Creative Rides has earned yet another honour in the country’s auction history books by becoming the only podium professionals ever to be recognised with awards for executing the best auctions campaigns in the country and the world.
Some might say a touch of divine intervention inspired the Creative Rides team to go above and beyond for these sales; breaking national records and reaching millions of buyers around the world through blood, sweat, fires, tears, weeks of sleep deprivation and near-impossible pandemic lock-down legislation, to pull them off, says Creative Rides Director and Lead Auctioneer Joff van Reenen, who also sits on the SA Institute of Auctioneers Board.
According to Creative Rides CEO Kevin Derrick, though, there have been some whispers that the late, lamented Oom Louis Coetzer and his beloved wife Tannie Hermien might have been the silent partners cheering to victory the talented team of collector car aficionados at Creative Rides from their spot in the front row.
“Whatever the magic mix, both honours have come as a result of Coetzer Estate classic car auction campaigns – specifically those run in 2020 and 2024.
“The National Auction Association (NAA)/USA Today Global Auction Campaign of the Year was awarded in early 2021 for Creative Rides’ first ever Coetzer Estate sale, which until the last minute, we didn’t honestly believe would happen,” remembers Derrick.
“The world had been living the horror of a global pandemic for nearly a year at that stage, and there was no relief in sight. We had no idea if classic cars were even on the radar, never mind if anyone would buy them!”
Van Reenen says the lesson from that campaign was that in times of worldwide hardship, describing the sleek design lines of classic cars wasn’t the marketing ticket.
“Oom Louis and Tannie Hermien’s three children came together and reminisced about growing up with prolific collector parents, and we then told the world the stories of their warm memories, their laughter, their family’s love. “These were uplifting tales that a bleak, isolated 2020 global society needed, and the Coetzer articles literally went viral.
Not surprisingly as a result of that, the live-streamed auction in December 2020, did too!”
Ironically, SAIA’s 2024 inaugural SA Auction of the Year Award that Creative Rides recently won, was mooted months ago at an Institute Board meeting by none other than Van Reenen, who since 2022 has also been a Director of the globally-representative NAA headquartered in America.
“The NAA’s annual awards have been hotly contested for decades. Auction companies throw everything including the kitchen sink at their entry presentations, because the awards are that internationally prestigious. SAIA is a member nation of the NAA, and given the development strides the industry is making in South Africa,
It makes sense that we should recognise the best of and most talented in our industry locally.
“Not being part of the judging process, though, I was probably more surprised than anyone when Creative Rides won. We’re so immensely proud of our team, and delighted that the winning campaign was telling another Oom Louis story – this time about his forgotten barn in Barkly East.”
Van Reenen, who also wears a fourth hat as CEO of fintech firm The Chant Laboratory, was additionally honoured with SAIA’s 2024 Brand Ambassador Award, for “the individual who represents the SA Institute of Auctioneers with exceptional dedication and influence in their business endeavours.
“This prestigious award recognises a professional who embodies the core values and vision of SAIA, actively promoting its mission within the auctioneering industry and the broader community. The recipient is selected for their ability to enhance SAIA’s visibility, foster industry relationships and strengthen public trust through outstanding advocacy and engagement…”