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It’s his third week on the job and he is sent to site for Rocking The Daisies, yup that Rocking The Daisies. Whaam is building an activation for Olmeca Tequila, nicknamed “The Octagon”, there are panels, there are holes, there are fabric and prizes and big letters that spell out #SwitchOnTheNight – so a lot involved, a whole lot going on. Tyrone, AKA Batman, cultivates the relationship with the client, finds out what they want to say and how they want to say it. Whaam designs the vision and puts together a team to execute the vision. Tyrone, as account exec, has to be on site during the build to make sure everything goes smoothly.
Rocking The Daisies takes place on a huge plot of open land, there have to be tons of space for music and food and drinks, camping and dancing and jamming – a space like this is available in Darling, 100 kilometers away from Whaam HQ in Cape Town City.
“I used so much petrol! Like R200 a day!”, Batman says, “Everyone that works there is in the same situation.”
Tyrone must make the trip there and back for the four days it takes to build The Octagon, and he knows the rest of the team must do the same. Some come from even further away, they leave early and get back late.
“We left there Monday 19H30. Tuesday, there till 22H00, the other guys left at 01H00! Wednesday – the other team on site – left at 18H00”.
Tyrone knows it’s important for the build team to trust him, he turns on that Bruce Wayne charm. On day one he buys early morning snacks for himself and the team – #SharingIsCaring.
“So now I’m in with them. Now it’s not so awkward when I tell them something. So it doesn’t feel like I’m giving them work. Giving them cigarettes – it was fun.”
Tyrone’s contact was not with Olmeca Tequila directly – but with an agency that handles activations for big brands.
“The agency people can be a bit difficult. Sometimes there were too many people making decisions – contradicting… also stuff that wasn’t part of it they wanted us to do and we helped them as much as we could.”
Before build up starts Tyrone makes sure that Whaam makes sure everything needed is ordered, delivery is arranged and at the very least deposits paid. But on site a client can notice a little thing, and because their account exec has done such an amazing job getting everything together up to this point, it’s easy for them to think it will be simple to get “just a few little extras”. Tyrone took it in his stride. Last minute changes – #Sorted.
“Other than that a very smooth build up – everything we needed was there, nothing was missing. The only issue was the LED lights. We changed that and everything just fell into place. The guys had [it] all together. it was seamless.”
Before Whaam Tyrone was also account manager, selling generators – completely different environment.
“This is more project managing. My strong point is being on site at build up. Others chill, on their phone I get involved. Drilling, carrying things, getting involved in the labour. People tell me to relax but I really can’t . grafting, on my feet, my legs are sore. I’m not the type to just give instructions.”
Here’s to many more builds to come, Batman.
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