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SUHANA GORDHAN: Genuine messages of hope and positivity to inspire a nation
Ad agency FCB’s body of work over 90 years a veritable timeline for SA’s highs and lows, writes Suhana Gordhan
As we turn down the bed linen of 2016 and lay a bitter chocolate on its pillow, a number of heavy thoughts will fill the minds of marketers and advertisers before they can be ushered off to sleep. Thanks to Penny Sparrow and Vanessa Hartley, this year has been bookended with racially divisive commentary. Just 280 characters reminded us all that the old scars we wear as a country have reverted to fresh wounds. We need healing and I believe it is part of the job of marketers and advertisers to re-examine the stories we tell about ourselves. A 90-year-old has seen enough of life, has witnessed each wave of change and lived through a nation’s conflict and chaos, heartache and hope. This year, advertising agency FCB Johannesburg turned 90. And the body of work produced serves as a veritable timeline for the temperature of SA through the years.Part of the success of FCB has been its ability to tell the stories of our times — reflecting our tensions and our triumphs with the right amounts ...
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