Rainbow Chicken puts South African gogos on centre stage

Apart from cooking, each episode is about honouring the matriarchs who hold communities together, preserve culinary culture, and inspire through their lived experiences. The campaign blends storytelling, food, and intergenerational pride, creating a warm, relatable platform that connects audiences across the country.

Rainbow’s Gogo vs Gogo is a tribute to the women who’ve always nourished South Africa with meals, and meaning.

Launched as a multi-episode YouTube series, Gogo vs Gogo captures a heartwarming, intergenerational cook-off where local Gogos share their heritage-rich chicken recipes, many passed down through decades. At the helm is Rainbow’s Flavour Finder team, led by Nhlakanipho, “Chaka” Ngubane, a seasoned marketing and content strategist, host of The Loadshed Podcast, and current brand manager with deep ties to the FMCG space. Together with a rotating panel of local judges, including chefs, community members, and Rainbow Chicken staff, the team has journeyed from Durban to Cape Town, Gqeberha to Gauteng. Each episode offered an intimate, grassroots lens into South African kitchens, community pride, and the culinary traditions that continue to shape local culture.

The strategic brilliance of the campaign lies in its simplicity: it puts real people in the spotlight and decentralises the brand voice in favour of authentic representation. Rainbow Chicken avoids aspirational gloss in favour of a docu-reality style approach, prioritising authenticity and community connection over performance metrics.

The results have spoken for themselves. Season 1 of Gogo vs Gogo delivered over 50 million views across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok; 77,000+ social media engagements; 212,000 microsite views from 137,000 unique users; and 1 million+ YouTube views, along with hundreds of new subscribers.

Behind these numbers was a carefully designed 360° campaign:

• Experiential and Out-of-Home (OOH): The iconic Flavour Finder Vehicle (a branded kitchen-on-wheels) served as a mobile billboard and live activation tool, supported by a three-sided Johannesburg billboard and campaign video placements at key wholesalers.

• Retail and On-the-Ground Activations: Nominations were driven through in-store entry forms, while participating Gogos organically shared updates and excitement via WhatsApp.

• Digital and Social Media: A dedicated microsite acted as the central hub for nominations and episode viewing, while Rainbow’s social platforms amplified content. Influencer and host advocacy from Chaka Ngubane, wholesalers’ social channels, and even the judges themselves further fuelled engagement.

• Broadcast and Audio: Regional radio spots drove awareness and entries, ensuring the show resonated locally as well as nationally.

• Content Delivery: Over seven months, seven long-form episodes were supported by teaser trailers, behind-the-scenes clips, and bite-sized social content, ensuring audiences had a constant stream of engaging touchpoints.

In South Africa, food is so often a connector across languages, provinces, and income levels and Gogo vs Gogo becomes a vehicle for national identity (and not only product placement). The response has validated this direction: the campaign has driven online conversation, spurred community pride, and inspired nostalgic storytelling, with thousands of viewers contributing their own memories and recipes.

This campaign signals a strategic pivot toward people-first branding. The decision to co-create content with local communities, reflects a growing trend in inclusive, culturally intelligent marketing.

Rainbow brand manager, Zama Ludidi expressed, “This wasn’t about content for content’s sake. We wanted to create something that gives back and honours the women who carry our cultural legacy. In the broader marketing landscape, Gogo vs Gogo stands as a quiet counter to influencer-saturated campaigns and generic storytelling. It offers a case study in how to build trust and brand warmth through service; not selling.”

Looking ahead, Gogo vs Gogo Season 2, themed ‘Twice the Taste,’ is already in planning. With over R170,000 in prizes, a passionate audience, strong brand backing, and a proven track record, the second season aims to double the flavour, reach deeper into rural communities, and scale its national impact. Beyond the cook-offs, Season 2 will continue to celebrate culture, resilience, and community, spotlighting Gogos not just as cooks, but as icons, nurturers, and custodians of South Africa’s culinary heritage.

For South African marketers, it’s a timely reminder: sometimes the most resonant campaigns aren’t those that talk the loudest, but those that listen the closest.

To view the series, visit: Gogo vs Gogo on YouTube.