Orchids and Onions – Gumtree’s campaign is on the money

There have been a lot of cynical brands and advertising agencies who have used the Covid-19 catastrophe to either scare or hoodwink people into buying their products. Often, old ads have been repurposed to fit with the new narratives.

Foremost among these brands are those promoting health and hygiene and many has been the time the communication has been deliberately misleading in saying, or implying, that the virus is like a germ. It is not … but that is a story for another day.

One of the areas in which brands have had to tread very carefully has been the economic impact on ordinary people, who have either lost their jobs because of lockdown, or been placed on short or forced leave.

Gumtree, the online sales portal, realising that many people would be pressed for cash, decided to do a quick, informal survey about the items that the average household has just “hanging around” and which no longer hold the appeal they once did.

These are the sort of things which can be sold to raise a bit of cash in these tough times.

Gumtree.co.za’s survey determined that the average person had 17 unused items around their home that could be listed on Gumtree for R4 195.

From that came the idea of “celebrating” these “pre-owned” items … in a new and funky way.

Thus was born “pre-loved love songs”, which partnered comedian Donovan Goliath and his talented violinist partner Davina Gordon. The two have been producing musical content throughout the lockdown and much of it has gone viral – and beyond the borders of South Africa.

One video, “How to make a Missy Elliot music video”, was actually picked up by the star herself in May. She not only liked it, but followed Donovan on social media, something which left him gobsmacked.

Using the pair to do the “pre-loved love songs” for Gumtree was the idea of Retroviral agency and I think the piece works really well. The music is catchy, the lines clever and the premise – of saying goodbye to something (rather than someone) you once loved – marries emotion with common sense.

It should also get you thinking, as you watch it, about what you might want to get rid of.

So, it works as a call to action for Gumtree (which is offering prizes for people who show their unwanted goods) as well as a bit of light entertainment. It also shows what can be done with a good idea and not much in the way of big-bucks production…

So an Orchid to Gumtree and to Retroviral.

• I think you are already starting to see the re-emergence of a more “analogue” attitude by consumers in the soulless digital world … people want a human connection (even a socially-distanced one) and to be regarded as someone who matters as more than a number.

I saw examples this week where brands cared – and didn’t care.

I got a new bank card this week and, every step of the way, I was kept informed by FNB. It was delivered by courier to my gate and I was informed beforehand that I would have to use my own, black, pen to sign for it.

That’s become the norm these days – or so I thought until I saw an angry person on Twitter complaining that Nedbank wanted one of his aged, and vulnerable relatives, to make a personal visit to a branch to collect her card.

The fact that it went out all over the social media platform meant Nedbank’s name was mud, for a while at least. How can you make a vulnerable person go somewhere they feel unsafe?

So, while I would give Nedbank an Onion for not thinking of this – and not anticipating that, in this day and age, the reputational damage could spread far and wide – it also made me realise that perhaps FNB is not so bad.

Not quite good enough yet for an Orchid – given how many times they have also infuriated me in recent years – but enough for a “keep it up” nod.

Brendan Seery.

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