C'mon . . . Get Wildly Creative

South Africa's IMC, custodian of Brand South Africa, is sponsoring a first of its kind online ad competition that will "crowdsource" creativity and insight from around the world to showcase South Africa as a vibrant and competitive nation brand.

Launched in conjunction with the Chief Marketing Officers Council (CMO), a global organisation of senior marketing executives, the Get Wildly Creative about South Africa ad contest is being hosted on Zooppa.com, a social media site which brands like Microsoft are using to generate people-inspired viral advertising. 

The IMC, the CMO Council and its new GeoBranding Centre will use viral communications, online conversations, blog postings and cyber chatter to talk up interest and participation in this innovative country branding initiative targeted at the world's 1.7 billion internet users.

Current and aspiring creative professionals, digital media buffs, South Africans at home and abroad - and anyone whose heart and soul are stirred by South Africa and its continent - are invited to come up with inventive ways to produce a fresh and evocative message about a country on which the world's attention will be riveted when the 2010 FIFA World Cup kicks off in less than 100 days.

"With the world's eyes upon it as host of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, South Africa is seeking to establish itself as a competitive and relevant nation brand," says Paul Bannister, CEO of the International Marketing Council of South Africa. "We're excited about the potential for social media channels to generate greater discourse and narrative about our brand from people who have experienced or researched our special place in the world."

Entry information and a creative brief designed by the IMC, giving background on the contest assignment and links to South African resources, are available on Zooppa.com.

Cash and prizes - donated by SA Tourism, in-country partners and creative technology solution providers - will be awarded in a range of categories including Best Print Campaign, Best Online Banner Campaign and Best Video Segment or Commercial. Top entrants will have their work showcased globally to the CMO Council's 5000 members who control more than $150 billion in annual marketing spend. Winners will be recognized at a special IMC-hosted reception in New York City, the world's media center and creative hub. They will also win trip packages courtesy of SA Tourism and other travel, hospitality, lodging and merchandise partners in South Africa.

The CMO Council's founder and executive director Donovan Neale-May is a prominent member of the Global South Africans "digiaspora" initiative launched by the IMC to help mobilise the talent and knowledge of South Africans abroad but who, like Neale-May, retain a deep commitment to the country's success and the well-being of its people.

"We're looking for inspired messaging and out-of-the-box advertising executions that capture and convey the essence, attributes and qualities of Brand South Africa," said Donovan Neale-May, who pointed to the country's growing tourism, trade and economic development success.

For more info visit www.brandsouthafrica.com