When we think of Africa we think of culture, vibrancy, energy, and confidence. Being African is about embracing who we are unapologetically. African’s have a great sense of strife and a taste for big dreams, and when you combine that with our unwavering vitality, you have the perfect recipe to make a huge artistic impact on the world.
Take the above concept, mix it with a leading brand, and give it NATIVE VML Agency’s hand to hold, and you have something rather impactful, wouldn’t you say? Well, then you’d be correct. The recent collaboration between Absolut Vodka and leading Ad Agency, NATIVE VML, resulted in an Africa is Absolut campaign, that promoted the rise of artistic talent and the ongoing transformation throughout Africa.
Absolut as a brand has always stood for made a huge impact in combining African panache with an innovative take on pursuing your artistic passion. Absolut thrives on promoting artists, no matter how big or small, who wear the same attitude they do, and who are turning culture on its head. What better what to further this idea than to run with a campaign that would expose up and coming talent and leading artists in South Africa, along with a side of personal, about how they took that intimidating extra step forward to make their dreams a reality.
In order to speak to the young pan-Africans out there who need a little inspiration and fire to get the ball rolling on their dreams, the #BeAbsolut Campaign used cool, exciting, new African artist Khuli Chana as the ‘face’ of their campaign to promote how if he became #Absolut about his passion, then so can you. The campaign was integrated over the traditional media platforms, as well as online channels allowing fans to share their favourite #BeAbsolut story to others, as well as find that spark of relatable inspiration.
Sticking with the promoting of up and coming African artistic talent, the #BeAbsolut campaign decided to take it that one step further and become a sponsor to an incredible event that showcases everything the brand, and campaign, are all about. Where better to place a sponsorship than a place that celebrates and encourages African talent, and promotes the pursuing of dreams, than the African MTV Awards.
In a nutshell, #BeingAbsolut is about tapping into what every single one of us as Africans has inside of us, that African fire, creativity and artistic spark that is waiting to be ignited into something big and powerful. African talent is on the rise, and Absolut not only recognises that, they celebrate it. To end off with a quote from an international artist who is nothing short of #Absolut, “We started from the bottom, now we here”.
Campaign reviewed by Kent Cloete, a second year copy writer at the Red & Yellow School.
