Ogilvy Johannesburg’s content division, 1984, has launched a ground-breaking new campaign for M-net music channel MK, which takes a brutally honest look at 
The campaign, titled MK is…, is based on the observation that much like its audience, MK is many different things, but that ultimately it simply is. So instead of defining the channel with a tag line and ad campaign, Ogilvy has turned this traditional approach on its head, choosing instead to let the audience draw its own conclusions about what, and who, MK is.
MK is…consists of three consecutive character journeys, each with a lifespan of 20 days. Daily episodes on the MK channel allow audiences a voyeuristic look into the life of each character, encouraging them to interpret the brand in their own way and draw parallels to their own experiences. Each episode is synchronised with daily Facebook posts, blog entries and tweets that fill in the rest of the story.
The brainchild of 1984, a specialised department within Ogilvy that relies on content creation to find new ways of engaging consumers, MK is…was filmed in just 10 days. In keeping with the general theme, the sixty-episode campaign was shot with no script, no schedule, and a single video camera in the capable hands of renowned American Apparel photographer Purienne, who made the long trip from LA simply because he fell in love with the idea.
The resulting footage is gritty, unrefined and honest, and more often than not, pretty controversial too. It deviates significantly from traditional ad campaigns in that it includes no logo, tag line or link to MK the channel in general (other than the fact that the episodes are screened on MK). The episodes feature original tracks by some of South Africa’s lesser-known artists that are making great waves abroad: from ex pats living in Taiwan, to bands releasing 12 inches in Chicago, each episode actively seeks to broaden South Africa’s musical horizons.
1984’s founders, James Smith, Frank van Rooijen and Mark Haefele, feel that the characters’ stories depict the Zeitgeist of South African youth culture in its purest form, allowing viewers to freely engage with the content, be entertained by it, and draw their own conclusions about the brand.
“We wanted the campaign to provoke debate and stimulate interaction by offering the public real entertainment in real time across a variety of platforms,” comments Ogilvy’s Mariana O’Kelly, Creative Director. “It remains to be seen what will happen to these characters, but either way it is going to be one hell of a ride.”
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