Ideas Expo Botswana Conference A Success

This year's Ideas Expo conference was about helping individuals understand that powerful ideas can transform brands.  Which is exacly what we need here in Botswana. People should not be afraid of their ideas. Let me give you a picture rundown of what went down at the conference. 

The crowd comprised of mostly young people, people in the media & communications, film and radio and arts sectors. it wasnt so formal, everyone was free to wear anything they wanted (you know how artists are, but i aint mad at you. rock on!). It was my kind of scene. Attendees felt free to comment on what the speakers discussed. Soo Relaxed.  For that i will give it an 8/10.

The decor was nice. I love the fact that they made the area look less formal by including couches on the stage. Nice touch. Ill give it a 7/10. Only because the conference chairs were not covered. Some of them were torn and it was a bit of an eye sore. I also like the fact that there was none of those generic plastic flowers and stupid trees on the stage. The exhibitions outside kept people occupied during breaks while they ate

The speaker lineup was hectic. I especially liked Xolisa Dyeshana (of Joe Public)'s presentation. He's Africa's Great Change Agent for sure. I'll give it an 9/10. Only because i think they could have done better when it came to the Botswana speakers, Mother's great, i met her, she's wonderful, but she didnt particularly gel with the rest of the speakers. Or maybe because she's like me: not good with pu

blic speaking..maybe.

 

After the conference we were all invited to Thapong Visual Arts Centre for a social mixer. Intimate crowd, Basarwa Band playing in the background, LeshyLovesong serenating us with her poetry, artworks sorrounding us. Not your usual Gabs spot. Most of all, creatives got to mingle with the speakers and each other all night. I definately formed a few relationships there. I'll give it an 8/10. The artists will also be performing at this year's Afri-can International Music festival. Which i wont miss for anything!

The numbers that turned up for the conference did not satisfy me. Batswana havent warmed up to the idea yet, but like i always say, "we'll get there". All in all i LOOVED it!

"You Peel, You Gain" Advert

I’m sure you guys are already familiar with the "GET TRIMMED" or "ROLA KEPESE" phrase. Yep those are just some of the phrases I heard people throwing around when referring to circumcision. Apparently the campaign is working. Oh and look at how similar the Botswana advert is to this other one which was used in some other country. Lacking creativity are we Botswana... Anyway let me not dwell on that, I hear some people at the offices get very sensitive over that topic, HD! But it’s true, ija!

As another way of trying to curb the destroyer that is HIV/AIDS, the Ministry of Education along with other stakeholders decided to re-popularise circumcision. So to appeal to the younger generation (since it’s kind of too late for di-timer) they decided not to beat around the bush and just get straight with them.

“Banana (youth), you see this banana (fruit), it represents your “phiphi” (lack of a better word). Now we will take a knife (or whatever they use at the hospital) and cut off the tip. Why would we want to do that? So it leaves a softer more sensitive part. A part that is sweeter and healthier for everyone, EVERYONE. A part that will turn Banana (youth), into Banna tota (real men)!”

Guys remember when your mom used to tell you “eat your food and you will grow into big strong men”?, well this is kind of the same thing. Just that it’s the government that’s telling you to eat your food. And instead of food, they telling you to take a big knife and slash off part of your penis. Ok maybe I shouldn’t be using words like “slash” and “big knife” but eish that’s the image I’m getting from this. That’s just me though.

But seriously speaking, a lot of old people have been offended by this advert. Everytime this topic comes up, especially on radio, a lot of these old men be calling the station, complaining saying they are being disrespected. I think they are just looking for an excuse not to get circumcised. Old men, clearly all these years that you have been on this earth, you have been scared to get circumcised and become “real men”. Now you want to shout it out in the radios and scare the young people as well?

This advert was not meant for old men. It’s too late for you. Old men never change their minds about anything. Have you ever seen them at the kgotla? These niggers will resist change for days!! Come to think of it I think the makers of this advert were banana, and they had to fight those old men at the offices to approve this advert. The target audience is the youth, hence they used the fruit banana, because “youth” translates to “BANANA” in Setswana.

But as for the campaign being successful, I don’t know...all the guys I know say there is no way they are getting circumcised. Not because of the ad, the ad just didn’t persuade them. They are just too scared of the pain. Maybe all my guy friends are a bunch of scaredy-cats. I should get some real friends waitse. A bunch of REAL MEN friends!! Aarrhuu!!

Moreover, I’ve been reading in the newspapers that a certain minister’s maid who supposedly had an affair with the minister (Bots drama!!!!), when asked by her husband why she didn’t use protection she replied, “There’s no way I could be infected with the virus because the minister is circumcised”. Hahahah! Yep she actually said that. Now this got me thinking, what does this imply for the circumcision campaign? Are people now starting to think circumcision is a way of immunising themselves from contraction the virus? Will people now start having unprotected sex because they know they are circumcised, therefore they can’t be infected? You know, the advert did communicate to them that getting circumcised will reduce their chances of getting HIV/AIDS and other STDs.

Honestly im 50/50 over this advert. On one hand, I feel it’s a good way of communicating the circumcision to the youth in a way that they can appreciate. You know it’s funny, it’s bold its creative, its everything that’s youth. But on the other hand, if the message is not interpreted well, it has the potential to increase HIV levels in Botswana, which is exactly the opposite of what the campaign aimed for. I don’t know guys, what do you think?...

Check out a the better version of this article on Pristine Mag

ORANGE Botswana’s YimmiWeee! Vs PEP CELL South Africa’s Iyoh!

Botswana’s cellphone network company Orange recently started their YimmiWeee campaign. It’s a series of TV, billboard, and print adverts that are supposed to communicate the Orange rewards programme. From what I get from the adverts, Orange surprises its customers with rewards when they least expect it. I’m not an Orange subscriber so I don’t really know, but I think these rewards include airtime, freebies, and other prizes like cellphones and stuff.

Basically, in all the adverts there’s this bored looking individually sitting around at work, home or whatever. Then we hear footsteps, to indicate that someone is coming, or something is brewing. We then  see this lady draped in very colourful attire (with shades of orange of course) entering the room bearing gifts. Upon seeing this, this bored looking individual jumps up excitedly and screams out “YIMMIWEEE!” (which is what most Batswana cry out when they are surprised) and starts doing some sort of celebratory dance with this lady.

This woman represents ORANGE. Their message is “stick with orange and you will reap the rewards”. Which is great, because we all want a network provider that will keep rewarding us for sticking with them. It’s a good effort by Orange. I want to change to Orange now, it’s just that I hate changing numbers. Bathong, when are you bringing sim-swap to Botswana?!! Aah! I feel that my current service provider’s just robbing me waitse! As a cellphone user, you are not supposed to feel that way.

But there’s another advert I’ve been seeing in the SABCs that has the same concept. Instead of the customers screaming out “YimmiWeee” they go “Iyoh”. “Iyoh” is South Africa’s own “YimmiWeee”. Although we do say “Iyoh” here in Botswana, one could say, for us, the other phrase is more dramatic. I started seeing the BTV one first so could it be that Pep Cell copied Orange? I don’t know, for me that’s a little hard to believe, seeing as we’re always “borrowing” their ideas.