Citigate goes for gold

More than a century after the discovery of gold in Johannesburg, South Africa, the same earth is yielding a new treasure. Recently established in the mining district of Carletonville, near Johannesburg, is the innovative export-quality rose farm of Living Gold, owned by Gold Fields and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC). To ensure the success of Living Gold's first International Auction earlier this year in Holland, Citigate Johannesburg and Citigate First Financial B.V, Holland, worked closely together.

Citigate Johannesburg conceptualised and designed exciting teasers and visual banner elements around the creative theme of 'The Gold Rush'. The aim was to intrigue and grab the attention of rose buyers attending the Auction.

With the assistance of Citigate First Financial, three teasers were sent to each rose buyer prior to the Auction:

• A postcard, featuring the teaser line 'The gold rush is coming' with a brief paragraph on how gold was first discovered in SA.

• A hand-crafted golden wire rose with a Living Gold swing tag, featuring pictures of the roses and the line 'The gold rush is coming'.

• Living Gold brochures just before the Auction, giving rose buyers more information about the company and its roses.
  Citigate Johannesburg also designed various collateral elements for the Auction day, such as posters, banners for the Auction trolleys and Living Gold stickers for each rose. On the big day, Citigate ensured that as each rose buyer entered the Auction room, they received a designer flask-type coffee mug from South Africa. The mugs were branded with a Living Gold swing tag which read: 'The gold has arrived. Wake up to the rush of Living Gold'.

As a final awareness initiative, Citigate arranged for a digital message" 'Wake up to the Rush of Living Gold' to be flashed on the digital, ticker-type clocks that the rose buyers refer to when tracking prices and sales.