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FCB's new Yebo Gogo TV commercial nets high scores for entertainment and cross-cultural appeal

The latest in the popular 'Yebo Gogo' TV commercials for Vodacom takes the leading cellular brand into a new space, literally and figuratively, via another humorous encounter between the familiar 'windgat' yuppie (Michael de Pina), a pair of football prodigies played by Montle Selepe and Johathan Ketleebo and again featuring the old hero (Bankole Omotoso).

Topline results for the commercial, received after only a week of flighting, show that it has achieved verified noting scores of 67% in the emerging market (norm 13%) and 54% in the developed market (norm 34%). When it comes to liking, the commercial hit 8.4 within the emerging market (norm 7.6) and 7.8 in the developed market (norm 7.0).

The storyline which achieved this impressive performance is vintage FCB Johannesburg, Vodacom's marketing partner. Fresh from his foray into the platteland as an Elvis impersonator in the previous Yebo Gogo ad, SA's favourite schlemiel finds himself on the urban Highveld, over-dressed and over-confident as always, and looking for an opportunity to show off his goalkeeping prowess.

Spying two diminutive youngsters in a park, he smugly challenges them to a game - only to have his bravado shattered when his opponents turn out to be miniature Rinaldos.

Finally De Pina flukes a save but the ball rebounds off his gloved fist and clips the park keeper who is quietly cleaning the pond, with predictable results. Fortunately archangel Bankole is on hand to summon help via the Vodacom emergency number while De Pina is chased up and left clinging, koala-like, to a tall tree to avoid his enraged victim.

"Spiked with the series' signature wry humour, this latest commercial has all sorts of witty in-jokes that appeal specifically to all the millions of soccer aficionados across the nation," says Creative Director and godfather to 'Yebo Gogo', Francois de Villiers. "For example, Michael thinks he is really cool signalling the Kaizer Chiefs' peace sign while making a complete ass of himself by mumbling 'Ama bhaka-bhaka', the nick-name of their biggest rivals Orlando Pirates".

"The creative team, which features Sasha Saunders (copywriter) and Carl Willoughby (art director) and Michael Middleton (director) from Peter Gird Productions, have embedded some marvellous gags into this story. It should have South Africa laughing out loud for a long time to come. And soccer fans will be blown away by the dazzling ball-skills displayed by the youngsters."

Besides its obvious entertainment appeal, 'Boys Boys' enhances the Vodacom brand through the subtle link to Vodacom's sport sponsorship in general, and its long-time support for football in particular.

"With soccer very much top-of mind due to the World Cup, the benefit to the brand will be very substantial indeed," De Villiers concludes.



Editorial contact

C-Cubed Communications
Petra Peacock
011-462-2596

18 Jun 2002 08:25

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