Responding to long-standing client, First Car Rental’s request for support, Graffiti brand-wrapped four vehicles that were at the heart of a First Car Rental national CSI campaign which, after 11 successful months on the road, has recently concluded.

As the name suggests, The Rhino Orphanage cares for and rehabilitates orphans traumatised by poaching. A socially conscious company, First Car Rental set out to raise funds and the profile of the orphanage, developing a unique TTL campaign to connect South Africans with, and elicit support for the cause.

First Car Rental approached Nissan South Africa who agreed to donate four Nissan Juke cars for a year and with the vehicle sponsor on board, creating the right vehicle design, and wrapping it, was the next challenge. According to Melissa Storey, First Car Rental executive head: strategy, development and marketing, Graffiti is by far the most reliable wrapping company in South Africa and provides a world-class service with transparent processes. “They are a well-oiled machine and were the obvious partner to approach for this sponsorship.”

A wrap was then designed by First Car Rental’s ad agency to look like a mother and baby rhino with interactive social media messaging, and a call to "Post your Selfie & Win" was included in the artwork in the hope of involving the public. South Africans were encouraged to find the Jukes (which had a presence at high profile events) and take creative #selfies with the vehicles and then hashtag and upload their photos to their social media channels. The #Rhinos1st hashtag generated much interest, as consumers worked hard to qualify for the prizes up for grabs: one of two holidays worth R20 000 each. A donation SMS short code to drive donations of R15 to The Rhino Orphanage was another element that contributed to the campaign success, and raised R16 800 from 1120 donations.

“There are very few wrapping companies that would have been able to execute some of the complicated designs that we have provided Graffiti with over the years and I have never rejected a vehicle wrap in the seven years we have worked with them. They are simply a superb supplier and we were delighted and grateful that they supported this truly worthwhile campaign – helping us maximize the impact of our initiative that relied so heavily on mobile media branding for its success,” says Storey.

Today, with a concrete reputation, Graffiti is recognised as the market leaders in the field of transit branding. Supplying cradle to grave on trend indoor and outdoor solutions for the mobile (vehicle and trucking) and retail industries. On the vehicle branding side, Graffiti runs the largest application department in Africa and can push up to 1 000 vehicles through the factory each month. These volumes directly correlate with its innovative approach, experience and operational efficiencies, as well as its capacity to manage and brand large fleets.

For more information, visit www.graffiti.co.za. Alternatively connect with them on Facebook.