VWV Group announces launch of its new division, VWV Massive

Headed by music and entertainment industry giants, Lloyd Cornwall and Tom Pearson-Adams, the division uses music and entertainment properties and platforms to achieve client brand objectives.

VWV CEO, Mark Steinhobel, says that while this is a bold move for the agency, the Group is excited about the prospects and the opportunities it can offer the market through the launch of the new division. “We believe South Africa is ready for the Massive offering. The next generation of media is a paradigm shift: properties that are owned by brands, carefully crafted to meet the needs of niched consumers. Through Masisive we will build those experiential properties together with our clients, going far beyond the traditional concepts of sponsorship into a new realm of measurable ROI.”

Massive as a business has been around for 20 years and during this time has built a reputation locally and globally for its specialist event organisation skills in the music and entertainment world. It has notched up experience in territories as far afield as China, the USA, London and Ibiza, and of course in South Africa. According to VWV Massive director and the original founder of the business, Lloyd Cornwall, Massive develops and delivers platforms built around brands and their objectives, in ways that increase the volume of a client’s message in a very niche space.

“We are not in the business of buying and selling music sponsorships; VWV Massive develops and owns properties and turns occasions into spectacles to remember. Ten years ago sponsorships were all about securing five times the investment return through media and PR. But the industry has evolved. I don’t even like the word sponsorships – today it’s about partnerships,” says Cornwall. “We look way beyond conventional communication methods and constantly search out more creative ways to interact with audiences, using the credibility of entertainment as our core medium.”

The kind of high profile events Massive has put on the map and turned into household names, include: Ministry of Sound SA; The Vaudeville Supper Club; 5FM Music Festival @ the Billabong Pro; Roger Goode’s Saturday Surgery tours; Smirnoff Experience feat Masters at Work; Jazzy Jeff; DJ Spinna; Sprite Soul Comedy Jams; The Fez Nightclub and MTV’s Desert Storm to name but a few.

Brand experience agency, VWV, known for its ability to deliver highly impactful events and campaigns that change perceptions and inspire action, had a cultural alignment with Massive and there was a natural fit for the company within the Group. According to Cornwall, VWV is the only agency in South Africa with the expertise and resources to deliver on the requirements associated with the scale of the properties Massive is now developing.

With Massive now part of the VWV Group, the new division will continue to follow the approach that has bagged it many awards and the trust of megabrands. This means providing a turnkey service for clients where “we decode music opportunities, bridging the gap between the corporate brand world and the music industry, ensuring both parties win,” explains Cornwall.

“Music is a favoured medium of youth groups, all of which aspire to international and local icons. It’s a powerful platform in SA, with lower entry levels than sport and many opportunities across all markets. Music makes a huge impression on consumers, and brands too can make theirs if the right property is created and well leveraged,” says Cornwall.

The first project that Massive is launching as a division of VWV is Delicious – a music festival for food lovers or a food festival for music lovers – that takes the combination of food and music-based entertainment to the next level - a highbrow property.

“Delicious is unlike any other music or food event ever staged in SA and will set a benchmark in this exciting combination,” says Cornwall. “While the combination of live music and food is by no means a new concept, patrons will be entertained by the type of international artists only ever seen in a standalone concert format, and this will be coupled with a unique and extensive international food offering suitable for all tastes and budgets.”

For the past two years, Cornwall and Pearson-Adams have been in negotiations with the biggest youth property on the planet. VWV Massive will be making an exciting announcement in the coming months about this coup for South Africa.

“With our unique tailor-made programmes, we offer something rarely seen in the eventing world, synchronicity. That perfect moment when innovation, excellence and entertainment align to create an experience that redefines everything that has gone before,” concludes Cornwall.

For more information on creating experiences that change perceptions and inspire action call Warren Stewart on 011 799-2600 or visit www.vwv.com. Alternatively, 'Like' the Facebook page or follow @VWVGroup on Twitter.