South African Breweries sustainability initiative shortlisted for a prestigious international award

Now, in their 70th year, the Cannes Lions Awards celebrated and honoured the creativity and inventiveness of ad agencies from all around the world.

This campaign, carried out under the Castle Lager brand, represents a ground-breaking approach to sustainability and community development through the repurposing of brewing by-products into highly nutritious bread. This initiative is born out of South African Breweries’ Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) programme, which was launched within the business last year, which seeks to minimise the impact of the company’s operations on the environment and achieve zero wastage.

The Bread of the Nation initiative produced approximately 30,000 loaves of bread through the use of locally grown grains, making it an economically and socially sustainable venture. The Health Food Company, a bakery contracted by Castle Lager, was responsible for producing nutritious bread for distribution to the communities in which SAB operates.

Vaughan Croeser, vice president of marketing at the South African Breweries says being shortlisted for the much-sought after award vindicates the value inherent in this initiative.

“We are delighted that we were shortlisted for this prestigious international accolade. The Bread of the Nation campaign eloquently gives expression to our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) programme, which governs how we are working to fulfil our vision of creating a future with more cheers by integrating sustainability, responsibility and purpose into our business strategy and actions.

Our commitment to improve the communities we are a part of remains unwavering. We are proud to lead the way to that future and to be a next-generation business today. This accolade assures us that we are on the right path and emboldens us to work harder with a renewed determination to create a future with more cheers through greater shared prosperity,” says Croeser.

The winner was announced on Friday, at the Palace of Festivals and Congresses of Cannes in Cannes, France.

The Titanium Lions celebrate game-changing creativity. Entries shortlisted needed to break new ground in branded communications with provocative, boundary-busting, envy-inspiring work that marks a new direction for the industry and moves it forward.

Ogilvy SA, the ad agency behind the campaign, along with the supporting partner agencies such as M-Sports Marketing Communications as well as Little Big Productions were the only African agencies to be named in the Titanium Lions' shortlist.