The objective of the campaign was to position OSRAM as a quality product amongst key purchasers.

The objective of the campaign was to position OSRAM as a quality product amongst key purchasers. The key media idea was to produce an “interactive” television commercial whereby the presenters of a popular sports programme were unexpectedly left in the dark when the studio lights were switched off halfway through the programme. At this point, a communication for the OSRAM brand scrolled across the screen.

The decision-maker/purchaser of lightbulbs is biased to males. OSRAM lightbulbs are a premium high quality product. A highly targeted media plan was required to reach A Income males.

The Supersport channels on Digital Satellite TV (pay TV) were identified as an ideal medium to reach this niche market. Supersport One which is the most viewed channel, has an average past seven day viewership of 417,000 and Supersport 2 has an average viewership of 200,000 over a seven day period. Supersport 3 and CSN were also utilized. Key magazine programmes which covered the most popular sport types in South Africa, i.e. rugby, cricket and soccer, were selected over a six day period. The OSRAM “Studio lights” concept was a first for South African TV as the television medium has never been used in such an interactive way before. The environment was critical to ensure that the concept would be executed effectively. Media played a key role in selecting the correct environment and negotiating placement. Instead of producing a television ad at great cost to our client, we negotiated an on-air promo whereby the producers of a popular sports program agreed to switch off the lights just long enough for us to get our message across. The presenters themselves were unaware of this previously arranged “set-up”. This is a great idea as it pushes the boundaries of conventional TV advertising. It brought an interactive element to the campaign, which was extremely impactful as it broke through the clutter. It interrupted and intrigued the viewer whilst he was actively watching a TV program. This was an ad that could not be zapped as it was totally unexpected.

The OSRAM “Studio lights” concept was a first for South African TV as the television medium has never been used in such an interactive way before. The environment was critical to ensure that the concept would be executed effectively. Media played a key role in selecting the correct environment and negotiating placement.

Instead of producing a television ad at great cost to our client, we negotiated an on-air promo whereby the producers of a popular sports program agreed to switch off the lights just long enough for us to get our message across. The presenters themselves were unaware of this previously arranged “set-up”. This is a great idea as it pushes the boundaries of conventional TV advertising. It brought an interactive element to the campaign, which was extremely impactful as it broke through the clutter. It interrupted and intrigued the viewer whilst he was actively watching a TV program. This was an ad that could not be zapped as it was totally unexpected.

The key media idea was to produce an “interactive” television commercial whereby the presenters of a popular sports programme were unexpectedly left in the dark when the studio lights were switched off halfway through the programme. At this point, a communication for the OSRAM brand scrolled across the screen.

The decision-maker/purchaser of lightbulbs is biased to males. OSRAM lightbulbs are a premium high quality product. A highly targeted media plan was required to reach A Income males.

The Supersport channels on Digital Satellite TV (pay TV) were identified as an ideal medium to reach this niche market. Supersport One which is the most viewed channel, has an average past seven day viewership of 417,000 and Supersport 2 has an average viewership of 200,000 over a seven day period. Supersport 3 and CSN were also utilized. Key magazine programmes which covered the most popular sport types in South Africa, i.e. rugby, cricket and soccer, were selected over a six day period.

Brett Wild   Group Executive Creative Director   Saatchi & SaatchiGrant Willemse   Group Finance   Saatchi & Saatchi