Branding News South Africa

Renewable hero gets his name

After launching a national campaign last year, The Glass Recycling Company's intrepid new hero has finally been christened. Translated, the Zulu word Vusa means to renew - an appropriate choice considering that glass is 100% recyclable and thus renewable.
Renewable hero gets his name

The mascot's role is to be an ambassador for The Glass Recycling Company and ultimately must become a symbol recognised around the country.

Most representative

While several catchy names were shortlisted during the judging process, Vusa was by far the most representative of The Glass Recycling Company's mandate and should have widespread appeal with all audiences.

Says Shabeer Jhetam, GM of The Glass Recycling Company, “It's a fresh, fun and energetic name that is easy to recall, pronounce, and write. We hope that all of these qualities will serve as an inspiration and go a long way towards converting South Africans into recyclers of glass. We want their impression of Vusa to be a lasting one and hope his message will help motivate consumers to embrace green routines that put glass recycling on the top of the list.”

Clearly a popular choice, Vusa was submitted not once but four times. The R5000 prize money up for grabs therefore had to be shared between all of those who named the friendly face of South African glass recycling: Jackie Smith, Richards Bay, KwaZulu Natal; Lee Adriaanse, Durban North, KZN; Brigid Harvey, Howick, KZN; and Lynsey Forsythe and Alan Watson, Northriding, Gauteng.

Double the prize money

In the spirit of the competition, the company decided to double the prize money to ensure each winner pocketed a more substantial reward for their creative efforts.

The selection of the winning name was performed by a panel of green warriors passionate about the preservation of the environment and included Miss Earth South Africa, Matapa Maila, media personality Liezel van der Westhuizen, magazine editor Ingrid Corbett and television presenter Gabriella Alberoni.

“Despite being 100% recyclable, just 26% of all non-returnable glass containers produced annually are retrieved for recycling in South Africa, which is relatively poor when compared to international rates. Vusa will go on glass recycling assignments that will help increase recovery rates. He will be a constant reminder that glass is 100% recyclable, it is infinitely recyclable and the use of recycled glass in the glass production process does not affect the quality or integrity of the new product,” says Jhetam.

Zakumi

The mascot costume was produced by Cora's Costumes, the same company that produced Zakumi, the mascot for the FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

For more information, go to www.theglassrecyclingcompany.co.za.

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