The challenge for many leading brands is staying relevant in categories where functional claims and pricing pressure can erode brand value. As part of our Effie Awards South Africa series, where we explored marketing and advertising effectiveness with leading marketers and advertising trailblazers, I spoke to Elizabeth Mokwena, Executive Marketing Director at Unilever, about why emotion still matters.
“Human beings by nature are irrational,” she said. “When you appeal only to the rational, you miss the power of the emotional.”
That belief is evident in Vaseline Mntana ka Gogo, a campaign rooted in heritage and cultural memory that resonated strongly in South Africa and unexpectedly connected with audiences abroad.
We also drew a parallel with a recent conversation with Pete Case, CEO of Ogilvy South Africa, whose team’s Vaseline work has won globally, including at Cannes this year. Pete described how Ogilvy South Africa collaborated with Ogilvy Singapore on Vaseline work that launched in this market and became one of the most awarded pieces from South Africa. It is a clear example of how local insight, global collaboration and trusted partnership lift a heritage brand in an FMCG category driven by functional claims such as moisture, price and value.
Conversation Highlights
- Emotion as a driver of marketing effectiveness
- How Vaseline’s “Mntana ka Gogo” refreshed a heritage brand
- Parallels with Pete Case and Ogilvy’s international Vaseline collaboration
- Creativity is a superpower in transforming industries
- Innovation is the lifeblood of FMCG
Hit play to watch the conversation:
Created in collaboration with our production partners, Soweto Media.
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