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Lifestyle:
Get Wildly Creative South Africa |
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If you can cast your mind back to a couple of issues ago, you will recall the editorial posted which lambasted the design of South Africa’s new “international logo”, which I would like to reiterate is a load of sh*t! The design is lazy, narrow-minded and completely and utterly sub-standard for a country filled with some of the most creative minds on the planet!
But…despair not any longer electorate! Zooppa, a creative database of writers, designers and creative’s alike are allowed to “pitch” (as they say in the *biz*) for selective campaigns in specific fields, such as advertisement in print, banner and Video…yes, video…! To explain what the website and the organization is all about, here is there official “what is”: |
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What is Zooppa?
Zooppa
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Zooppa is the place where you can make your own ads for famous brands.
Brands provide a creative brief for each competition, and award prizes for the best ads. At Zooppa you can make money, meet other creatives, grow your portfolio, and have your work seen by millions. Whether you’re film maker, an animator or a graphic designer, Zooppa is the place for you.
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Got it…? Sort of…? Well, that’ll have to do because we’re moving on! In essence, what this platform has done is created an avenue for the creative’s of the world…not just South Africa…to compete against one another to develop what the “crowd sourced public” (crowd sourced refers to the audience and participants online) deem acceptable for each and every campaign! Shedding some light on the previous article which focused on that monstrosity that is our “international branding logo”, this is exactly what I, myself, was up in arms about…? “Where was the crowd sourcing”, I asked…well here it is and it’s on a global scale…!
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Get Wildly Creative Logo
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Is this putting too much pressure on our local talent to perform…? Well, to be honest, I hope it does…I hope it comes down on them like a ton of bricks…! As a South African…how would you feel about our country’s “international branding logo” being designed by a Brit…or worse yet, a sheep-shagger? Not a comforting thought now is it…exactly! Evidently, what this editorial is attempting to motivate is the collective-creative-juices out there…this is our time to shine, not just as a nation who is quickly falling under the global spotlight, but as a creative nation who is more culturally diverse than any other on this planet…we deserve to be proud of our identity and this campaign through Zooppa is the chance to not just talk the talk, not just walk the walk…but to unite the nation!
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This needs to be put to a stop...! Let's change our nation's brand...
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Come on South Africa…let’s “Get Wildly Creative About South Africa”…
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Brief
Get Wildly Creative About South Africa
As host of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, South Africa will be the center of the world's attention in the months to come. The visibility from the World Cup won't last forever, so South Africa is looking to the Zooppa community to create video, print and banner ads that express what South Africa has to offer for a global audience.
The Chief Marketing Officer Council (the CMO Council) in partnership with South African marketing leaders has provided a creative brief below that explores the nation of South Africa as a brand, the intended audience of this campaign, and a wealth of resources you should use to inspire your ad.
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Requirements
Your work must address one or more of the challenges South Africa faces as outlined in the creative brief below.
You must include the provided South Africa logo in the materials files, but please do not alter it.
Please follow the South Africa brand guidelines provided in the materials files.
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The Creative Brief provided by the CMO Council and Brand South Africa
With the world's eyes upon it as host of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, South Africa is seeking to establish itself as a competitive and relevant nation brand. Contestants are invited to submit video, print and banner ads that advance this objective in an innovative, meaningful and memorable way.
This is not just about selling South Africa as a great place for a holiday or a conference, though with its game parks, vineyards, beaches, breathtaking landscapes, warm and engaging people and their unique blend of cultures, the country is certainly that.
Nor is it simply about trade and investment promotion though, again, South Africa as Africa’s biggest and most stable economy has plenty to recommend it on that score as well: sophisticated and well-regulated capital markets, sound economic management that focuses on long term growth rather than quick, populist fixes, first-rate infrastructure and communications, and entrée to emerging markets and developing countries in the rest of the continent.
The aim of this country branding exercise is overarching: to imprint on the minds of decision-makers, opinion leaders and trendsetters everywhere -- the target audience -- an image of South Africa as a desirable and distinctive place to visit, conduct business, invest, source products, services and ideas, host gatherings and experience a unique, unrestrained blending of cultures and hospitable, friendly people. Essential nation brand ingredients include South Africa’s…
* Knack for fresh, imaginative, yet practical and flexible solutions, as well as exciting and progressive innovations
* Strength and stability which is grounded in its diversity, and commitment to inclusion centered around the “I-am-because-we-are” ethos of ubuntu
* Dynamic and driven DNA manifest in icons like Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, jazz great Hugh Masekela, electric car and private space launch pioneer Elon Musk, writer JM Coetzee and actress Charlize Theron
* People who have the character and desire to confront and overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges with tenacity, resilience, patience, optimism, openness, lateral thinking, humor, and a deep sense of shared humanity (ubuntu)
* Frank and open acknowledgement of the problems it continues to face, most of them no strangers to developing economies, including poverty, unemployment, crime and HIV/AIDS.
* Capacity to do difficult things well -- from building a strong, inclusive and economically robust democracy after generations of racial oppression, to engineering the world's deepest mines and largest radio telescope, to building high-end vehicles – Mercedes and BMW – for global markets, to hosting mega events like the World Cup -- in a way that consistently defies expectation and stereotypes
In the run-up to the FIFA World Cup, there has been a steady, though latterly decreasing, drumbeat of concern that South Africa is somehow not up to hosting the world's most popular sporting event safely and efficiently. This concern owes a great deal to stereotypes about Africa.
A successful World Cup, it is hoped, will do much to lay such negative assumptions to rest. By the same token, a winning entry in this competition will be one that:
- Helps propagate a lasting set of positive themes based on the attributes and characteristics cited above.
- Causes viewers and readers to make new connections, say to themselves "I never thought about it like that before", and then promptly forward a link to everyone in their networks.
- Inspires people everywhere to believe that South Africa can make a contribution to whatever they are doing, whether it be growing shareholder value, or resolving conflict, or seeking consensus on climate change or nuclear proliferation (South Africa is the only country to have had nuclear weapons and voluntarily given them up), or developing new technologies, or appreciating wine, art and music, or simply planning a holiday.
Contestants are also encouraged, if they wish, to develop and articulate their own perspectives on what makes the South African brand strong and differentiated worldwide.
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*** The above text is a direct quoting of the brief for all creatives over the time of the campaign.
I truly hope that this inspires those ready for change to submit their designs and contributions to the cause for a better national brand! Personally, I have complained about the "pre-ordained" design for the South African International Logo and it's now time to make that change...this is a call to all designers, creatives and patriotic South Africans...we deserve better, we are better...so let's see it!
Proudly South African
David
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Writer, David Alves 
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