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Grid takes branding to new heightsAs part of Absa's recent rebrand, I interviewed Grid Worldwide's chief experience officer Yatish Narsi to find out how they came up with the idea to conduct a drone show to showcase the vision for the brand, South Africa and the African continent as a whole. ![]() On the night of the official rebrand, 300 software-controlled drones operated in a synchronised mass formation directed by a single pilot. The aerial ballet performed by the drones was AI driven and co-ordinated. It took four practice shows across two late nights for the Grid Worldwide and Intel teams to calibrate the drones for the grand show. Narsi says this was not just a logo reveal, but a statement of intent. “Absa has clearly outlined growth as key to its strategy. It has also tied itself to the African continent. We often joke about an idea of Wakanda for real. There is no reason why we can’t be a world-class continent, not just a charity case, and to have a business such as Absa driving that intent is very encouraging and inspiring for anyone who chooses to call Africa home.” The idea to conduct a drone show was a random, crazy, left-field thought. “The actual thought of using drones was inspired by a journey through the full rebrand process. We knew that the ambition for the new ‘Absa’ needed more than just traditional marketing initiatives to land. We also knew the importance of inspiring with the launch, not just creating awareness. At the same time, they wanted to thrill their audience. “We designed the whole soundscape and all those experiences became the mnemonic around the whole relaunch and the television ad. In the past it would have just been a new jingle. We decided to do this ridiculously epic thing.” Here, Narsi shares more of the thinking behind this bold stint and why he believes it has set new benchmark for branding in SA…
There were key criteria we needed to attend to. How could we represent the future forward ambitions of the brand? How could we help inspire 42,000 employees? How could we showcase our vision of Africa or Africanacity?
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Branding is no longer just about logos, typography, colour and photography. It’s about instilling purpose in an organisation, because we believe brands with purpose will win in the 21st century.This was not a TV ad or an activation but a 4 minute experience that inspired 42,000 employees to think about themselves differently. Your experience of a brand is increasingly becoming the new battleground. It is about how a brand makes you feel, how it inspires, entertains and informs you.
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Absa’s new brand design will be rolled out in South Africa as well as Absa Group’s banks previously branded as Barclays in Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. The South African rebrand is expected to be completed in 2019 and the rest of Africa by mid-2020. About Jessica TennantJess is Senior Editor: Marketing & Media at Bizcommunity.com. She is also a contributing writer. marketingnews@bizcommunity.com View my profile and articles... |