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Stuff from Johannesburg

The only automotive brand to be awarded at the PRISM Awards

Johannesburg, 28 July 2022 – The Volkswagen Golf GTI8onTour campaign won gold at this years’ PRISM Awards which were held in Johannesburg recently.

The PRISM Awards, which are run by the Public Relations Institute of South Africa (PRISA), are Africa’s most sought after public relations and communication awards and are judged by more than 60 industry experts. PRISM awards are conferred on entities that have successfully fused strategy with creativity and professionalism to achieve the best communications and business objectives in their public relations campaigns.

“As Volkswagen, we’re proud to not only have won three awards which include a gold award in the ‘Launch of a New Service or Product’ category at the PRISM’s, but to also be the only automotive brand awarded at this years’ ceremony shows the creative prowess of our brand. The Golf GTI was our biggest vehicle launch last year and the #GTI8OnTour campaign paid homage to the legendary status that this hot hatch enjoys in South Africa,” said Bridget Harpur, Head of Marketing for the Volkswagen Brand.

Working with Public Relations agency, One-Eyed Jack, the #GTI8OnTour campaign also won a silver award for ‘Influencer Management’ and a bronze award in the ‘Integration of Traditional and New Media’ category.

The #GTI8OnTour was launched as a gaming app that got fans racing the Golf 8 GTI through the virtual streets of South Africa to get their name on a virtual leader board in order claim a free ticket to the #GTI8OnTour country-wide customer launch events.

The #GTI8OnTour campaign culminated in high-energy customer events in Cape Town, Durban, and Johannesburg where fans were given the chance to experience life in the GTI lane.

The #GTI8OnTour campaign saw over 21 000 app downloads across Apple and Android devices and over 370 000 game plays in just six weeks. The online social media campaign also reached 3.3 million people.

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The Wilds: A Sanctuary of Stone and Steel

The Wilds was officially opened to the public in 1938, carved out of the rocky “koppies” (hills) of the Witwatersrand. Unlike the manicured lawns of the city’s more traditional parks, The Wilds was designed to showcase South Africa’s botanical heritage. It is a vertical garden of sorts, featuring steep stone paths that wind through forests of yellowwood trees, proteas, and ancient cycads. At its highest point, the reserve offers one of the most spectacular views of the Johannesburg skyline, where the brutalist towers of Hillbrow seem to rise directly out of the prehistoric-looking vegetation.

However, like many of Johannesburg’s public spaces, The Wilds fell into a period of deep neglect during the late 1990s and early 2000s. As crime rates rose and the city’s maintenance budgets shifted, the reserve became overgrown and was perceived as a “no-go zone.” The waterfalls stopped running, the stone paths crumbled, and the once-vibrant greenhouse became a skeletal ruin. For nearly two decades, this incredible piece of real estate sat largely abandoned, used only by a few brave locals and the occasional film crew looking for a “wilderness” setting within city limits.