VMLY&R South Africa’s campaign for Edgars resulted in a brand repositioning that took Edgars from being on the outside of local culture to a culturally relevant connected brand. The agency won Edgars its first Cannes Lion with a Bronze Lion in the Entertainment category and two shortlists in Brand Experience and Entertainment.
VMLY&R Regional Chief Creative Officer and Cannes 2019 judge, Ryan McManus, remarked on the importance of African work that celebrates our unique culture and diversity being recognised on the global stage. ‘For Edgars, we took a 90-year old department store brand struggling for relevance and transformed it into a cultural catalyst for self-expression. To be awarded for producing some of the best work in the world is an important accolade for locally-relevant creative content and we couldn’t be prouder.’
The content includes make-up tutorials, body-positive poems, choir performances, personal stories, and more – all of them with Edgars merchandise at the core. In addition, an original song by Africa’s rising icon Sho Madjozi was released, as well as an entire fashion collection inspired by fabrics from Sho’s home province, Limpopo.
‘As marketers, we should be creating work that is worthy of an audience’s time, and a brand’s investment. The Entertainment category at Cannes is extremely tough to win in, so we are thrilled with the Lion. We could also have never have created this work without our brave clients and an incredible partnership,’ said Edgars Head of Marketing, Nicky Correia. ‘Cannes win isn’t just for the brand, but a win for South African culture.’
‘We have become a brand driven by a diversity of very real people who are all culture creators in their own inspiring ways, so this campaign was so much more than a brand message for us. It is a call to self-expression for all South Africans, and it’s this incredible melting pot of culture that led the way and shone through so powerfully,’ Correia concluded.
The winning work can be viewed here.
