OOH News South Africa

Spouting sports commentary in the loo

When national broadcaster SABC wished to talk to sportsmen, fitness fanatics and other members of South Africa’s sport-minded public about listening to, as opposed to watching, sports commentary, SABC’s media agency, The MediaShop, commissioned Primedia Unlimited’s washroom advertising arm TLC to display a series of amusing posters in washrooms frequented by this audience.

Says Lia Smit of the MediaShop, “Thelma Chetty of the SABC briefed us that a rival television channel had exclusive viewing rights on certain sports and when we brainstormed opportunities to pull listeners, one of my colleagues started laughing at a mental image of a huge lady barrelling down the line with javelin in hand, sparking the idea that one doesn’t always want to see the players.”

The washroom posters are hung in carefully positioned TLC frames at washrooms situated in cinemas, sports clubs, and elite Planet Fitness health clubs.

Each depicts a funny caricature of a well known sports person and asks questions such as “Do you still want to see the Bulgarian female long distance champion in RUNNING SHORTS?” and follows with a payoff line saying “Thankfully you can follow the marathon on radio.” Each poster follows similar humorous themes.

Says Andrew Kramer, TLC MD, “Advertising is meant to sell services, product, or create awareness and when you can do so in an appropriate, humorous manner, it makes an immediate impression - we have had excellent feedback on these creative ‘plays’ on sporting celebrities, with several comments that ‘switching to radio has been fun and I will do so more often’.”

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