PRESS OFFICE
LISTING
Homenewsabout usContact UsWebsite
News

Meerkat love...

First there was ‘Muskrat Love’, written by Oklahoma singer/songwriter Willis Alan Ramsey and covered twice in short order; in 1973 by America and then in 1976 by Captain & Tenille, who scored a Number 4 hit with the tune in the United States of America.
Meerkat love...

Now there’s ‘Meerkat love’. That’s right. In Mo’s 5th television appearance – a new commercial which broke on April 8 – Vodacom and FCB Johannesburg have added a new dimension to the character’s appeal and given him the opportunity to link up with the ‘Meerkitten’ of his dreams.

Gerhard Myburgh, one of the creatives responsible for developing the new commercial, picks up the tale: “Over the past few years we’ve gotten to know Mo the Meerkat as a bit of a ‘joller’.

“He started off his TV career as a stripper and since then he’s been living the bachelor life to the max; dancing through the streets of Cape Town as a modern-day Pied Piper, busting out some sick moves as the Dance King, cruising the sea-side boulevards in his pimped ride and supporting all his favourite sports. Wherever he goes, he’s the life of the party.

“But, is all of this about to change? In the previous commercial, Mo spotted a beautiful lady Meerkat in the crowd. Moisha, pronounced ‘Moisha’. He was instantly smitten. But she disappeared before he could get to her.”

Catherine Thomson, the other half of the creative team, interjects: “Make no mistake, the new Mo commercial is a love story. We listened to the fans, and we decided that it was time for the two to meet.

“As per usual, Mo entertains us with his ability to be the master of whatever he undertakes. This time he’s roller-skating to one of his favourite songs, charming and flirting with every pretty girl along the way, as Mo does best.

“Suddenly, in the distance, a familiar figure catches his eye. It is none other than the beautiful lady Meerkat from the beach! He immediately forgets about everything around him and sets off to try and impress Moisha with his killer roller-dance moves. He succeeds and the two of them float off in a shower of hearts.

“The commercial closes with a shot of the Johannesburg skyline and a heart-shaped sunset, with fireworks going off everywhere. We’re very excited about the new development. Who knows what Mo will get up to next? We’ll just have to wait and see,” she says.

South Africa’s favourite Meerkat according to recent awards and research houses, Mo has more than a handful of fans. Last year on the Millward Brown Impact liking lists, Mo’s second TV appearance in ‘Meerkat - Way You Move’ ranked No. 1 commercial for the Emerging Market and No. 3 for the Developed Market while his first TV ad ‘Meerkat’ ranked No. 4 for the Emerging Market.

Also, in the 2006 Khuza Awards (a research-based awards program where South African youth vote for their favourite ads and marketing campaigns), Teens rated his as the Winning Campaign on television, as did industry commentator, Tony Koenderman, in his AdReview 2006.

Finally, Mo’s television work was named by Matebello Motloung (MarketingWeb) as one of the best campaigns of 2006 and as one of the Top 10 campaigns of 2006 by Jeremy Maggs (Financial Mail).

Vodacom's managing executive: advertising and brand management, Andre Beyers concludes: “As expected, Mo has proven to be a successful brand icon within the youth market. This, plus the fact that his charm has extended into other target markets, has ‘pushed our envelope’ again in terms of competitiveness and broad consumer appeal.

“In the newest execution which broke over Easter Weekend, we again do not link the message to a specific product but continue using Mo – and now Moisha – to ‘entertain’ all South African citizens, like only Vodacom can.”

8 May 2007 15:25

<<Back