken, Chef’s Choiceand Chicken ‘Tizersfall under the Sovereign Foods Food Services division and a brand awareness campaign has been created by Boomtown to drive sales within the broader food services market. Using print and digital advertising and a highly targeted direct mail campaign, the creative highlights product quality and convenience. The consumer campaign for Country Range (fresh and frozen produce), includes in-store trialing, point of sale, radio promotion and competitions in selected stores within the Eastern Cape.

The consumer campaign will span a nine-month period, and will encourage trial and brand engagement,” remarks Glen Meier, Boomtown strategic director. “And we will be using a popular radio personality to share recipe inspirations using Country Range chicken.

“We remain deeply committed to developing quality products and meals for the nation,” remarked Gerald Walter, Sovereign Foods director of marketing and sales. “An unrelenting passion for what we do, a culture of disruption and innovation and an ongoing investment in world-class farming, processing assets and our people are unique advantages that shape our growth and trajectory towards being a leader in South Africa in terms of sales volume and product quality.”