Issued by: Lowe Bull


This is the primary learning that Alves, who was recently appointed creative director of Lowe Bull Johannesburg, has brought back to South Africa from his six years working in the United States. It might seem small, but Alves believes that the future of brands rests predominantly on their ability to find the right space to communicate with their target market.

“Every space between a brand and its potential consumers creates an opportunity for that brand to talk to those consumers,” says Alves.

Alves, who began his advertising career at Ogilvy Johannesburg some 16 years ago, moved across the Atlantic to work in the US in 2001. For the past four years, he has been based at TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles, helping to elevate the Nissan Infiniti to a tier one luxury car brand.

While at the agency, he was also exposed to some of the world's top marketing brands, and brains, working at what he calls the creative world's “ground zero”.

It was this exposure to the transformation of global brand strategy into world class creative communication that formed his opinions on the importance of space.

“Traditional agencies tend to focus on a clearly defined set of spaces, call them traditional media spaces, the likes of TV, radio, print, outdoor and now online,” says Alves. “But there is so much more space out there that is simply ignored.”

Alves is particularly passionate about spaces that can be used to create two-way dialogues between brands and consumers, as well as spaces that allow consumers to experience the brand on a variety of different levels.

“Advertising needs to be more flexible and less one-dimensional in its definition of space,” he says. More then ever our audience is engaging with media on their terms and so our behaviour and ideas should invite people into our brands.

By way of example he quotes just two examples from the US, of brands that are using space in an innovative manner:

To promote the lost art and simple pleasure of writing, Mont Blanc has created technology-free zones in airport lounges across the US. These spaces perform the dual role of providing travelers with welcome respite from the technology that rules our lives, while subtly reinforcing the brand in an appropriately high-flying environment.

For the launch of the Simpsons Movie in the US, Fox transformed a slew of 7-11 stores across the country into Kwik-E-Marts, complete with a host of in-store Simpson characters to serve (and entertain!) customers and sell Simpson-inspired fare - the likes of Duff beer, KrustyO's cereal and iced Squishees.

In this search for innovative spaces, however, Alves does issue one warning:

“This is not about filling every conceivable space with products and messaging and clutter, because that will only frustrate consumers. The trick is to create spaces that work for both the brand and the consumer, and that reward the consumer for spending time with the brand,” he says.

In the case of the Mont Blanc space, that reward is quiet. In the Simpsons/7-11 tie-up, it's about entertainment.

Alves believes that the South African advertising industry is perfectly poised to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the innovative use of space.

“South Africa has always led the pack when it comes to making something out of nothing. We're big thinkers when it comes to small budget territory, which has created a natural bent towards really lateral thinking.

“The challenge from here is to build those small sparks of inspiration into fast-burning fires!”

Alves also believes that Lowe Bull has created the perfect space in which to foster those flames through its Principle of One strategy, which aims to provide clients with a one-stop shop for all their marketing requirements by bringing in specialists from the range of marketing disciplines.

“Because we pull so many heads from so many different disciplines that operate in so many different spaces into one room when we discuss strategy, our definition of space has been exponentially expanded,” he says. It's about finding the right context (space) for the brand to deliver a great idea.

Lowe Bull is already in the midst of producing work that makes use of Alves' passion for space, so watch this space!

Visit our PRESS OFFICE: Lowe Bull Group is an advertising agency, specialising in the creation of through-the-line strategic and creative advertising campaigns. They search for the big idea, which is translatable into sustainable, relevant and effective communication. The Lowe Bull Group also incorporates Initiative Media, O.I.L (Original Insight Learning), longtail (e marketing) and Mick&Nick (below the line specialists).- more....

[13 May 2008 10:35]

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