Case Study • 23/06/2015

Takealot.com & Kalahari.com Merger Becomes “Official”

Takealot Dot says

"YES"to Karl Ahari

The competition authority announced the approval of the merger application between takealot.com and Kalahari.com, two of South Africa’s leading e-commerce players on the 5th of January 2015. This pioneering online retail merger became effective on 1st February 2015 and had to be publicised uniquely and boldly.

Whilst the closure of e-commerce platform kalahari.com and its folding into takealot.com appeared to sound the end of the ‘Karl Ahari’ TV ad character, he made a comeback in video advertisement that communicates in a tongue-in-cheek way how the two brands have merged.

The advertisements have caused quite a stir on social media, sharing Karl's struggle at finding true love, sending hand-written letters to and flirting up a storm with a number of famous female South African personalities, such as LeeAnne Dlamini, Anne Hirsch and Tanya Nefdt. Whilst Karl started off as a lonely lad, in time, through a Tinder-like app, he met Dot (the personified version of takealot) and went on their first date.

Fast forward and Karl decided to propose with an aerial banner thus sealing the "marriage" between Kalahari.net and takealot.com.

On the 23rd June 2015, a Tuesday morning, Johannesburg residents were intrigued by four mysterious hearts drawn in the sky across the skyline.

…Sky Messaging executed four perfectly drawn hearts overhead of Sandton, Fourways, Buccleuch Interchange and Northcliff areas during morning peak hour traffic.

Twitter came alive with the hashtag #loveisintheair, which was accentuated by social media influencers and 94.7 Highveld Stero's DJ Darren Simpson during the morning drive. DJ Stacey Norman encouraged callers to send Highveld their pictures and theories about the mysterious hearts during the mid morning show.

At 12:30 Sky Messaging took to the skies with the takealot.com banner proclaiming "Will You Marry Me takealot.com" which was flown overhead of the main arterials in the space where the hearts were previously drawn. Again Twitter lit up with Highveld's Tholi B announcing the banner and plane. During the afternoon drive, with banner still flying high overhead of afternoon gridlock traffic, DJ Anele revealed that it has been Karl all along before recapping the love story behind two great brands.

Having teamed up with takealot.com's creative

agency M&C Saatchi & Abel…

Total Reach

Timeline Deliveries

Contributors Summary

386 2,099,146 Reach

4,065,9572,099,146

"Happy Hour" - Most Activity

43%

27%

30%

Engagement Overview

From Top 20 From Top 100

Rest

197 183

286

666 Total Tweets:

Total

Tweeters Platform

The Results: #loveisintheair Clearly demonstrating the value of Sky Messaging in a marketing mix.

Source: marketingspread.co.za, takealot.com, hashtracking

The Proposal

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