MediaShop Durban MD Charles Hale says, “The aim of the broadcast was twofold. Firstly, Lotus FM wanted to demonstrate that it could seamlessly showcase brands through programme integration. This is due to the fact that it believes in adding value to campaigns by integrating sales into its programming, an approach that is proving to be an effective advertising tool during its breakfast show ‘The touchline at half nine’ interview.

During the live broadcast, client Peter Rawson (sales and marketing director at Trellidor) was interviewed by the station’s sports presenter Althaf Suleman about the fast bowlers he faced during his cricket career with Natal and Zimbabwe, along with his opinion on the modern game; especially the Twenty20 format. The interview was then interrupted by Morning Rush presenter Neville Pillay who stated that he had found out on Google that Peter was the person on the Trellidor ‘Wrecking Ball’ advert and that he believed the advert was staged.

“Peter was then able to talk about the advert and Trellidor in a manner that did not make the conversation sound like a staged business interview,” says Deborah Usher, media director at The MediaShop Durban. “It is a great example of how advertising mediums can create added value for brands.”

The second reason for broadcasting the show from The MediaShop in Durban was because Lotus FM wanted to hold a panel discussion talking about the dynamic careers available in advertising.

Key creative and media staff from The MediaShop Durban and DraftFCB were interviewed including Charles Hale (MD MediaShop Durban), Deborah Usher (media director at The MediaShop Durban), Brandon Govender (creative director at DraftFCB), Paul Vosloo (creative head/design at DraftFCB) and Karen Stephenson (group account director at DraftFCB).

Charles says; “It was great being part of this event and watching how easy it is for a brand to come alive when it becomes part of the programming schedule,” A big thank you to Lotus FM for allowing us to be part of this exciting event.”