To advertise the superior coverage of its network, mobile phone company, Cell C embarked on one of the biggest media hoaxes ever in South Africa.

In the space of a week, the media reported on the strange appearance of crop circles in a farm out in the country.

The story grew in momentum as more circles appeared throughout the week.

The story concluded (coincidentally?) on April 1, when the last of the circles appeared, perfectly aligning to form the client logo.

The gigantic 120m x 160m spectacle remains out in the country, visible along the flight path of a major domestic airline route.

The campaign used TV, press and radio PR and was launched with a breaking news report that featured alongside the TV evening news.The following day featured another newsbreak, announcing the appearance of a second crop circle. Day 3 and Day 4 brought even more news on the strange phenomenon. Each day’s TV news was assisted with radio DJ coverage of the story, as well as print and viral e-mail carrying updates on the strange phenomenon.

Day 5’s reports revealed that the last few circles aligned perfectly to form the brand’s logo. Coincidentally, it was April 1, April Fool’s Day.