The South African retailer took out ads in The London Evening Standard and The Sydney Morning Herald on 27 January 2023 to promote its value offering, as well as that South Africans abroad can have groceries delivered to friends and family at home via Checkers Sixty60, its delivery service. It sparked substantial coverage and strong debate about the cost and standard of living locally vs abroad.
The concept was jointly developed by the brand’s marketing team and its creative agency, 99c. Mike Middleton, Shoprite Group CMO, tells MarkLives that the aim was to “highlight that South Africa is a great place to live, and [that] Checkers makes living here even better with the great value it offers on everything, from groceries to premium foods”.
The big idea, he says, was to “generate talkability and to remind expats that they can have groceries delivered to family and friends in South Africa via Checkers Sixty60.”
And this campaign certainly did catch fire on social media.
“The success of these advertisements hinged on the ability to secure positive media endorsement in the local market. Widespread publicity was achieved across major broadcast, print and online publications, ranging from CapeTalk/702, eNCA, Newzroom Afrika, Rapport, News24 and more,” he continues. “Prominent journalists, Bruce Whitfield and Gus Silber, shared posts to their social media platforms, which in turn sparked additional conversations about the campaign. The advertisements were lauded for starting debates about the cost and standard of living in South Africa vs that of UK and Australia.”
“South Africa is a great place to live, and Checkers makes living here even better,” Middleton explains. “The campaign showcased this by drawing attention to the cost of good food and wine in South Africa, compared to England and Australia.”
Ultimately, Checkers is the true hero of this campaign, with its customers having saved a combined R2.7bn on their grocery bills July–December 2022, thanks to Checkers Xtra Savings programme, which Middleton says plays a key role in delivering value to the retailer’s customers.
With smart placement and calculated risks, Checkers showcases how much South Africans love the brand, and the great convenience Checkers Sixty60 delivers. Who says that product and price campaigns have to be boring?
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