Leading business and marketing personalities together with memorable South African celebrities such as radio personality Jeremy Mansfield, Edith Venter and Olympian swimmer Roland Schoeman discovered the brands and personalities that shaped the phenomenal year of 2010. Entertainment was provided by one of SA’s most prolific Afrikaans rappers, Jack Parow, there were video interruptions from ZA News’ Jacob Zuma, Bheki Cele, Julius Malema and Helen Zille and a tongue-in-cheek photographic exhibition by Justin Dingwall of South African brands, using front covers and headline posters of the Sunday Times.

Two significant new grand prix awards that have added further prominence to the well-established event, saw very influential brand builders recognised for the first time for their contribution to this incredible year. MTN Chief Marketing Officer, Serame Taukobong, who was responsible for the hugely popular and catchy Ayoba campaign, was unsurprisingly honoured as the first Sunday Times Top Brands Marketing Personality of the Year.

In second place was Zayd Abrahams, head of marketing for sparkling beverages at The Coca-Cola Company. Tied in third place was Pieter Klerk, senior manager: planning and advertising of Toyota South Africa and Enzo Scarcella, Vodacom’s managing executive: marketing. These winners were chosen based on receiving the most nominations from the marketing and advertising industry.

The other new category that acknowledged iconic brand builders this year was the Robyn Putter Top Brand Agency of the Year. Sunday Times decided to dedicate and name the award after legendary creative advertising leader, Putter, who sadly passed away this year. The former Ogilvy South Africa CEO and Ogilvy Worldwide Board Director, built Ogilvy into the biggest agency in South Africa and one of the most creative agencies in the Ogilvy network. He won over 230 international creative awards in his career. This momentous award went to Ogilvy Johannesburg that received the most points for its clients that won first, second and third place for the Top Brand survey. This adds yet another accolade to the agency that has dominated industry awards this year and focuses on liberating brands with top clients such as KFC, Cadbury and Unilever. DraftFCB came in second place for points scored with TBWA Hunt Lascaris in third place.

The other grand prix awards announced on the night were for the overall favourite brand, the brand that has done the most to uplift the community and the brand that has done the most to promote ‘green’ or ‘environmentally friendly’. This year, the grand prix of all grand prixs goes to Coca-Cola, a re-award from last year. Second place goes to Koo, which has moved up the ranks from third place, while KFC comes in strongly in third place.

The spontaneous response from people in metropolitan South Africa saw Coca-Cola step up to first place for the brand that has done the most to upift the community, moving Pick ‘n Pay down two places to third position with Vodacom in second position (up from third last year). For the brand that has promoted being environmentally friendly the most, the top three finishers from last year took to the podium again. Pick ‘n Pay won, followed by Woolworths in second place and Nedbank in third.

The trend of South African consumers and the marketing industry recognising brands and builders that made us feel proudly South African, in the year that the country hosted one of the biggest sporting events in the world, also came through in the other categories. This was shown strongly in the new essential foods, tinned food, household cleaning and laundry care categories with well-known South African brand names coming out tops.

Other results from the business-to-consumer survey saw that respondents were more susceptible to the ‘recession regression’ but strong brands remained strong and sometimes even stronger, where people tended to turn and return to brands they know and love in tough times. The business-to-business survey results remained stable in comparison with last year’s results, with this sector showing ‘recession resilience’.

For all the results please see tables below.

[CLICK HERE TO VIEW PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT]

More social shots can be seen at www.face-box.co.za.

SUNDAY TIMES TOP BRANDS 2010 WINNERS’ LIST

*New category this year.

The fever is leaving us slowly, but there is no end to people who want to shake off the negative past and move into the light. Graham Wood of Southern Sun International attributes the quick change in perceptions of foreign visitors to South Africa to the infrastructure development that took place before the world cup – the airports, transport and roads showed we can hold our own with the best in the world. But the people of South Africa were the biggest asset, Wood says, as he recounts the warmth Southern Suns’ guests found so phenomenal, and the tears shed by a group of Brazilians when they bade farewell to the staff at a Cape Town hotel.

These are the nameless faces who promote this country in the way that Wood describes, but there are also many who are our icons, our human brands. And I am sure the first person who comes to everyone’s mind is Nelson Mandela: father of the nation, prisoner, husband, freedom fighter, son, negotiator, brother, statesman, grandfather.  The man who founded the military wing of the ANC, umKhonto we Sizwe, was at the forefront of freeing this nation from the shackles of slavery and won a Noble Peace prize. Friends and former foes speak with equal pride of one of this country’s greatest.

Then there’s Charlize Theron, who won us an Oscar, and is a famous star in Hollywood. Of course she has done her bit in promoting South Africa. Remember that speech? “I am just a girl from a small farm in South Africa.” Benoni, a small farm? Well, if you did not know it, she confirmed it! And then there was her appearance at the 2010 World Cup. By the way, I checked the origin of her name, and yes, she was named after her father, Charles Theron, but no, it is not one of those names that South Africans are so fond of making up – daughter: Craigalene, father: Craig; daughter: Garthella, father: Garth and mother: Stella; and so on. There really is a name, Charlize, of Germanic origin, and it is feminine for Charles and pronounced CH as in Charle-eze.

Hugh Masekela, the musician who made it big in the US, formed the first African jazz group in South Africa in 1959 – the Jazz Epistles – with Dollar Brand, Johnny Gertze, Kippie Mokoetsi and Makhaya Ntshoko. Masekela is just one of several South African artists who left the country and who made their mark for South Africa. Dollar (aka Abdullah Ibrahim), Miriam Makeba, Letta Mbulu, Jonas Gwangwa, to name but a few, all hit the high road and went abroad because of apartheid.

We are reminded of our own achievements again in woman’s month, August, as Brand South Africa honours women such as Dulcie September, anti-apartheid activist who was assassinated by unknown assailants in Paris; Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa and Sophie de Bruyn who marched to the Union buildings in Pretoria to protest the pass laws and laid the foundations for the emancipation of women in South African. Today South Africa boasts one of the highest representations of women in national parliament in the world – about 44% in the Lower or Single House and about 29% in the Upper House or Senate. How! Does this mean we beat the US, that grand old defender of democracy and freedom? Yeah!  Okay, enough bragging and back to the women who gave us our freedom. William Kentridge says of his drive to draw, to be an artist: “It’s the inner urge or inner need to be making something that gets the activity beginning.”¹ It is without doubt their inner urge and need which drove these mothers, wives, lovers, friends to take on the South African state.

Speaking of Kentridge, his work has been a comment on the political realities of apartheid South Africa and it continues to reflect the social milieu of this country. He is undoubtedly one of South Africa’s greatest artists.

And they are all proudly South African.

Riaan Cruywagen of the “how old is he really?” fame was born on October 5, 1945 which makes him 65!

The perennially “youthful” Cruywagen was one of SABC’s longest serving employees having started as a newsreader and voice artist since its first broadcasts in 1975.

In June 2003, following an outcry over reports that Cruywagen’s contract with the SABC would not be renewed, the band “Zinkplaat” recorded a song titled “Waar is Riaan?” referring to the presenter’s absence from the news team. It also led to e-mail and internet jokes originally referring to Chuck Norris and David Hasselhoff and other jokes in a similar vein were also circulated, mostly related to his perennially youthful appearance and intellectual prowess.

Cruywagen was also the voice artist for the character “Haas Das“ on the popular Afrikaans children’s news

program- Haas Das se Nuuskas“ in 1976 and voiced numerous characters in “Liewe Heksie”

Ruda Landman After matric Ruda Landman entered the Civil Defense College in George, where she undertook voluntary military service for a year in one of the first women’s army camps in South Africa. Before joining Carte Blanche and becoming one of SA’s best known investigative reporters, she worked as an arts and entertainment journalist from 1977 to 1985 for Die Burger and Sarie.
Hugh Masekela Hugh Masekela was given his first trumpet in 1954 by Archbishop Trevor Huddleston and later played in the Huddleston Jazz Band, led by the famous anti-apartheid crusader. In 1968 Masekela became one of the first African artists to find success in America’s pop music world when his song “Grazing in the Grass” topped Billboard’s single’s chart for two weeks. His sister Barbara Masekela who was part of the ANC’s National Executive Committee in 1991; was later appointed official Ambassador to UNESCO in 1995 and Ambassador to France in 1995.
Naas Botha His full name is Hendrik Egnatius Botha. Naas Botha is the only rugby player to have a rose named after him called the Rosa Naas Botha. Nicknamed “Nasty Booter” by the British press, this South African rugby player was the highest points scorer in springbok rugby history, until July 2004
Johnny Clegg At the height of the band’s success in 1988, Michael Jackson had to cancel his show in Lyon, France, as he attracted a smaller audience than Johnny Clegg and Savuka. A newspaper headline in France read “white man singing black music out sells black man singing white music.” Clegg was born in Lancashire an English father and Rhodesian mother. He had a secular Jewish upbringing living in the UK, Israel, Rhodesia (present-day Zimbabwe), Zambia, and then South Africa. His love of Zulu street music led to his participation in traditional Zulu dance competitions and the study of anthropology, a subject which he also taught for a while at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg,
Lucas Radebe In 1991 Radebe was shot while walking down the street. The motive for the shooting never became clear, but Radebe himself believes that someone had been hired to shoot him in order to prevent him from moving to another club. Radebe born in Diepkloof Soweto is one of eleven children. He became a star player for Leeds United and was nicknamed “The Chief” by its fans. He was also given the freedom of the city by Leeds. According to a poll of 1000 Leeds United supporters – Radebe was ranked 3rd as the greatest Leeds player ever after Eric Cantona 1st and Billy Bremner 2nd. The rock band Kaiser Chiefs originally formed in 1997, under the name ‘Parva’ changed their name to The Kaiser Chiefs in 2003. Several members of the band are huge Leeds United football club fans, and renamed the band after Captain Lucas Radebe’s South African team.
Miriam Makeba Miriam Makeba ‘s mother, a domestic worker, was imprisoned for six months for illegally brewing beer to help make ends meet, and Miriam went to prison with her as she was just 18 days old. She was the first black musician to leave South Africa on account of apartheid, and over the years many others would follow her. In 1963, she testified about apartheid at the United Nations and her South African citizenship was taken away from her. In 1966, she won a Grammy award for An Evening with Harry Belafonte in 1965. She was also the first black woman to have a Top-Ten worldwide hit with Pata Pata in 1967 Probably her most famous song, Qogothwane (The “Click” Song) was also recorded in the US. The city of Berkeley proclaimed the 16 June to be Miriam Makeba Day and she received a number of honorary degrees and decorations including the Presidential Award bestowed on her by Nelson Mandela in 1991.

To view more photographs of the event, click here

www.blackberry.co.za

BlackBerry has been rightly criticised for its browsers and its early attempts at touchscreen phones. But the little Canadian company that can, has quietly been working away at its new supermodel to resolve both of these issues. The Torch might be their most significant handset yet. It combines a touchscreen (with greater accuracy than either of the failed Storms) with a completely rebuilt operating system called BlackBerry 6 and a slide-out Qwerty keypad below the 3.2in/8cm touchscreen. It’s slick, it’s fast, it works and it’s awesome. The entire BlackBerry user experience is much improved, with a 5MP camera, built-in GPS and Wi-Fi thrown in. Can you say “iPhone killer”?

Sony NEX-5 The world’s smallest lens-swapper from R7 500 www.sony.co.za Is it just us or is everything getting smaller? Back in the day Easter eggs were the size of a cat’s head, a Bar One was more like a brown brick than a chocolate bar, and don’t even get us started on Monster Munch. It seems the same is now happening to our cameras. The NEX-5 is Sony’s attempt at a slimmed down, Micro Four Thirds-style, interchangeable-lens snapper. It ditches the traditional SLR prism, but adopts a 14.2MP APS-C sensor, 3in/7.6cm LCD, 1080i video shooting and an awesome Sweep Panorama mode to create super-wide images.
Nintendo 3DS 3D is in your hands Rtba (due 2011) www.nintendo.co.za If you had to put on a fake nose and a welder’s mask every time you wanted to play on your Xbox, you’d quickly find something else to do – something that didn’t require any dressing up. Ninty knows that wearing glasses to see 3D is off-putting, so its new multi-dimensional handheld doesn’t require any. Instead it uses a lenticular lens on its 3.5in/8.8cm top screen to make games jump out, plus two cameras on the back to take 3D pics. Throw in motion sensors and a catalogue of games that includes Mario Kart, DJ Hero and Metal Gear Solid and you’re holding the next gaming revolution.
Xbox 360 Slim The next-gen console Xbox 4GB R2 400 (Kinect Bundle R3 700) www.xbox.co.za You can’t get everything right first time. Microsoft learned that the hard way. With its lack of Wi-Fi, meagre hard drive and dreaded Red Ring of Death, the path of the Xbox 360 never has run smooth. But things have changed. The new Xbox has a slimmer look, built-in Wi-Fi, a quieter engine and 4GB of flash storage, with a 250GB also available. This is the Xbox 360 as it should have been from the start: capacious, quiet and connected. And considering it became the console of choice for hardcore gamers in its previous “flawed” form, this Kinect-ready console should have the PS3 petrified.
MB&F HM4 Thunderbolt JETPACK-SHAPED TIME TRACKER R1 150 000 (import only) www.mbandf.com First, rename yourself Blizzard or Thumper, then slap on some Ray-Bans and say things like, “There’s a bogey on your six!” Only then will you be pilot-y enough to strap on the unashamedly aviation-influenced Thunderbolt watch. The size and shape are a result of a unique movement that the designers amusingly call the engine. It comprises 311 parts, has taken three years to design and looks not unlike a pair of jet turbofans, with the titanium case housing a standard dial on the right and a power reserve on the left. We feel the need… the need for shorter sleeves to show off our ridiculous watch. And a cap with gold braid.

What we would do is take features, benefits etc. advertised and put it to the test. Sort of like MythBusters, only with more boozing involved.

I do of course realise that it would be nearly impossible to get any broadcaster to boldly go where no show has gone before, purely because it has the potential to name and shame advertisers who are talking absolute nonsense. Hence I will have to take this idea to the internet, with funding coming from the IDC or, more likely, my mother’s cookie jar.

Don’t you think it would be fun to see if you really could wash a zillion white plates with a bottle of Sunlight liquid, or if eating Bar One does turn you into a burning-house storming super-hero? Wouldn’t it be cool to prove that you can really sculpt perfect abs from the safety of your couch or that THAT herbal cream with extracts from a plant that can only be found in the shadows of Tibetan temples can increase the size of your breasts with daily application?

Personally I think that show (featuring the cream) would beat the opening game of the Soccer World Cup in terms of viewer ratings . . . or, at the very least, make a meal of South African Idols. By the way and pardon my digressing, but is it just me or does it seem that this Season has borrowed just about everything it can from the American version?

“I’m the next South African Idol!” yells one group of largely talentless cretins. “No! I’m the next South African Idol” yells another.  That is straight from the pens of enlightened script writers at Fox studios and that is also not the only example.

Last year’s host is also back, although in a lesser role it seems.

Who else thinks that this Liezel lady must be the daughter of someone really important?  Who else thinks that the only reason she is there again is because getting rid of her would be an admission of guilt from our friends at Multichoice? Who else thinks that we should have used one host only and, then, a comedian like John Vlismas, or that other Trevor dude – although I see he already has his own talk show and is the CEO (Customer Experience Officer) at Cell C?

I’m just saying that combining someone with a brain with a relatively brainless show should do wonders for a franchise that is in need of something, or someone, with a lot more flair.

Perhaps I could perform an experiment on a special edition of my proposed new show where we measure the average time it takes for a human being of decent intelligence, falling into the almighty LSM categories of 7 and above, to pick up their DSTV remote and change over from Idols Extra to watch Jamie Oliver boil an egg and cook a duck?

I bet it does not take long at all.

Anyway back to my show and the wonders it could prove, or disprove. Ten bucks say if I make a roast chicken for lunch (somehow managing to smear the walls and ceiling in the process) Mr. Muscle will not appear out of nowhere to clean my kitchen for me.

Hundred bucks say that Caltex’s “Techron” has no significant impact on my car’s engine.

Thousand bucks say I’d have to dip my hand in that cookie jar if this show’s ever to see the light of day.

Director, Meropa Communications

Donald is a Communications Strategist with an extensive background in Corporate Communications and Media Relations. Having started his career within a communications and PR agency, his experience includes 9 years with the Transnet Group serving as Public Affairs Manager for Transnet Corporate Social Investment, Communications Manager at Marine Data Systems and National Spokesperson and Stakeholder Relations Manager at the National Ports Authority of South Africa (NPA). He has extensive experience working with government at a senior level to drive issues in the fields of media, advertising and sponsorship as well as reputation management. His academic qualifications include a diploma in Public Relations from Witwatersrand Technikon, Graphic Design from the AAA School of Advertising as well as further studies in Media Management and Project Management. He has also successfully completed the Transnet Executive Development Programme from the Gordon Institute of Business Science and University of Pretoria.

What’s a typical workday for you?

I get into the office around 07h30 and do newspaper reading and scanning for client news. Most of the day is keeping in touch with consultancy teams where I have oversight on specific clients. It’s all about making sure we’re on strategy and that our clients are getting good value from us.

I’m also responsible for tracking and chasing prospects as well as leading new business pitch teams. That’s time to network, attend briefings and preparing submissions.

I’m ready to leave the office around 18h00.

What do you enjoy most about your portfolio?

I love strategizing with the teams I work with. The teamwork can be fun but also stressful at times. I have broad responsibilities so I can enjoy several peaks on any given day from doing different things.

How do you handle work stresses?

I’m learning to pace myself since I stress easily. Also as I’ve grown and succeeded, I’m also trying not to take it all too seriously and personally. Laughter helps too, alternatively I just jump into my car and listen to a good cd.

What has been your biggest professional challenge?

Leadership is proving to be about constant learning, trust and self-confidence in the face of trying circumstances. The economic downturn has put survival skills at the fore and I’ve been tested more than I thought possible. I’m up for bigger challenges but right now I’m taking stock.

What is your No 1 industry peeve?

Badly written briefs!!!

What are the favorite brands that you cannot live without?

Exclusive Books and the Blue Bulls.

How do you relax?

I read a lot, and watch a lot of sports on TV. I also keep two dogs who are hugely entertaining when I can get to spend time with them.

What’s your chosen way to communicate with family and friends, (mobile, social networking pages like Facebook, Skype, emails, fixed lined telephone)?

I phone my family a lot. The rest is left to Facebook and weekend get-togethers mostly at the same places.

What’s a favorite local holiday destination?

I love driving through Mpumalanga so every year I’m up there at the end of winter.

What’s your idea of a relaxing Sunday morning?

I wish there would be a Sunday morning without newspapers. Alternatively, lying in the grass over a breakfast is ultimate.

Which are your favorite must-have printed media titles?

I love international GQ and Vanity Fair…they have some great interviews. I hardly ever miss Fortune magazine and the Mail and Guardian. The rest is car magazines.

Do you have a favorite online site?

Springwise.com is a must for new business ideas and inspiration, You-Tube for all the music I can watch.

What’s your best dining out venue?

Bhukhara in Sandton Square is an indulgence I’m up for any day.

Okay, it’s not as easy as that. You have to make your money grow no matter how much you have, or living that kind of lifestyle will soon see it all depleted. Ask Will Smith, he could tell you a story about spending freely and nearly losing it all. Smith started out as part of a rap group trio, which won the first ever Grammy for in the Rap category in 1988. But the spendthrift soon lost all his money and was saved from bankruptcy when in 1990 NBC launched his acting career with the very successful Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Smith was consistently listed as one of the 40 richest under-40s in Fortune magazine. Aside from acting and music, Smith makes his money through the film and entertainment industry. But progression in ones industry is perfectly understandable, almost natural as opposed to those who start out as singers, move into acting and then next thing you know, they’re in your favourite magazine holding a perfume bottle that’s named after them.

Good old branding – and not the kind where you singe the hide of a cow with a hot iron. For a long time, celebrities have been endorsing products, giving themselves and the products mileage. Now many of them have their own brands. And they are successful. Why?  Because people want to be like them – wearing Paris Hilton perfume or handbags or sportswear or sunglasses or footwear (yeah, a long list and it goes on) makes them feel they can attain the lifestyle, the look of Paris. Strange how ordinarily good people with good values would want to be like Paris who has been in jail, who’s a household name not because of her movie, House of Wax, but because of all her hard partying and all the sticky situations she seems to find herself in. But that’s the power of branding. It has the ability to elevate people beyond their flawed characters to symbols of success, confidence, power; beautiful, sleek images.

Let’s face it, we are all susceptible to branding. Branding of the retail kind happens in the blink of an eye. It permeates our lives, creeps up on you even when you think you’re above it all. We all do brands. Everything up to our toilet paper has a brand name. It’s about choice. We can choose between Colgate and Mentadent. We can choose between Nike and Adidas. And the way in which products are branded is what makes one more popular than another. Who better to use than those beautiful creatures, who endlessly intrigue us with their antics, and who adorn our big screens and stages; who feature endlessly on our billboards and our newspapers?

People have to be “brandable”; George Clooney – film star, single good looking man, humanitarian, mysterious and funny and he sports sunglasses for Police; JLo – singer, dancer, actress, gave respectability to the protruding derrière (bless her soul), trendy, good looking, graceful and elegant, and she has among others, her own clothing line.

But there is a very real business imperative here. Take David Beckham, a brilliant soccer player, who has made millions using his skills. He is exceptional player in front of the goal posts, but nobody reaches forty in soccer anymore. Living the life to which he is accustomed is going to cost. No more soccer and voi·là, he has his own underwear line. Long live David Beckham – good looking and married to a brand. Elizabeth Taylor extended herself through Poison, Jane Fonda through L’Oreal, and the list goes on.

Many of them do it for the money, no doubt, but many do it for a cause – Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, Annie Lennox, and Angelina Joli to name but a few. If you consider the campaigns they support – environmental issues, saving the whales, human rights – and the concerts for Haiti, to save the children of the world, for Nelson Mandela, and many others, you have to admire them and aspire to be like them. Are they the branding for the cause, perhaps? Branding is a powerful tool, and not just for retailers. It is a clever way of catching the imagination of ordinary people through structuring a message intended to be understood and accepted by recipients of that message.

Stars have all jostled to align their names with famous brands in filthy-rich endorsement deals. But what may start like a marriage made in heaven can often go badly wrong. Like celebrity marriages, celebrity endorsements gone wrong can be pretty expensive and painful.

Yet, 74% of Americans say when a celebrity endorser gets involved in a scandal, it doesn’t impact the way they feel about the brand or brands they endorse. Just over one in five (22%) say they feel worse about the endorsed brands and 5% say they feel better about them. These are some of the findings of a new Adweek Media/Harris Poll, survey of 2,140 U.S. adults surveyed online between April 23 and 27, 2010 by Harris Interactive.

In 1987, the US Beef Industry Council paid Cybill Shepherd lots of money to tell everyone how much she loved beef in their “Real food for real people” campaign. It wasn’t so good when Shepherd admitted in public that she didn’t eat meat.
Hertz could not get enough of big handsome football hero OJ. Simpson’s mass appeal and aired dozens of Hertz ads from 1975. Now it’s stuck with the iconic image of OJ’s high speed freeway chase after which Simpson was charged with a double homicide, then tried and acquitted on national TV. Not the kind of Hertz driving experience it wanted!
The “Got milk?” campaign pulled ads with twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in 2004 when Mary-Kate checked into a treatment facility for a “health-related issue” that publications reported as an eating disorder. Definitely not drinking her milk!
When a J&M announced that David Duchovny would front their ads on their venerable men’s shoe and leather brand, a spokesman said: “We are thrilled. David embodies success and confidence, along with a great sense of style, communicating the ideal image for the Johnston & Murphy brand.” Just as the ads began appearing, it was announced that Duchovny had checked himself into a rehab center for sex addiction! Oops.
Woods has been presented as the embodiment of bourgeois virtues: dedication, hard work, single-mindedness. When the scandal broke, his sponsors like Nike, Gillette, Accenture and Gatorade were quick to support him and then it got worse, a lot worse. Now Woods is without wife, mistresses and the dollars that made him the most highly paid sportsman in the world.
Less than a week after his dagga smoking pics hit the press, swimming sensation Michael Phelps found himself literally adrift in the deep end sans his lucrative sponsorship deals with Kellogg’s and Subway. He definitely can’t indulge his munchies now!
Kirstie Alley has always been a big boned gal and when she lost a large part of her bulk, she gained a very respectable endorsement deal with Jenny Craig, the weight control empire guru. And then she piled it on again – 75 pounds! She lost more than her waistline when she got the axe !
Chanel, Burberry and H&M cut model Kate Moss from their ad campaigns after photos appeared of her and then-boyfriend Pete Doherty snorting cocaine. Ironically, Moss had the last laugh or snort after a slew of other luxury brands later signed deals with Moss and even Burberry re-inked.
In 2001, Pepsi signed Britney Spears for tens of millions of dollars to be the face of their brand, but had to drop her after she was photographed drinking Coke on a regular basis. Perhaps the wrong brand match – may be cigarettes and vodka would be a little more appropriate?
Madonna by name and not by deed! 1989, Pepsi reneged on a $5 million deal they’d made with the singer Madonna after her racy video for “Like A Prayer” sparked an international controversy with the Catholic church and Catholics all over the world who threatened to boycott the drink for eternity!

Once an energetic, rose-cheeked woman, Dot was the town sunflower. Her presence lit up the coldest corners of the crummiest bars, her smile could spin the universe in an entirely different direction. Her eyes twinkled with a mischievous grin every time someone tried to figure her out, and blazed with fierce resistance when any man tried to bottle her for himself.

Yup, Dot used to be a pistol too hot to handle, too puzzling to resist.

Then one day everything changed. The light faded from her eyes and Dot started to wander aimlessly through life. Her drive no longer evident, her passion a dulled reflection of its radiant past. Dot had lost her faith, her spirit was broken, her heart no longer galloped through the lush fields of life with gay abandon – instead retreating to a feint beat that could only be heard on the quietest of nights, in the darkest parts of the city.

Today shadows follow her when she walks, whispers are not far behind. Dot never looks up anymore. Dot has lost her faith.

Thankfully this imbalance in the forces of nature has not gone unnoticed, its impact making it all the way to Tokyo, Japan – where news of Dot’s demise was greeted with such outrage and outpouring of humanity that SONY embarked on a worldwide campaign to help one woman find herself, once more.

Never before has a corporation taken such interest in the wellbeing of another human being and do I, today, applaud the men and women behind the electronics giant for this unselfish act. Sure, cunning attempts have been made to hide the true purpose of the campaign by writing the slogan as “Make. Believe” – but it’s when voiceovers are added to advertisements that you hear the “Dot” clearly pronounced.

You may argue that it has to because “make believe” is not really the kind of thing you want associated with your brand. Sony “smoke and mirrors” just doesn’t have the right ring to it, sure – but as we’ve now learnt, all this commercial motivation behind the payoff line really is “make believe” – a great act of abracadabra as SONY masks its concern for “the return of faith in the goodness of life” for one woman, lost in a world gone iMad.

I’d like to throw my considerable weight behind this global push for the emancipation of Dot and I encourage you to do the same. Together we should hold vigil, light our candles and sing songs to bring Dot back from the brink of depression.

A “Make Dot Believe Day” is also not a bad idea.

Like believing in Father Christmas or the welfare of fairies – the spiritual upliftment of this (once magnetic woman) is not the sole domain of our specie’s young or chemically imbalanced.

Today it is our duty to raise the torch of faith on behalf of Dot.

Let us print T-shirts, and badges, and mugs with messages of encouragement. Let our offices be adorned with slogans of support and letter boxes overflowing with “Get Well Soon” cards.

At noon on 1 September 2010, let us switch off all electronics, stop all cars and shout our unified support for the return of the Sunflower to this cold and lonely place.

Setting Dot free from the ropes of self-ridicule and the cuffs of conformity is the right thing to do and, am I willing to bet, will our assistance not only make her believe again, but return onto us the greatest gift we have…

Faith in each other.