Logos on desks and screens on bikes: how far can advertising be pushed?

Brands, sometimes unwisely, are competing for consumers' attention with messaging in formats that were previously unthinkable. By Dominique Olivier

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South Africans were amused and angered by the MiDesk-McDonald’s saga in March, when the fast-food chain donated wheelie-style schoolbags that can convert into a desk, chair and solar-powered light to two underresourced schools in the Western Cape.

Perfectly sized for foundation phase learners to sit at, MiDesks are practical, affordable and life-changing for children in overcrowded schools. They have been endorsed by Unesco and the Department of Science and Innovation, and rolled out in multiple classrooms throughout South Africa.

But what infuriated many South Africans was the branding. Each of these sponsored and donated desks was emblazoned with the familiar red and yellow colours of McDonald's and the company’s logo.

Of course, the donation was generous. McDonald’s South Africa said the project was about hope and showing learners that they mattered. And maybe it was.

But it also means that a generation of children will associate their homework with Big Macs. The classroom — one of the few places that has been free from overt marketing — is now part of the media plan.

It’s not an isolated example, either. Ad creep is happening everywhere and it’s only getting more inventive and intrusive.

Ads on the move

South Africa’s streets have been hit by an explosion of delivery scooters thanks to platforms like Uber Eats and Mr D. As the number of bikes on the roads has grown, so has the temptation to turn them into moving billboards.

Ad-tech firms like Polygon and Motion-Ads have seized the moment. Polygon fits delivery bikes with smart boxes (essentially mini digital billboards) that play digital ads based on the time of day and location — think breakfast specials in the morning or movie promos by night. MotionAds takes a different approach, wrapping entire scooters in branded vinyls and paying drivers a portion of the campaign fees.