VODACOM YOUTH DAY

Youth Day 2017 marked the 41st anniversary of the Soweto uprisings, the historical day in June 1976 when black South African students rose up and demanded their right to a better education. At the time, Vodacom was getting a lot of heat owing to high data costs and customer service issues. They wanted to use this tactical opportunity as a way to shift negative brand sentiment on social media, as well as showcase their commitment to the youth.

We created a series of tactical online content for Youth Week, using emotive slam poetry to land the idea that; with access to knowledge through technology, you can make your dreams a reality. That with the greatest access to information in history, “This is your Time”.

We launched the #TIYT campaign with a flagship commercial that introduced the big idea. This was supported by an online video series that showcased the inspiring words of 5, young South African poets. The poets wrote and performed original works that spoke to the power of knowledge and what June 16th meant to them in 2017. The empowering body of writing had a huge impact in the market, cutting through Youth Day clutter and sparking widespread positive conversation on social media.

Awards: Craft Bronze in Marketing Copywriting, MarkLives Ad of the Week, Bookmarks