#KnowYourPlace with the Sowetan

House of Brave is Brave Group’s full-service advertising brand specialist agency, and the #KnowYourPlace campaign, a first for the agency’s Arena Holdings client, is a story of South Africa’s history through the eyes of the Sowetan and its readers.

Thibedi Meso, executive creative director at Brave Group, says the campaign was developed with the intention to highlight the progressive power of knowledge, information, and knowing. Knowing your place, growing from there and making an impact.

“The central concept of the campaign was premised on an insight that in the past, Sowetan’s readers were deprived of information, denied access and told what they can and cannot do. We wanted to highlight the achievements of South Africa’s well-known, globally successful Black ambassadors, by contrasting today’s images with negative stereotypes that they have fought against in the past. The goal here is to inspire the next generation of changemakers to remain resolute in their pursuit of greatness; to know that no matter what anyone has to say, only they can determine and know their place in the world.”

Nwabisa Makunga, editor of the Sowetan, says: “#KnowYourPlace is a bold campaign that makes a statement, and we wanted to reflect the bravery of South African country’s ambassadors by emphasising the value of their achievements against narratives that historically were aiming to put them down and into an inferior place; and how the Sowetan, since 1981, has been there to report the stories that showcase how far our country has come.”

The Sowetan is a daily, English-language newspaper that was established in 1981 as a liberation struggle publication. It serves a proudly South African readership with news, sport, lifestyle and entertainment content, published Monday to Friday. In the first few years of the publication, many people mistakenly assumed the paper carried news only from Soweto, but today the paper is one of the largest newspapers in South Africa, with a diverse readership and massive online presence through SowetanLIVE.

“For almost 40 years Sowetan has told the story of South African life, from Soweto to Khayelitsha, KwaMashu to Polokwane. It is synonymous in expression with those seeking to raise their voice, demanding a just and equal society and a shot at pursuing their dreams,” Makunga says.

The campaign launched on 19 July with a 60-second online film, optimised for both social and digital media – you can view the commercial here:

Credits:

Sowetan:

• Nwabisa Makunga: Editor
  
• Takunda Jinda: GM: Marketing, Subscriptions and Membership Growth
  
• Noelle Hardy: Creative Director
  
• Mandy Phiri: Head: Marketing Media Division

House of Brave:

• Thibedi Meso: Executive Creative Director
  
• Leago Sehere: Senior Copywriter
  
• Letsholo Kgosimore: Senior Art Director
  
• Katlego Ditlhokwe: Senior Strategist
  
• Fortunate Mathebula: Senior Account Manager
  
• Mathabo Diale: Group Account Director
  
• Michelle Lyne: Production Manager

Rudeboy Productions:

• Director: Mpho Twala
  
• Producer: Cat Lindsay
  
• Co-Director: Monde Like the World
  
• Editor: William Kalmer
  
• Research: Frans Borman
  
• Post-Producer and Content Manager: Leanne Schalekamp
  
• Post-Producer and Content Manager: Sarah Modiba
  
• Online Editor: Shaun Froneman
  
• Composer and Audio Engineers: Tiger Fight