Birdwatching at the Loeries: E5

Hosted by Marlon Mosadi, who heads up VMLY&R’s agency podcast Native Radio, the show takes you behind the scenes of SA’s biggest celebration of brand communications creativity.

In the final episode, we speak to three leading creatives and one brand custodian who have had multiple finalists in the running at this year’s Loeries.

This podcast is also available on IONO.FM, via downloadable App, Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Special guests include Camilla Clerke, executive creative director of Ogilvy South Africa, Cape Town, Deshnie Govender, head of marketing sub-Saharan Africa, TikTok, and senior art director at VMLY&R South Africa.

Khumalo tells us more about Vodacom, a campaign that turned a TikTok challenge into a hearing test for the youth. It’s an example of how purpose-led work can be both impactful and fun.

Clerke takes us through the makings of her Grand Prix team’s work on VW. This incredible out-of-home campaign magically illustrated the blindspot hazards that drivers typically miss on the road.

Govender takes us through her Loeries experience as a judge, the key trends in the influencer category, and the value of collaboration with her agency partners.

About Fumani Khumalo

A creative based in Johannesburg, Khumalo was born in Soshanguve, Pretoria where he began his journey in the arts by graffiting the walls of eager homeowners. He is a well-rounded artist, working as a senior art director at VMLY&R and practicing as a fine artist. He has participated in several art exhibitions and won multiple local and international awards. His career includes being commended for being Design Indaba’s emerging creative, exhibiting for Unconventional Creativity at Cannes Lion, and being awarded the Daniel Arsham x A-COLD-WALL global artist grant.

About Camilla Clerke

Clerke was almost lost to the advertising industry thanks to her initial intention of becoming a career accountant. Thankfully sanity prevailed and a star was born. She’s worked extensively in the South African ad landscape on campaigns for FNB, MTN, Coca-Cola, Toyota, Netflorist and many others. She’s been highly awarded for her compelling work across the globe, including Cannes Lions, Loeries, Bookmarks, Webbys, D&AD, FWA and One Show. She’s also judged at Cannes, Loeries, Dubai Lynx, Creativepool and Bookmarks panels, and has sat on the IAB and Creative Circle councils.

About Deshnie Govender

Govender is a Pan-African professional brand, digital and culture marketer with over a decade of experience across corporate, agency, and consulting. She has worked across 33 markets in Africa leading brand strategy, digital, influence, and commercial strategies. She currently leads marketing for TikTok Sub-Saharan Africa & has launched a platform for her community helping others lean into digital to build their personal brands and connect with culture.

This is the final of five episodes. The Bird Watching series features exclusive interviews with Loeries jury members, industry legends, clients who push boundaries, insights into winning work, trends, debates, controversies and more. All interviews were done during Loeries Creative Week which took place from 2 to 6 October.