Tamsin Thom
An award-winning creative
specialising in ➺ copy, brand strategy and transformation ✴︎ passionate about
helping purpose-driven companies
launch and evolve ☻
nrf
Discover Gold in Grey Matter Campaign
The National Research Foundation (NRF) created a movement and initiative called Mzansi for Science that celebrates South African achievements and heroes in the fields of science, technology and innovation. We created a campaign called, "Discover Gold in Grey Matter' which launched with an inspiring testimonial film, showcasing the lesser-known stories of South African science heroes with an aim to inspire the nation to support, study and invest in the sciences. The concept? The path less travelled.
Not only did we create a TV ad, but told their stories in a series of print ads. We used a long copy format, and instead of the traditional testimonial layout, we had our scientists interacting with the typography. Their positioning in the ad reflects their personality as well as their journey. We believe our print campaign pushes the boundaries of testimonial ads and through the “smallness” of our scientists, visually shows how every person, irrespective of their background, has the potential to change the course of the future.
We also created a second film spot to evoke a sense of South African pride and inspire innovation through ideas. We took South Africa's most celebrated inventions across mining, agriculture, healthcare, sport and renewable energy and paid tribute to each one in miniature form. Using 3D printing and small set builds, we see real hands coming in and interacting with the invention,
helping to guide and shape the future of South Africa.
