But M-Net recognised the need to re-establish the connection between the brand and its core deliverable, with Scarcella commenting that while M-Net still 'owns' magic as a concept, this ownership has perhaps become a little diluted over the years due to a lack of re-enforcement.
The team at Ogilvy Johannesburg developed a campaign that gives M-Net's 'magic' the power to transform the ordinary into the extra-ordinary: "The key understanding here is that magic, in our daily lives, is often about escapism. Watching TV is about escaping our daily, humdrum lives and immersing ourselves in the exciting, supernatural lives of the characters we watch on screen."
The print executions show ordinary South Africans (in fact, M-Net staff members) being transformed into extra-ordinary movie stars. Scarcella's PA was re-invented as Lara Croft, while one of M-Net's engineers was transformed into James Bond, the finance manager found himself re-incarnated as Rambo and one of the HR trainees became Mary Poppins.
"We used staff members in the campaign because we really wanted them to feel a part of the magic. We also wanted to inject some of this magic back into the building and by using our people, we created a lot of excitement in the office. And that's good magic.
"The take out is that, whenever M-Net touches you, it transforms you. The 'magic' that is so much a part of the M-Net brand has the power to change your world, to make it a little more exciting, a little more extra-ordinary, a little more magical."
