Press release
South
Africa is rich in values, tradition and culture, a truly wonderful
country, and one that is admired around the world. Yet, as South
Africans, we sometimes forget
what our great nation has achieved and remains capable of achieving. It
is in times like these that we need to be reminded of the greatness
inside all of us, and what is possible when help is joined to common
purpose and courage to necessity.
At
18:57, on 17 January 2013, FNB launched a new brand campaign with a
live broadcast to South Africa. The broadcast
carried a message from the voices we don’t often hear, the children of
our great country. A message we believe will inspire the nation.
In
September 2012, we undertook what is likely the most current snapshot
of the opinions of the youth, their views on our country and the role of
help. Help, not in terms of coordinated
interventions, but little, everyday help; and the power help has to
make a big difference. The survey was completed by HDI Youth Marketeers,
an independent research firm.
In
assembling these views and opinions, we spoke to over 1300 learners and
students (ages 10 to 22) from around
the country and from all walks of life. We learnt that today’s youth
are losing their innocence, not to apartheid, but to the many social
ills and tragedies that came after it. One child said, “If I was
President for a day, I would make South Africa safe for
children, women and teens who are abused." Another 10-year-old boy
added the following, "I get scared when people are killing each other."
But
though some of what they had to say was hard to hear, we learnt too
that our youth carry inside them a fire
that burns with hope and positivity. Their sense of identity is
astounding, and they have an unprecedented interest in working as a
community to improve our society and environment. A 12 year old said,
"When we help people, we make them feel like they're somebody".
Another child said, "If we help each other, we raise our country". Yet
another student, aged 10, said “In the future I want to live in South
Africa... I know South Africa is full of crime, but if I didn’t live
here I don’t know who I would be.” A 15 year old
said, "We help each other because we are one blood, one soul, with a 13
year old saying, "If we don't help each other, who will help us".
“The
intention of the campaign is not to talk about ourselves, but rather to
be a brand for betterment by providing
the youth of our country with a stage to voice what impacts the daily
reality of many South Africans through the lens of our brand’s core
positioning of ‘Help’, says Bernice Samuels, FNB Chief Marketing
Officer.
”FNB
is a brand of high ideals and has a long history of leading from the
front, not just in terms of product and
service innovation, but also in terms of its social focus on building a
stronger, unified and values-based nation, referring to our Praise
Singer, Anthem, and Dog ads to mention a few” adds Samuels.
The
chosen venue for the live advert, Naledi Secondary School, played an
integral role in the events of 1976, a
time when the youth of South Africa sent a message that could not be
ignored, and in doing so, helped change the future of our country.
Jason
Levin, Managing Director of HDI Youth Marketeers said; “The survey
provided a good overall snapshot of the
South African youth opinion and was hugely rewarding as it helped us
gain insight into how the youth view South Africa. The research was
truly inspiring. It is only through projects like this, that true
feelings are clearly reflected.”
FNB
also created a dynamic online portal to support the campaign and
everyone is encouraged to visit the blog site,
youcanhelp.co.za to participate in the ongoing national discussion we
believe will be triggered by the campaign. The campaign is integrated
across all platforms, including TV, OOH, digital (youcanhelp.co.za) and
social media on Facebook and Twitter (#littlehelps).
“All
of the great things we've done, we've done together by helping each
other. Perhaps it's time for us to listen
to the voices we seldom hear, the youth of our country, because it is
the South Africa we build today that will be the country they will
inherit tomorrow," concludes Samuels.
In
Nelson Mandela’s words, “If there are dreams about a beautiful South
Africa, there are also roads that lead to their goal. Two of these roads
could
be named Goodness and Forgiveness." Let us join hands in helping to
build this beautiful South Africa we all dream of.
