DStv’s brand-new meme only platform, known as AmaMeme, was created by creative agency Guerilla. It provides an innovative way for viewers to discover DStv’s content.
From AmaAngry to AmaShook, the meme platform gives Mzansi’s freshest, tastiest, locally sourced GIFs and reaction shots from the nation’s favourite DStv shows. In the words of the launch campaign and Guerilla, the co-founders and creators of the platform, AmaMeme has AmaEverything for AmaSocial.
The brief behind the AmaMeme project provided Guerilla with what Cameron Naidoo, founder and creative partner of the agency, called the god of briefs. ‘We needed something provocative. With platforms like Giphy and Tenor having all the fun, we tapped into the power of signature Mzansi reactions – and so it was born – the ama-fire of GIF platforms, organically grown from the DStv library of local and international sport and kids hit shows.’
As a business asset, AmaMeme is a communication powerhouse for DStv, with just under 1000 GIFs created and uploaded in its first week. It holds exceptional future value as almost all third-party channels have agreed to join the platform to date and a Showmax partnership is on the horizon. The latest win for the project was the on-boarding of content from the DStv Premiership (formerly PSL).
One of the challenges needing to be solved for the DStv brand through the brief was the fast-paced need to keep South Africans’ short attention span talking. Naidoo said that South Africa has an imaginative sense of humour and as a result, the team needed to bed that down in the platform from the get-go.
‘Meme selection and production were vital to ensure the platform doesn’t get tired and that we keep users coming back for their unique social reactions. We also needed to cater for all of Mzansi. There are close to 50 million smartphones in the market that vary from entry-level to high end – our development team was stoked to navigate that winning solve,’ said Naidoo.
‘AmaMeme took close on 15 months to complete from concept to launch. The platform needed an intrinsic behavioural UX (User Experience) approach as well as incredible systems architecture to serve GIFs quickly.’
Managing Director of Guerilla, Leasha Naidoo, added, ‘The week of the launch had everyone smiling at the agency as we kept checking Twitter and other social platforms for first reactions. It was a proud moment to see that the country was enjoying what we created.’
