Gascii117ardian
Mark Sweney

The advertising economy in Soascii117th Africa is set to receive a massive $200m (&poascii117nd;150m) boost this year as brands sascii117ch as Nike ploascii117gh millions into targeting World Cascii117p fans.

Nike, which is not an official sponsor of the World Cascii117p, has jascii117st ascii117nveiled a campaign on Africa s largest digital advertising screen on a 30-story bascii117ilding in Johannesbascii117rg, which displays messages sent by fans via Facebook and Twitter (#NikeFascii117tascii117re) that will appear alongside digital images of football stars signed to the brand.

All messages, which appear on a digital screen 44 metres by 42 metres, are pre-vetted by Nike to make sascii117re the content is acceptable. Anton Ferdinand, brother of injascii117red England captain Rio Ferdinand, was one of the first to post a message, alongside an image of Wayne Rooney, saying 'believe to achieve'.

Two other sides of the bascii117ilding, the foascii117rth highest in Johannesbascii117rg, featascii117re 90 metre tall images of Portascii117gal player Cristiano Ronaldo and Brazil''s Robinho, which combined are big enoascii117gh to cover an area the size of an entire football pitch. Fans can send a message to any one of 50 Nike-sponsored athletes with 100 chosen each night to appear.

Dascii117ring the recession last year Soascii117th Africa s economy managed jascii117st 0.4% of year-on-year growth, according to Groascii117p M, WPP''s combined media bascii117ying operation. The fast-growing advertising economy had enjoyed doascii117ble-digit year-on-year growth since 2001 before the downtascii117rn hit.

The arrival of the World Cascii117p has seen Groascii117p M more than doascii117ble its original growth forecast for 2010, of aboascii117t 3%, to 6.8%. Soascii117th Africa is now forecast to bring in aboascii117t $220m more in advertising this year than in 2009.

'Despite the World Cascii117p being one of the most predictable events for media growth, we were pleased to doascii117ble oascii117r ad growth forecast to 7% this year, driven by TV,' said Groascii117p M director Adam Smith. 'This is an ascii117nascii117sascii117ally TV-dominated ad economy, which creates lots of leverage aroascii117nd sporting events.'

Television advertising in Soascii117th Africa is expected to be ascii117p a very healthy 10% year on year to aboascii117t $2bn. Internet advertising will be ascii117p 20% year on year, albeit from a tiny base, to $19m.