Stella Artois and advertising agency, King James Group, unveiled an innovative piece of art for their ‘Together Apart’ social distancing campaign at the Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton.
The campaign comprises of a digital, social and outdoor campaign and is adapted from a Stella Artois global campaign. The artwork was localised by South African illustrator, Lauren Mitchell. Measuring 21m x 38m in size, the mural offers a colourful and welcome respite from the usual red masking tape and foreboding dark circles most other retail spaces stick on the floor to enforce social distancing.
The Stella Artois brand believes in bringing people together to savour life’s moments, and the way they do it is with art, not ads. But how do you bring people together in the middle of a pandemic when they are being encouraged to stay apart? As part of a global campaign, executed in South Africa, they created a giant outdoor floor mural.
The painted illustration is of a woman sharing a Stella Artois moment with a man who we only see as a reflection in her sunglasses – Together Apart. Integrated into her hair and as patterns across the rest of the design are circles. These circles are carefully spaced apart to encourage social distancing. If you came together with friends on the mural but stayed in a circle, you could safely be together, apart.
Graeme Jenner, Executive Creative Director at King James said, ’It is so amazing when your creative work comes together at this scale, literally.’
To celebrate the launch of the installation, and to celebrate the return of the restaurant and hospitality industry, renowned musician and chef, J’Something made a surprise appearance on 30 August 2020, much to the surprise and delight of the shoppers milling past and the patrons at restaurants alongside.
Entitled, ‘Together Apart in the Life Artois’, AB InBev’s High-End Brand Director for Africa, Marsha Kumire, elaborated, ‘Our hope is that the mural will encourage people to still savour life’s beautiful moments together, whilst following the social distancing guidelines that must become the new norm for the next while at least. We chose Nelson Mandela Square’s piazza for the location as it is an iconic space that has always sought to bring people together and now still can.’
