This is the latest set of print ads done for City Varsity by Net#work BBDO Cape Town. Mike Pearson, the copywriter responsible for the work, had this to say about the campaign:
The whole premise is “Like school, but cooler” and what we’ve done is taken high school imagery (as that is what their target market sees day in day out) and given it an exciting film and media twist, as this is CityVarsity’s vibe. The ads ran in relevant magazines for school kids wondering what to do after school.
Creative directors: Alexis Beckett, Ivan Johnson, Mike Schalit
Art Directors: Ryan Barkhuizen, Alexis Beckett
Copywriters: Mike Pearson
Illustrator: Lance Daniels
Photographer: Bryan Traylor
Producer: Johan La Grange
39 Comments
Nice ad’s. Cool ideas. Unfortunately i cannot support any campaign for that institution. CityVarsity is plagued with inexperienced lecturers, a blatant lack of facilities (they conduct lectures in the hallways and constantly double-book the rooms that they call lecture halls), and gross maladministration. I speak from first hand experience!
If i had to rephrase, i would say “Like school, only a waste of money”
Nice idea, really well photographed too!
I agree, really well put together, well done Bryan Traylor!
I have to second what Anon said. I’m not sure how they justify spending any money on advertising when their facilities and equipment are so poor – especially considering the fees they charge. I spoke to someone recently who did a 6 month web design course at CV and she said 3 months into the course they still didn’t have an internet connection…Seems like nothing has changed since I was there 7 years ago(except for the higher the fees).
I think these ads are fantastic, and superbly photographed. I do also completely agree with Anon on what an insipid institution City Varsity is at the moment.
Who cares if the School is crap, Network did what they are supposed to which is to enhance the brand through awesome communication! Great ads, this team is consistently pumping out creative work.
@Shane
I agree with you, Network did a good job… but seeing as 10and5 are showcasing a piece of work comissioned by CityVarsity, i think it’s relevant to discuss context and client i.e. CityVarsity.
This shouldn’t be a bitchin’ session either, but if a “creative” institution is falsely claiming to grow the design community (and actually just swallowing student’s money), then it’s important to air their dirty laundry whenever possible.
Props to Network. Nyaaaah to CityVarsity
Ok rad, I’m the writer so maybe I’m biased…
However, I helped them choose which work they’re going to be sending to Loeries and it was flippen fantastic! I saw work from the design, animation, film making and special effects departments and it was of a very high standard. Take a walk down there sometime and check out their latest work, I’m well proud to be associated with them and their produce… So I don’t know how it was years ago, but they’re certainly steaming now.
Over and out.
I graduated from Cityvarsty last year. From recent first hand experience, allow me to lay it out for you peeps…
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CV’s film department is average at best. Loads of enthusiasm, but nothing worth writing home about.
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Animation is probably their strongest course. Good lecturers, Strong department.
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Special effects (SFX make up): also good
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Photography: Miserable. Lack of experienced lecturers, poor facilities, and (as anon said) lectures in the hallways! – swak
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design: ultimately poor. maybe i’m biased here, but my personal experience of the CV design department was so bad that my creditors wanted their money back and considered taking legal action against CV. The head of department is absolutely incompetent and beauracratic, and the admin is so bad that students marks remained incorrect for 5 months after midyear exams. Infact, the institution knew of these mistakes, but released the marks in reports anyway. Oh snaP.
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The food at the canteen: Amazing. No really. It’s just so good.
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hope this clears a few things up
si
In my experience these colleges often give back what you put in, the creative industry is tough, you need to be proactive and work hard – if you do this you can succeed anywhere.
Methinks you guys have mistaken this site for HelloPeter… you can find it here: http://www.hellopeter.com/
@andrew
Thanks for the inspiring words there…
I graduated first in my class at CityVarsity. With the top student award.
I still think the institution is flawed, and so do many of my (equally talented and hard working) friends who are now in their graduating year. Students’ hard work and perseverance will never make up for the School’s shortcomings.
@Jo:
This discussion is quite relevant to 10and5, as graduates from CV will eventually be your counterparts in the industry, and may one day be the ones contributing to this site.
@ Simon. You must win. Because you and you hardworking friends are soo talented..
Well done Net#work BBDO Cape Town. I think it is good creative execution and strong campaign. Now it is up to City Varsity to make their students to believe in them.
@rubydeaux. Lolwolves. Sorry – Didn’t mean to come across like that. I just hope anyone who reads this will take me seriously and think twice before sending their kids there.. That place has some real issues to work out!
Out
I believe the Between 10and5 strapline reads “The Creative Showcase” If we had to create ads based on actual brand intrinsics as per the consumer’s subjective experience, our posters and billboards would consist solely of faeces smeared in agony on a canvas of broken glass. It’s a showcase, not a consumer forum.
As co-founder of 10and5 with Uno I`d like to comment about this debate. We fully encourage debate on this blog. Obviously we would prefer the debate to be around the quality of the creative, the conceptual idea and final executions, as well as show the world the great thinking of South African creatives.
That being said, if the brand is shit in your opinion, then by feel free to say so. Marketers reads these kinds of blogs all the time and the more info they can get the better.
As a final word, I once heard a CD saying in a creative brief: We can bake a cake using this shit, it might look like a cake, but it will still taste like shit.
Great creative BBDO!
Wow – some people are pissed off about having to pay back student loans after they didn’t get the quality of education they think they deserved, and they should be! But blame Shitty Varsity,you cant blame an ad agency for doing the communication work or 10and5 for showcasing it – go picket outside City Varsity if you’re such an outspoken pragmatist, this is no place to scrutinize an institutions day-to-day organization, rather a showcase of great advertising, which it was. Agree with Jo – Head off to Hellopeter or the less cowardly option, if you’re so passionate type, to your nearest campus to get on your soapbox
I forgot to add: Well done Mike, Ryan, Bryan Traylor and the rest of team who worked on this!
Wow, what a roller-coaster thread this is. CityVarsity’s connectivity was affected during their premises move in Term 2, all issues raised through the correct channels were addressed to the satisfaction of the parents, students and staff.
CityVarsity’s fees are cheaper than most of their direct private Higher Education competitors. As Mike says, the student work is of a very high standard and it is testament both to the talent of the students and expertise of the lecturers. Those who would like to send feedback for comment or correction, info@cityvarsity.co.za should be your first port of call.
CityVarsity encourages feedback, good or bad, so that it may be used constructively in the development of the training environment.
Interesting that the only people saying good things about the institution are people who work there or have no experience of the place from a student’s perspective.
(Paula, i’m just taking a stab in the dark when i guess that you work for CV… and another guess is that you are in a high enough position in the school to make it worth your while to defend it?)
Now let’s consider that in this debate until now not one student has posted anything good about the institution… hmmm. interesting.
I graduated from CityVarsity with my Advanced Diploma in Sound Engineering in 2005. I loved my study time there and get lots of music production work referrals from CityVarsity lecturers and graduates – including SAMA award and nominations. It was far superior to the Sound course I was doing in UK before I came back to SA. I do also work at CityVarsity, this is my choice as I believe in the training and love the environment. It is a great school in my opinion.
I do agree with administrators of 10and5 – This is a strange place for complaints about CityVarsity, more appropriate to be complimenting BBDO.
I can get all the happy graduates I know to post here but I doubt it would change your mind at this point. I hope you will get in touch with CV so they can use your feedback constructively.
I’m a student which wishes to attend City Varsity next year to do Motion Picture Make-up and if anyone could help to give me some answers about the course I would greatly appreciate a response. Sorry about using your site for my own means, but i’m waaaay desperate for answers after my application was ‘lost’ and after hearing all the bad news.
Sorry again
Hey A, unfortunately I have no contact details for them! Have you tried giving one of the people on their website a call?
Hi A, you can email info@cityvarsity.co.za or call 021 466 6800, ask to speak to Charlton. He’s a student advisor.
lol don’t waste your money.
Good Day,
I am doing the film course at City Varsity (JHB) and I have to say that it is Underfunded, Badly Organised and there seems to be no vision for the future. It probably has the best animation course in SA, but that relates directly to skilled lecturers and equipment.
Explain how a 40k+ course has a single Sony Z1 HDV camera for about 120 film students spread over three years? There is a total 7 edit suites for the whole department and every animation student has there own PC which are more up-to-date and that work.
The library is the social gathering spot of the school, one cannot do work properly in the enviroment.
As for what you put is in was you get out, that only applies to a certain extent. Having adequate equipment you have paid for helps, otherwise whats the point.
And yes, lecture halls are double booked, animation gets preference in many cases, if a projector breaks in animation, it gets replaced.
I suppose it doesn’t help, but there is a general unpleasantness on the campus, it is every department for himself and no sense of common purpose.
I could go on and on but it’s just too much. I would like to end on a quote. Something I heard one of the main film lecturers say: “Everyone knows we thumbsuck marks at City Varsity”
Anon
Hi Anon
We can state categorically regarding academic results that all results at CityVarsity have to be taken before an academic board and external moderator before they get processed and communicated to students and their families; therefore it is impossible for lecturers to “thumbsuck” marks.
If you would like to take your concern to the Principal of the Newtown Campus, he is open to discussing this with you.
You are also welcome to email info@cityvarsity.co.za.
Cityvarsity has a bit of a history with student complaints it seems. The institution in my personal experience is beauracratic and incompetent – and looking at less recent graduate’s opinions it’s been that way for a while.
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p.s. categorically denying something does not mean that it bears any more truth. the statement “we can state categorically” means no more than “i’d like it very much if you all were to believe…”
Great campaign, pity ’bout the school. Might I add CityVarsity’s current Multimedia department is a ship of fools, headed by possibly one of the most incompetent individuals to ever enter a classroom. The best lecturers have all been shipped out and we’re now left with the dregs. I’m off to Hello Peter to elaborate on this.
hey…i’d like to know more about the educational status of film and television production at cityvarsity in cape town.so may any student who is currently studying there or graduated from there in this field tell me about it…would you advise me to enrol there?
i happen to be a CV graduate and from what i know CV students from my year happen to be some of the most sort after dudes in the industry. its up to you as a person to take what you can from what they give you and use it to your advantage. don’t blame your short comings on the school, because for every failed complaining student i can point out 10 very successful ones.
and anon if youre talking advertising… since when does a creative blame his tools all you need is a pen and a piece of paper
City Varsity (jhb) was amazing in my 1st and 2nd year, had amazing lectures with awesome amounts of knowledge. Now all I can say is don’t waste your money, all the good has left and now all that’s in place are yes men with crap skills. Multimedia design student. Hope they pick up their act.
i want to know about the university’s infrastructure and faculty for the films and television course.i want to do the 2 years term.starting in january 2010. the different reviews has left me confused. i will be glad if i can be guided.
If you have anything good or bad to say about City Varsity id just let http://www.gripe-it.com know about it
City Varsity is nice, i have to admit but it’s more than two months that I’m waiting for my money back!
They owe me 2000 rands because a course was cancelled and i’m waiting for my money since middle of August!
They are very good when everything is fine but as soon as they’ve got a problem, on their side, they stop being nice and don’t call you back.
It’s a shame because I really wanted to learn there and to give this name to friends of mine who want to do web design. But I judged a company on how they can handle a problem and they are very bad at it.
I’m working every day but I’m gonna have to do a sitting in their office to have my money back!
They lie to me on the phone and everytime I call, somebody says me something different.
I’m very dissapointed about them!
hay cityV….. do you guys offer fulltime course for music production?And what do you need to qualify for this course?
Please stop commenting on this post if you are not discussing the creative work, which was what this post is about. If you need info from City Varsity, go to their website, or phone them. Please. Thanks
CityVarsity also happens to be the most-awarded film school in SA at the moment. Just saying.
So do you guys mean to tell me there’s no good in the school???????I’m from Nigeria and I’m contemplating applying…