Ocean Basket campaign encourages 'prawn can-can' interaction online

The worldwide shortage of prawns last year resulted in the rocketing price of the world's favourite crustacean to an all-time high, representing a 56% increase in price. However, with forward buying and relationship building by Ocean Basket's strategic sourcing leaders, Pedro de Sambento and Roelof Brink, its customers can look forward to more for less.

"Ocean Basket made a strategic decision to filter down these prices directly to our customers," says head of business strategy, Grace Harding. As the restaurant that first introduced prawns to everyday people in the days when the dish was reserved for the pleasure of the uber rich, Harding feels that it is high time the company takes back its leadership position on prawns in the South African market.

"The campaign is not just about making the prawns the heroes of the show, it's about the people enjoying them too, because the best way to eat a succulent platter of prawns is with your hands," says head of marketing, Nana Lloyd.

Competition

In-store, consumers are invited to snap photos of their dancing prawn-headed fingers and upload them to the company's microsite and social networks in a competition to win meal vouchers. Children have their own delightful family of animated prawns to colour in and cut out as finger puppets. Even the waiters are getting in on the act with top hats, bow ties, and the occasional can-can musical track.

In addition to the executions online and in-store, the creative extends seamlessly into outdoor, print, and television communication in a contact plan that connects optimally with consumers across all platforms.

Press is focussed on lifestyle sections in selected newspapers with Out of Home as a new medium for the brand, street pole posters are strategically placed within close proximity to stores and traditional television advertising is still the hero that creates the best awareness for a campaign like this.