A critical investigation of an animated South African advertising campaign: Vodacom's Me to the Meerkat campaign 2005-2007
Date
2011-11-28
Authors
Hoffmann, Kim
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
This
critical
investigation
of
the
relationship
between
animation
and
advertising
in
South
Africa
provides
both
a
historic
overview
and
analysis
of
Vodacom’s
Mo
the
Meerkat
campaign.
This
campaign
is
documented
as
extensively
as
possible,
by
investigating
all
relevant
aspects
and
decisions
made
by
Vodacom,
their
advertising
agency,
Draftfcb,
as
well
as
the
creative
influence
and
participation
by
the
animation
studios
and
film
companies
involved
in
the
campaign.
A
textual
and
stylistic
analysis
of
all
six
advertisements
produced
as
part
of
this
campaign
is
conducted
and
explores
issues
of
personality,
performance
and
brand
identity
relating
to
the
Mo
the
Meerkat
character.
This
documentation
and
analysis
establishes
that
a
major
South
African
advertiser
chose
to
use
an
animated
character
in
their
campaign
to
act
as
a
“spectacle”
(as
the
term
is
defined
by
Andrew
Darley
in
his
text
Visual
Digital
Culture.
Surface
Play
and
Spectacle
in
New
Media
Genres).
Description
M.A. University of the Witwatersrand, 2011