© Rawpixel via 123RF

Ross Chowles, executive creative director of The Jupiter Drawing Room Cape Town and member of the International Board of Directors for The One Club, explains that it is his mandate in South Africa to help raise creative standards through education programmes with an emphasis on black creative talent.

“The Diversity Boot Camps have previously been held in America with great success. This year we are more than doubling our impact and will be reaching 140 students across Cape Town and Johannesburg. Our industry is still not representative of our country and taking the event to Johannesburg means we reach more black students, and expose them to international creative talent as well as an understanding of how agencies work.”

Students will spend time with several of South Africa’s leading creative directors and will meet Kevin Swanepoel, CEO of The One Show, and two international guests and facilitators, Brandon Rochon of Kastner & Partners and Perry Fair of J Walter Thompson Atlanta.

The format for the boot camp is identical to that of the industry. Students will receive a brief on the first day that will be unpacked and tackled over the next four days. Teams will have a mentor and each day will round off with a presentation from an executive creative director from the industry.

At the end of each Boot Camp, the teams will present their ideas to a panel, which will then be followed by an award ceremony with Khaya Dlanga at the end of the day.

Because The One Club is a non-profit organisation, the following businesses, agencies and people have dedicated themselves to supporting this boot camp:

• Woolworths
  
• Vodacom SA
  
• Agencies: Y&R, 99 cents, FCB, M&C Saatchi Abel, TBWA, Joe Public, The Jupiter Drawing Room Cape Town
  
• Khaya Dlanga from Amstel

View last year’s One Show Diversity Boot Camp in Cape Town below: