brand the beloved country

8/6/2019 Brand the Beloved Country

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Thebe: What differentiates nationbranding from commercial branding?

Simon: Brand is a useful way to help

governments understand the value and

complexity of external reputation and internal

cohesion. Some of the techniques for

understanding, measuring, and even managing

brand are powerful if intelligently and

responsibly applied to countries and cities. But

the way that commercial brands are built has

little in common with the way that nation brands

are built: advertising, logos and slogans can be

the major part of how a product or service

brand is built and sustained; for countries andcities, it's simply a waste of public money.

Wally: Nation branding is much more

complicated. With commercial brands you deal

with few stakeholders, the decision-making

processes are clear and the objectives are

specific. With nation branding, stakeholders are

as varied as the tourism authority, the

presidency, trade and investment, etc. There are

many aspects involved in nation branding, such

as foreign direct investment, culture, history,

public diplomacy, investment and export, and

you have to deal with both the public sector and

the private sector. Nation branding is about

finding a differentiated offering, a core idea that

makes you different from other nations.

Thebe: What are the strategic pillars of

nation branding?

Simon: Connecting policy, culture, people,products and tourism in a joint strategy; a

coherent approach to short, medium and long

term planning; leadership from the very top

- the head of government and/or head of state;

honesty, transparency and inclusion; clarity of

vision; and lastly, courage.

WE ASKED AWARD-WINNING BRAND CONSULTANT

THEBE IKALAFENG TO GET THE INSIDE TRACK FROM

THE GLOBE'S LEADING NATION BRANDING

SPECIALISTS, SIMON ANHOLT AND WALLY OLLINS

WHYBRANDA NATION?

THE CHALLENGE FOREMERGING NATIONS IS TO

EXPLAIN THEMSELVES,

PARTICULARLY TO THOSENATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS

WHO ARE RELATIVELYUNINFORMED

Printed on Sappi Avalon Supreme Matt 250g/m2 (cover) and Sappi Avalon Supreme Matt 135g/m2 (text)

A DESIGN INDABA PROJECT


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Wally: It's a balance between the internal

and external focus. An understanding and

integration of the input and impact of

tourism, foreign direct investment, exports,

politics, public diplomacy, and private/public

partnership. It's also about understanding

that your country is your people. You need

the support of the people as nation brand

champions, and key input by the media.

Thebe: Why is it necessary for a nation to

brand itself? What are the benefits?

Simon: Nations don't brand themselves. It's

public opinion that brands nations. It is

therefore the responsibility of all good

governments to do whatever they can to

ensure that this brand is as true, fair,

complete and useful as it can be to the aims

of the country. A good brand makes export,

investment promotion, cultural relations,

tourism, international relations and talent

attraction infinitely easier; it can even help

to promote a climate of benign nationalism.

Wally: All nations are engaged in a

competition to attract foreign investment,

tourism, and export their products. They

want to create a platform where they attracta greater share of the world's wealth. It's

about having your place in the world and

not losing out.

Thebe: What are the issues affecting

emerging/developing nation brands?

Simon: Their often negative or out-of-date

brand image is the primary barrier to their

economic development. In Africa, all

countries apart from SA suffer from what I

call continent branding effect: they all

have to share one big, bad brand called

Africa, which is vigorously promoted by the

aid industry. They urgently need to promote

their separate and distinctive identities if

they are not to remain objects of charity

forever. I would like to abolish the brand of

Africa and see 52 new country brands

emerge during the next decades. This, in myopinion, is the key to Africa's prosperity

and progress.

Wally: The challenge for emerging nations is

to explain themselves, particularly to those

nations and individuals who are relatively

uninformed. South Africa in particular is a

diverse nation with varying levels of

sophistication, development and education.

The less sophisticated the audience, the

more you need to explain the country'score idea.

Because of this unique diversity, South

Africa should not view itself as an emerging

or developed nation. Its challenge is to

explain this complicated positioning to

similarly diverse and multi-leveled societies,

some of which it has not had a relationship

with yet, or whose stakeholders do not know

South Africa as well as perhaps India, much

of Europe or some parts of the United

States of America.

Out of enthusiasm and possibly

inexperience, many developing nations

spend millions of dollars, in an un-

coordinated way, on branding initiatives

that result in confusion.

Thebe: South Africa has invested millions

of resources in institutions (International

Marketing Council, South African

Tourism, Proudly SA, etc.). Why, in your

opinion, are we still lagging behind what

are mostly European countries, with the

exception of Australia, New Zealandand Canada?

Simon: Because reputation always moves

far slower than reality. Other people in other

countries aren't nearly as interested in you

as you are in yourself.

Wally: With nation branding, you don't get

an immediate reaction or results. It may

take up to 20 years for attitudes and views

to change, and to see the impact of yourefforts - unless you have a dramatic change

of the status quo, such as the fall of

Apartheid and change of regime in South

Africa, or the fall of Berlin Wall.

South Africa is not like Australia or any other

African country. It is many nations in one, a

mix of African, European and Asian history

and culture. It is unique in that way. Because

of this, it has an easier job than many

countries because of its unusual identity.

In my view, what South Africa is struggling

with, is identifying its core idea, its distinctive

advantage. It should also avoid the mistake

of trying to deal with and appeal to too

many stakeholders. To make an impact, it

needs to understand how it's perceived

and focus its value proposition and reach.

Thebe: Why does the world superpower,the USA, which owns 62 of the top 100

Most Valuable Brands in the World

(according to Interbrand/Business

Week), consistently feature low in such

nation branding measures such as the

GMI Anholt Nation Branding Index?

SOUTH AFRICA INPARTICULAR IS ADIVERSE NATION

WITH VARYINGLEVELS OF

SOPHISTICATION,DEVELOPMENT

AND EDUCATION

WITHNATIONBRANDING,YOU DON'T

GET ANIMMEDIATEREACTIONOR RESULTS


BRAND THE BELOVED COUNTRY


3/34

Simon: Because the unpopularity of its foreign policy, the ubiquity of its products

and popular culture, the decreasing relevance of its historical brand promise

(freedom and the pursuit of wealth) and various other factors are causing it to

decline. For further discussion of this complex topic, see my 2005 book,

Brand America.

Wally: Much of the positioning and state of Brand America is based on what we

think of America, which is: a land of opportunity, which we admire, where anybody

can do and be anything; it evinces technological advancement and success which

we admire but envy at the same time; it has commercial successes built by brands

like McDonalds and Coca Cola; and, there's the way the government behaves and

wields its power.

Thebe: Is the future of South Africa necessarily linked to the future of Africa?

Or can brand South Africa go it alone?

Simon: South Africa has been going it alone ever since the end of Apartheid. It's

the only country in Africa that has a truly separate identity (apart from perhaps

Nigeria, which has a very strong but very negative image).

Wally: There are 25 European countries, each with a distinct identity, that have a

common loyalty to Europe. There is nothing wrong with having a multiplicity of

IN AFRICA, ALL COUNTRIES APARTFROM SA SUFFER FROM WHAT I CALL

CONTINENT BRANDING EFFECT: THEY

ALL HAVE TO SHARE ONE BIG, BADBRAND CALLED AFRICA, WHICH IS

VIGOROUSLY PROMOTED BYTHE AID INDUSTRY

IN MY VIEW, WHATSOUTH AFRICA ISSTRUGGLING WITH, ISIDENTIFYING ITSCORE IDEA, ITS

DISTINCTIVEADVANTAGE

Country Ranking

Australia 1

Canada 2

Switzerland 3

United Kingdom 4

Sweden 5

Italy 6Germany 7

The Netherlands (Holland) 8

France 9

New Zealand 10

United States 11

Spain 12

Ireland 13

Japan 14

Brazil 15

Mexico 16

Egypt 17

India 18

Poland 19

South Korea 20

China 21

South Africa 22

Czech Republic 23

Russia 24

Turkey 25

NBI Q2 2005 Overall Ranking




4/34


loyalties. South Africa does not have to be

overwhelmed by the rest of the continent,

but can retain its distinct identity, while

remaining loyal to the continent.

Thebe: Which nations are the

benchmarks? And how did they

get it right?

Simon: Ireland, Japan, UK, New Zealand,

Spain, South Africa and Australia. Ireland was

a foreign direct investment miracle; Japan,

an export miracle; the UK, a leadership and

economic miracle; New Zealand and

Australia, a tourism miracle; Spain and

South Africa, a political and cultural miracle.

That's how their new brands were built. Not,

needless to say, through advertising or otherkinds of marketing, but by the things they

made and the things they did. These are

perfect examples of what I call policy-based

branding which is entirely different from

communication-based branding. The main

advantage of this approach, apart from the

fact that it's a hundred times more effective,

is that all the money spent on it directly

benefits the economy of the country, rather

than going into the pockets of advertising

and design agencies and media owners.

Wally: Spain is a good example of a good

national brand, and it took them 20 to 25

years to get there.

Thebe: The new South Africa is relatively

young. How difficult is it, and is it

necessary, to shed the history in

re-branding itself?

Simon: It will happen naturally - very slowly

indeed, but quite naturally - when a

country's present and future are more

interesting than the past. It's all a matter of

how interesting people find what you do.

Wally: The past is relatively unimportant.

With Apartheid and the resultant pariah

status, and with the miracle of transition

embodied by Mandela, South Africa had a

single-minded proposition. Right now, it's

beginning to look like just one of hundreds

of other countries. What South Africa needs

now is a focus or core idea.

Thebe: South Africa has many well-

recognised institutions, symbols (the flag

is among the top three most recognised

in the world), individuals (Nelson

Mandela), companies (Sappi, De Beers,

Anglo American), etc. What role, if any,

do they play, and how can they be

leveraged to shape the brand positioning

of South Africa?

Simon: They can all be important. At the

moment, Mandela is about 90% of the

image of the country. The companies,

tourism, other people, sport, and culture

need to be promoted to round out what is

still a pretty thin brand.

Wally: Institutions shape people's

perceptions about national brands. Public

diplomacy and politicians play a major role

in that. But they must be used carefully.

Thebe: How can a country with many

symbols spanning fauna and flora,various institutions, 11 languages

and differing cultures, symbolically

present itself?

Simon: All countries are diverse, unlike

products. Richness is an asset, not an

obstacle. I don't think one needs to worry

too much about symbolic presentation.

That's an advertising issue and is a concern

merely for the tourist board.

Wally: You should not have too many

symbols or initiatives because they confuse

the audience. Examine what you want to

say, what image you want to project and

how you are going to communicate it. In

simple terms, visualise your core idea. It's

about simplifying your message.

About these thinkers:

Simon Anholt advises governments, ministries,civil services and NGOs on the branding

aspects of public diplomacy, economicdevelopment, public affairs, cultural relationsand trade, tourism and export promotion. He isa prolific author on the subject and a well-known public speaker, editor and broadcasteron these and many related topics. Visitwww.earthspeak.com.

Wally Olins is the co-founder of brandconsulting house Wolff Olins, and the presidentof Saffron, a EU-based brand consultancy. Helectures at a number of Business Schools inEurope and is a published author on the subjectof brands. His clients include BT, Prudential,Repsol, Renault and Volkswagen. Visitwww.wallyolins.com.

Thebe Ikalafeng is the founder of BrandLeadership and the forumwww.leadingbrands.org, as well as a partner atTwo Tone. He is a non-executive director ofMercantile Bank Holdings and Foodcorp, and amember of the Vega School of BrandCommunications Governing Body. A sought-after speaker, he has lectured and publishedon branding.

NATIONBRAND

INGIS

A

BOUTFIND

INGA

DIFFERENT

IATEDOFFERING,

ACOREID

EATHATM

AKES

YOUDIFFERENT

FROM

OTHERNAT

IONS

BECAUSE OF THIS UNIQUE

DIVERSITY, SOUTH AFRICASHOULD NOT VIEW ITSELF AS

AN EMERGING ORDEVELOPED NATION



5/34Printed on Sappi Avalon Supreme Matt 250g/m2 (cover) and Sappi Avalon Supreme Matt 135g/m2 (text)


HKLM USED THE WORDS OF NELSON MANDELAS

1994 Inaugural speech, as re-iterated by Thabo Mbeki in 2005

as inspiration. The team engineered a succinct brand vision

that embodied the spirit and purpose of South Africa: Tocreate a truly people-centered society through driving the

expansion of the frontiers of human fulfilment and the

continuous extension of the frontiers of freedom and unleash

the creativity of our people.

With this as our base, we then identified four brand drivers or

strategic objectives that would help bring this vision of South

Africa to life in the minds of people who experience it.

The four brand drivers are:

1. to celebrate our diverse culture and natural heritage by

treating them as our most important exports;

2.to unleash the creativity of our people and unlock an

unlimited natural resource;

3.to create a springboard for human fulfillment through social,

economic and environmental development;

4.and to believe in the power of South African people to shape

the future.

The next part of the HKLM process was to define the essence of

the brand South Africa - the single thought that expressed the

vision and strategic objectives, bringing them together into one

clear brand positioning. For us, the essence of South Africa wasreal freedom.

This essence had to ring true to three different target markets

namely investors, visitors and of course, South Africans

themselves. For this reason, we expressed real freedom in a

way that was appropriate to each target market. For investors

it was more important to build freedom, for visitors to

capture freedom and for South Africans the key was to

express freedom.

This thinking helped us generate a range of identities which we

believed captured the essence of the land, helping us to

uncover the symbol that would become iconic or instantly

recognisable as the mark of South Africa.

VIEW TO ATHRILLHKLMUSES A VIEWFINDER TO SHOW BRAND SOUTH AFRICA AT ITS BEST

TO CREATE A TRULY PEOPLE-CENTEREDSOCIETY THROUGH DRIVING THEEXPANSION OF THE FRONTIERS OFHUMAN FULFILMENT AND THECONTINUOUS EXTENSION OF THEFRONTIERS OF FREEDOM AND UNLEASH

THE CREATIVITY OF OUR PEOPLE




FOUROF THE BESTAfter an exhaustive creative process exploring as

many frontiers as we could, we settled on four

options that we believed expressed real freedom,each in quite a different way. We also set about

exploring how these logos could be applied to

various elements to determine whether or not

they were robust enough. By putting them to the

test we would see which of the directions we had

chosen was powerful enough which of them

would come through as the idea that would be

embraced by tourists, investors and the nation.




DYNAMIC SOUTH AFRICAN ENERGY

This option depicts the vibrant energy and colours of ourpeople and landscape. The shapes intersect each other in a

dynamic, yet informal manner. The symbol has forward

momentum designed to encapsulate innovation and creativity.

The typeface is approachable and simple. The route is light,

expressive and unrestricted. In an abstract way it reflects

the nature of real freedom.

COLOURS

The South African flag is one of the most recognized flags in

the world. It has a combination of colours that not only makes

it distinctive but also expresses the diversity of our nation. Our

colourful flag also symbolizes the freedom of our nation

because it was first unfurled at the 1994 elections, which can

be viewed as the moment South Africa was welcomed back

into the world community. The typeface is handwritten and

personal and is juxtaposed with the clean multi-colouredstripes. The colours route draws on a historic moment in

time when South Africa became free.

NELSON MANDELA

Nelson Mandela is still South Africas most well known and loved

icon the same is true worldwide. The geographic shape or

outline of South Africa is not well known. In fact, international

research indicates that many people actually see South Africa

as Africa. By using a geographic outline, this route draws

attention to the fact that South Africa is the land at the

foot of the African continent and by using Nelson Mandelas

face, it becomes the shape of freedom.

VIEWFINDER

The viewfinder idea allows us to explore South Africas broad

spectrum of offerings without threatening to overload theaudience. It is versatile and can be used in a variety of

applications. Its simple yet sophisticated. It doesnt limit or

contain the viewer. There is always something beyond the

borders of the frame so that while being focused, there always

remains a sense of space, freedom and endless possibilities.

The joy of this idea is how it encourages the audience to

choose from its point of view. No matter who you are, it is

an idea that offers you complete freedom.

Sources:gettyiamges.co

.za

S

ources:gettyiamges.co.za

Sources:corbis.com

Sources:art.co.za

Author:Shadeberg

,Jurgen


9/34



WE CHOSE TO SEE

SOUTH AFRICA FREELY

IT BECAME CLEAR TO

THE HKLM TEAM THAT

THE VIEWFINDER IDEA

WAS THE ONE WITH THE

MOST POTENTIAL. THEDEEPER WE DELVED

INTO HOW TO APPLY IT

TO DIFFERENT MEDIA,

THE MORE IT SEEMED

TO COME TO LIFE AND

CONTINUE TO GROW


10/34



However, at this stage all we really had was a device.

Yes, the viewfinder allowed us to drill down into different levels

of communication and make sense. Yes, it allowed us to

capture a range of elements that reflected South Africa

everything from the diversity of our natural heritage to the

warm smile of our people. It was dynamic and unrestricted,

allowing us to leverage the strength of the country. It was

simple yet effective as a tool to communicate the essence of

South Africa to three different audiences but the soul of the

idea still eluded us. Something that could make this idea

unequivocally South African was missing.

We asked ourselves how we could capture the powerful

symbol represented by Nelson Mandela, as the man who led

South Africa to freedom? By asking this question, we found

what we were looking for - a letter that he had written to his

two daughters during his incarceration on Robben Island, in

which he explained to them the reasons for their separation

and his vision for the future of South Africa. This was written

simply and sincerely so that his daughters, who were young at

the time, could understand. In this letter he had written the

words South Africa...

By extracting these two words South Africa from his letter, we

created a uniquely South African signature or logotype using

Nelson Mandelas actual handwriting.

We hadnt just labelled our idea with a typeface and

the two words South Africa but instead had found a way to

instill genuine South African soul into the idea.

The viewfinder idea was now complete with the spirit

of South Africa and real freedom.


11/34



Sources:APrisonerintheGarden

Author:Harris,

Verne(ed).

We had found the idea that would capture real freedom and make

South Africa a brand, creating a sense of the place in someones

heart. Now came the task to extend this concept to various types of

graphic, environmental and product mediums. In terms of graphic

application, the viewfinder device would be used on images as a way

to focus attention and capture a particular emotion or focal point

within the composition of the image.

The word freedom would support this visual treatment in order to

emphasise and clarify the point of the communication. Every element

was in place to create a genuinely engaging brand.


12/34




13/34



HOWFREEDOMWORKS

The environmental applications involve a three-dimensional

interpretation of the viewfinder device. A freestanding pillar has

been designed with a viewfinder hole through which a person

can capture a beautiful real-life scene in much the same way

someone would look through a camera or at the LCD screen of

a handycam. It allows for interactivity and the transfer of

inspiring images of South Africa but in a way that is determined

by viewers themselves.

Other environmental applications include furniture and

architectural expressions of freedom that may be used in

public areas and places of interest for both local and

international tourists.

To demonstrate how the viewfinder idea could come to life, we

applied the design to consumer products such as flip flops,

cameras, bags and iPod covers.

We can also use the device

to highlight social issues like the

threat of shack fires in townships

where children get burned every

year. We can use fireproof

blankets with safety messages

printed on them to educate

people about how to prevent

fires and how to use the fireproof

blanket to douse flames.

As South Africans we were not only proud

to have worked on this project, but also to

have a country where we have the freedom

to express ourselves. There is no shortage

of inspiration when it comes to looking at

South Africa as a brand.

Sources:

Shac

k

Chic

Aut

hor:

Fraser,

Cra

ig

(P

h.

)


14/34



Sources:art.co.za,corbis.com,google.com,greatstock.co.za,gettyimages.co.za

Free to return Free to invest Free spirited

LCD screens to display info and facts about SA Endorsing freedom A freestanding device, framing views

Free to be passionate Be free! Free to be inquisitive

Free to start something Free to be surprised Freedom of expression


15/34



SWITCHDELIVERS AN ICON

THAT COMES FROMTHE HEART

WHILE SOUTH AFRICAN PEOPLE HAVE

optimistically embraced the new age ofcultural and social integration, South African

brands have become casualties of rapid

organic growth, causing fragmentation and

confusion about the overall promise that

South Africa offers as a destination.

Multi-disciplinary brand consultancy, Switch

Group, together with the other agencies

briefed, formulated a brand platform to work

from, out of which the concept of Real

Freedom transpired. The essence of this

freedom is based on the countrys national

heritage, the opportunities that the futureholds, and its geographic spaces.

Brazils brand identity was an inspiration for

the Switch Design team in that it captured

the spirit of the country in a celebratory

identity and tagline, Sensational, presenting

best practice within the developing country

category. This was an insightful thought-

starter for us, says Gaby de Abreu, group

creative director for Switch Design.

FEELIT!


16/34



THE UNIQUE FABRIC OF OUR SOCIETY ISWOVEN USING THE DISTINCTIVE RICHNESSOF OUR CULTURES, FAST-PACED ENERGY AND

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY ACROSS ALL RACES,AGE GROUPS AND GENDERS

A COLOURFUL NATION...

Robert Landau/Corbis/Great Stock!



17/34



THE DIVERSITY AND FUSION OFSOUTH AFRICANS TELLS A STORY

OF THEIR HISTORY AND FUTURE ANDSHOWS A SURPRISING OUTCOME OF

THE BIRTH OF A NEW SOUTH AFRICA.THIS DYNAMIC LED US TO

OUR FIRST IDEA

Photograph by Obie Oberholzer



18/34



Our first idea is based on the name South Africa which already

boasts valuable brand equity and strong emotioninternationally. Through the smart use of typography, the

Switch creative team demonstrated fusion and diversity, by

combining the lettering of the countrys name, using colour and

split quadrants. Metaphorically, this image represents South

Africas resourcefulness through the merging of letters A and F

and also i and C, without compromising the legibility. The down-

to-earth, rustic approach is simple, but reveals a sense of

consolidation and multiplicity. says de Abreu.

A collage of visuals representing provincial imagery

was developed into wallpaper, illustrating fusion of the countrys

brand promise.

To further enhance the element of surprise, we experimented

with a collage of images featuring recognisable South African

icons, that were used as a visual language to support the

brand identity.

This visual language was flexible enough to be used as large

areas of wallpaper or cropped to focus on specific icons to

communicate a message.

According to de Abreu, we wanted to create an original

perspective that best represents the nation of cultural richness,

energy and opportunity across all races, age groups and

genders. The variety of appeal that SA offers could be

described as a world in one country and we decided to use the

emotion associated with this appeal to develop a visual

interpretation of real freedom. SA is already considered a top

experiential destination that offers travelers something unique

and something of a surprise.

UN secretary general Kofi Annan supports this

sentiment and was quoted saying, "South Africa is

a country in which one can expect the unexpected.

An inspiration for all. What made it possible was

the determination of the people of South Africa to

work together, to transform bitter experiences into

the binding glue of a rainbow nation."

The element of the unexpected or surprise that the country

assures visitors of was channeled through two thoughts, fusion

and diversity, and two textured brand images emerged.



19/34



The integration of brand identity and visual language allows

for flexibility and adaptability across environments creating

surprise when viewed from close or far.



20/34



A taxi shelter based on the shape of an acacia tree was

designed as part of the initial concept work. This three-dimensional manifestation of the visual language creates a

direct interaction between the public and design. The outcome

is a universally recognised icon of South Africa.

Elements from the wallpaper visual language can be isolated

and applied as graphic images onto various formats such as

these cooling towers in Soweto.



21/34


SOUTH AFRICAFEEL IT

SA IS AN EXPERIENTIAL

DESTINATION THAT TAKES YOURBREATH AWAY. YOU FEEL ITS WARM

AFRICAN SUNSHINE AND THEFRIENDLY NATURE OF ITS PEOPLE.

FEEL IT IS A UNIQUE SOUTHAFRICAN OFFERING AND THIS

BECAME THE BASIS FOROUR SECOND IDEA

The identity was designed by fusing the

abbreviated version of the name South Africa,

i.e. SA, and the colours of the countrys flag.

The relaxed lettering was drawn in a free-

flowing swirl that encompasses the personality

of our nation and how it knows no boundaries.

The movement captured in the logo illustrates

free-flowing freedom and creates a subtleheart shape in the middle.

We played with the swirl and stretched it out to

become a flowing ribbon, to be used in

conjunction with the heart shaped logo on all

visual roll-out. The extension of this identity

allows a visual language to be developed, and

at the same time aids brand recognition. South

Africans will only have to see part of the ribbon

to immediately recognise the brand, and feelconnected to it and what it stands for.



22/34


Design development leading up to the final brand identity

Image courtesy of: Galloimages



23/34


Boy on swing: (c)Hannelie Coetzee/Great Stock! Elephant: (c)Allan Davey/Masterfile/Great Stock!

Talented local photographers captured beautiful images that are

distinctively South African, for use in promotional brand applications.

Using images that evoke freedom will attract the attention of foreign

visitors and create synergy with the total brand experience. The

usage of these visuals in conjunction with the ribbon demonstrates

that everything we touch enhances a connection between us, the

brand, and the country A total brand experience.

Visually, the wave will be extended and applied to all elements that

touch South African lives. It has the potential to add colour, life and

emotion to any application and not necessarily in its full form. The

beauty of this creative is its flexibility and the power of its expression.

If only part of the wave is seen, it still offers the same visual nuance.

Both ideas were opened up to vigourous debate within the agency.

This provided an opportunity to ensure that the visuals spoke to all

cultures, genders and age groups etc. Its important to speak the

same language across the different groups, says de Abreu.

The colourful wave will be subtle, but should evoke feelings of

freedom and patriotism as it meanders across city buildings and

national sites.

Switch Design anchored its creativity on tactile human emotion to

define a personality for the country and its worth. We believe that

both ideas embrace the true meaning of Real Freedom and simply

illustrate the promise South Africa guarantees its visitors. These

designs could only have transpired from our acknowledgement of

everything South Africa stands for as well as our passion for this

extraordinary destination, concludes de Abreu.



24/34


Black mans face: Horst Klemm/Great Stock!



25/34

IDENTITY IS WHAT HELPS A COUNTRY, AN

organisation, or a part of it, feel that it truly exists and

that it is a coherent being, with a history and a place

of its own, different from others. Jean-Noel Kapferer

The question of national identity - the essence of

Brand South Africa is complicated, but at the same

time enriched by the diversity of a nation with a long

history, 11 cultures, and multiple symbols to represent

arts, culture and sport. Out of passion and

commitment to the country, there has been no

shortage of resources and propositions as to what

the country should represent.

All the institutions representing Brand South Africa

have done a commendable job thus far. Our flag,

arguably one of the top five most recognised globally,

is but one quilt of our diversity in which we can all wrap




26/34

ourselves. This symbol of the nation has been taken up

with enthusiasm, used in well over 100 identities of South

African services, products and companies.

Yet we still lag behind other countries in putting forward

a strong, singular message. What is required is to

consolidate and leverage the strengths of what we own

and what weve already invested in with the various

institutions, in order to create a unifying brand essence

and identity, which is true for investment, citizenship and

tourism. So that we can excite the world.

Expressing Brand South Africa visually presents achallenge, what with the country rich in symbolism

spanning the fauna and flora, institutions, 11 languages

and cultures. Two Tone chose to focus on the national

bird, the blue crane, together with the vibrancy of the

flag to create a new identity.




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A DESIGN INDABA PROJECTA DESIGN INDABA PROJECT


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brand the beloved country

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