marketingweb

Creative fix of global flavour

Tracey Wraight - Marketingweb.co.za
01 October 2007

Retaining the services of an advertising or marketing agency is a costly exercise, which is why Tracey Wraight believes that the latest addition to the South African marketing industry Ad!dict Creative Lab is such a revolutionary concept.

Brainchild of the internationally proclaimed "marketing guru" Jan van Mol, Ad!dict Lab presents its clients with a range of services to cater to their design, communication, brand, advertising and PR needs. Described as a virtual branding house that makes use of internet-based communications, Ad!dict Lab is a powerful "think tank" comprised of more than 4,000 creative minds around the world, across 32 disciplines.

"I was looking for a way to use human creativity on a more global scale. Not just as a mercenary for brands, or merely consulting, but to accelerate talent at the same time by adding a collaborative aspect to it," says Van Mol.

In order to satisfy the clients' needs, Ad!dict Lab launched a range of different service packages to suit the level of input required, as well as the client's budget.

Labcheques, for example, are ideally aimed at the smaller companies that don't have the revenue to blow on big marketing exercises. For €1,500, the cheque represents a defined number of hours and outcomes for your business, monitored by a project manager. Clients can cash in their Labcheques and make use of the three options on offer. Firstly, the "Inspiration Shower" stimulates clients to think for themselves by providing them with presentations or lectures based on a specific keyword or theme pertaining to their business.

Alternatively, "Tap into Ad!dict Lab" is also available, whereby clients receive a year's worth, or maximum of 24 theme specific emails, to get those creative juices pumping. The third option offers the dedicated input from two Labmembers, working 12 hours each, one visualiser working eight hours and a creative director contributing four hours of graft. The result is that with one Labcheque, you could have a new advertising concept, product idea or a concept for a press launch.

For the sceptics out there who think that such a model could never take off, don't kid yourself, Ad!dict Lab has been integrally involved in the creative process for the likes of Diesel, Nike, Toyota and BMW to name a few.

With its recent establishment in South Africa, Ad!dict Lab is poised to shake the market up a bit. "South Africa is an interesting 'virgin' market, one of the most beautiful places on earth with an impressive heritage, a complex society and a need for innovation," remarks Van Mol when asked about his new venture in South Africa. "I meet top creative South African talent in the fashion, art, design scene, and then I wonder... why do I live in house that looks like it's been imported from Tuscany?

"Today's global marketing models tend to fail in view of the coherence from a brand point of view and its interaction with the rest of society including the press, media, consumer and competitor. There is loads of potential here in South Africa. The question is; can the creative scene, think out of the box and collaborate? Or, is it all about egos? Brands don't need that. Our society doesn't need that either."

For more information on the services offered by Ad!dict Creative Lab, visit the company's website on http://www.addictlab.com/.