Originators of the idea at NATIVE are jumping with joy at the reception the idea received. “We knew this would be a concept that the fans would love because it will change people’s lives,” says Jason Xenopoulos, CEO and chief creative officer at NATIVE, a full-service digital agency.

The idea came during the quest to find a way to leverage the Nedbank Cup sponsorship. “The concept was born as a digital idea but is extending beyond the digital canvas. It is a multi-platform narrative about people, their lives and their love of soccer. Our mantra is to create purpose-driven work that lives in people’s lives and the Nedbank Ke Yona Team idea is doing just that. It is creating real cultural conversations. This is a great example of how concepts can break through the traditional and digital marketing moulds,” says Xenopoulos.

In essence, the Nedbank Ke Yona Team concept stems from the Nedbank Cup’s slogan ‘Ke Yona’ denoting ‘the one’ and revolves around the hunt for amateur soccer talent on the streets of South Africa. Nationwide try outs are taking place in all nine provinces and those selected for the 18-person squad will be coached by professionals and compete against the winners of this year’s Nedbank Cup. The entire process will be documented and shared with the soccer community on multiple platforms.

"The Nedbank Ke Yona Team search is a great example of a multi-platform narrative that will unfold across a wide range of media - from television, radio and print, to online, social, and even in the real world. A 13-part TV series is launching in May on SABC1. Weekly radio inserts will run on all nine African Language Stations during the duration of the TV series as well as weekly inserts in Soccerzone. All of the content from these shows – and much more – will also be available on the Nedbank Cup website, mobisite and on all social channels,” Jason explains. NATIVE is working closely with key partners to bring this campaign to life."

Registrations for trials start on Friday, 15 March and during the upcoming months fans will get to be part of the trials process, meet the selected players and see the team developing.

Sydney Nhlanhla Mbhele CM (SA), Divisional Executive - Integrated Marketing, Group Marketing, Nedbank Limited, says, “We are proud to take the Nedbank Cup to a new level this year through the Nedbank Ke Yona Team campaign. The Nedbank Cup has been a catalyst for players and teams to achieve their goals and aspirations, and now this is being extended to everyday people. This demonstrates Nedbank is a bank for all,” he says.

For more on the Nedbank Cup Ke Yona Team go to www.nedbankcup.co.za.