Loeries partner up with WeChat to create ‘village in the city’

Looks like social messaging app WeChat is set to take a little time out from its quest for global domination as it attempts to court the South African advertising crowd.

Yup, the Tencent-owned service is partnering with the Loeries, South Africa’s most prominent advertising awards showcase.

The organisation behind the awards says that it is looking to make particular use of the Discover function, which allows you to find others in real-time.

“Our challenge this year is to create a village in the city,” says Loeries CEO Andrew Human. “WeChat’s ability to locate anyone registered on the service in real-time makes it easy for everyone to find others also attending the Loeries, and make sure they’re where the action is at all times.”

The organisation also claims that all the information needed for Loeries Creative Week Cape Town can be found on the Loeries Official Account on WeChat, which contains the programme for Loeries Creative Week, “information on all the Loeries venues and important numbers”. It adds that all delegates who subscribe to the Loeries account will stand a chance to win prizes and receive daily news updates during Creative Week including finalist and winner announcements.

Various competitions and giveaways will also be running on the Loeries Official WeChat Account including “Find the Loerie Bird” and free rides with Rikkis Taxis.

“This is a new innovative way of connecting delegates at the awards and we are proud to be a partner of such a prestigious event,” says Brett Loubser, MD of WeChat Africa.