Kgomotso Mautloa kills it on CliffCentral
Posted on Dec 22, 2014
Kgomotso Mautloa, Creative Director and founder of Green Robot Design, is no stranger to media interviews. Earlier this year he was interviewd on un-radio online station, CliffCentral, where he spoke to the Kellman On CliffCentral team about all things Green Robot Design.
Check out Kgomotso’s interview here: http://iono.fm/e/94430
Via www.cliffcentral.com
Gabbi Brondani
Director, urban espresso
The Hype around Green Robot Design
Posted on Oct 31, 2014
Kgomotso Mautloa, Creative Director and Founder of Green Robot Design
The team at Green Robot Design are real gems within the creative space. Most people aren’t aware of the fact that they were the creative minds behind websites & marketing schemes (in the form of album covers and designs) for some of SA’s top artists and DJs such as Khuli Chana, Mo Flava, DJ Dimplez and DJ Vigilante to mention a few. Many people do not recognise the importance of marketing and visual presentation, especially when it comes to artists. This is a theme that Hype magazine recently explored when they interviewed Kgomotso Mautloa, creative director and founder of Green Robot Design.
Hype mag: Is the marketing and visual representation process as easy as people think it is when it comes to music and artists?
Kgomotso: Marketing and visual presentation is very important, it’s really vital if anything. Most artists overlook the fact that people often see your artwork before they hear your music. You need to capture your audience visually before you can even engage with them. So mildly put, it’s not that easy. We need to be on top of trends, look at what people like, what they don’t like, and to add onto that people consume so many visuals on a daily basis that it’s imperative that one stands out. Let’s take hip hop for instance. There are so many artists that are trying to get out there and so many are releasing new material every day; what’s going to make you stand out from first glance? The visual aesthetic of your artwork. I think even social media and the marketing elements that tie into that are also important, but artists don’t realise its importance.
The full article can be viewed on Hype magazine’s website http://www.hypemagazine.co.za/2014/09/inside-world-green-robot-design/
www.greenrobot.co.za
Gabbi Brondani
Director, urban espresso
Shining a spotlight on Halo’s “Be More” campaign
Posted on Oct 30, 2014
Our clients are awesome – and I’m not saying that just because they’re our clients. (I’m the first one to knock a blatant product plug, trust me.) Whenever you come across a blog post where we shine the spotlight on one of our clients and highlight something cool they’ve done, that’s us sending kudos their way and spreading the love because we feel that they’ve genuinely done something brilliant.
Like www.brandhalo.co.za
We’ve been working together for two months now, and the more we progress within our working relationship, the more we are astounded by the creative brilliance of Halo and their team. They aren’t ones to shout it from the mountain tops when they’ve crafted creative excellence, but they damn well should. (Although, I suppose that’s why we’re on board – so that they don’t have to blow their own horn.)
Their latest campaign titled Be More for the Commercial Bank of Africa (Kenya) is attracting some well deserved attention from those within the advertising and marketing space. In a series of eight print ads, Halo provides salutations to different entrepreneurial archetypes: “To the Meticulous”; “To the Free Spirits”; “To the Fiery”; “To the Persevering”; and so on. While none is an absolute archetype, they all embody the spirit of entrepreneurship: determination, courage, passion, self-motivation and perseverance. Each character study (a farmer, a female boxer, a dress designer, a country vet, a car-restorer, and a musician) is unique, which appeals to the unique sense of self every entrepreneur must have to succeed. The visual representation of each ad needs to be seen to be fully appreciated.
Oresti Patricios highlighted it as the Ad Of The Week on Marklives recently. You can view his commentary on the series here http://www.marklives.com/2014/10/ad-of-the-week-commercial-bank-of-africa-be-more-halo/?category=shot#.VFIXznkaItC
In case you’re wondering what all the fuss is about, here’s a sneak peak at some of the print ads.
Gabbi Brondani
Director, urban espresso
Dubai’s PR WILL blow yours out of the water
Posted on Oct 14, 2014
The more you follow the blog posts and news we share, particularly under the “Travel” category, you’ll soon realise that Dubai is a topic and destination that I write about. A lot. Dubai fascinates me. Actually, “fascinates” is a bit of an understatement. It’s more accurate if I say Dubai blows my mind. I’ve been there three times in the past two years, and each time I’m there, there is something new that just blows me away. The last time I visited in May 2014, I was told how they’re building a Jurassic Park inspired theme park, and that they have plans in place to build the world’s tallest building and biggest mall (a record which they, Dubai, already hold, but want to break their own record.) Ridiculous. I know.
Being in PR, my mind is always along the “PR train of thought” and when I look at Dubai and their exponential growth in the past ten years, and how they’ve tied such solid PR tactics to all that they do, in my opinion, I don’t know if any other destination can touch the kind of PR that Dubai creates and spreads for itself. It’s incredible.
The latest press release I received from Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) starts off with:
“Khloe Kardashian, Victoria’s Secret models Alessandra Ambrosio and Irina Shayk, American R&B and hip-hop artist Akon as well as Paris and Nicky Hilton, party the night away at the opening of Cle Dubai.”
That intro in itself shows just how over the top Dubai are able to, and can afford to, take their PR. On to a whole other level. Oh, you thought you had a cool restaurant opening for your brand? Did you have Khloe Kardashian there? Was Alessandra Ambrosio casually strutting her stuff as she walked over to the bar? Akon wasn’t there either? SIT DOWN. Your launch does not touch this. I’m not saying a launch needs celebrities to make an impact, I’m pointing out the fact that any and every way Dubai can make a statement and generate some PR spin from it, they will. Money is no object. Look how they created the world’s first man-made island – in the shape of a palm. These guys mean business.
The release goes on to say:
“Clé Dubai, a home-grown restaurant that features Chef Greg Malouf’s award-winning, contemporary Middle Eastern cuisine, promises to be one of the hottest new destinations in town. The prestigious restaurant opened its doors with a glamorous event on Saturday October 11. The grand opening saw some of the most famous international celebrities flying to Dubai especially for the event. In attendance was American television personality Khloe Kardashian along with, Victoria’s Secret models Alessandra Ambrosio and Irina Shayk, American R&B and hip-hop artist Akon and the Hilton sisters, Nicky and Paris Hilton, who was a guest DJ for the night. The launch night also saw Bollywood celebrities including Hrithik Roshan, Dino Morea, Nargis Fakhri, Esha Gupta, and Fardeen Khan and a number of Dubai’s personalities.”
Next time you read anything about Dubai or visit the destination, let this be food for thought and sit in the back of your mind. I have no doubt that since you’ve read this, whenever you see anything mentioned about “Dubai” in the media, you’ll sit up and take notice of how what I’ve pointed out, is true. Their PR for their destination is on point.
Gabbi Brondani
Director, urban espresso
Green Robot Design and Business Day TV
Posted on Sep 20, 2014
We love working with talented and ambitious entrepreneurs, and Kgomotso Mautloa, Creative Director at Green Robot Design, is one such person. Kgomotso was recently featured on Business Day TV’s show SME-Zone. http://www.businessdaytv.co.za/shows/SME-Zone/2014/09/15/sme-zone-part-2
Informal business models are often not given enough credibility and recognition, despite their contribution towards the country’s entrepreneurial and economic development. SME-Zone is a business show that is targeted at start-ups and SME’S that operate within formal and informal settings.
Gabbi Brondani
Director, urban espresso