We are incredibly proud to have won the Social and Environmental Impact Award at the Sport Industry Awards last night, for our BIC South Africa x Mpumelelo Mhlongo campaign.
“We set out to deliver a branded content piece that would deliver emotion and build resonance with BIC and the Change Starts with One messaging by telling the story of Paralympic medalist, Mpumelelo Mhlongo. The Change Starts with One programme aims to raise awareness around the alarmingly high school dropout rate of 41% in South Africa, focusing on the importance of providing students with the necessary resources to help them stay in school. Buy a Pen, Donate a Pen” says Mike Sharman, CCO of Retroviral. “Mpumelelo’s inspirational story is a perfect metaphor that showcases how individual efforts, the right environment, and the relevant resources can create a hero – despite challenging circumstances” he concludes.
Lilian Henderson, Director of Marketing Southern and East Africa at BIC, said: “Mhlongo’s story is inspiring. It is a reason to believe that you can thrive in any environment if the right resources are attainable. As a brand committed to education, we believe that change starts with ‘one’. An individual that believes in you, a teacher that supports you, an organization that funds you, a parent that encourages you. Our nation-wide initiative Buy a Pen Donate a Pen and our partnership with Mhlongo are a testament to that.”
Commenting on the partnership, Mhlongo said: “As a South African child who needed a cheerleader, I understand the difference that the support of a community can make. Someone took a chance on me and that completely changed the course of my life. My partnership embodies my experience. I would love to be for our children today, the person I needed to have as a child, and I am touched to collaborate with brands that understand the meaning of that to the future of our society. I look forward to this ongoing collaboration and to visiting students at the various school activations led by BIC.”
Mpumelelo Mhlongo and BIC continue their partnership for Back to School 2025, looking to give away 71,200 pens to schools in need; that’s one pen for every 1mm of Mhlongo’s record-breaking 7.12m jump at the recent Paralympic Games. Speaking about the amazing campaign, Amy Whittam, Marketing Manager for BIC Stationery, said “through our partnership, we continue to highlight that change starts with one. Mpumi reminds us every day of the power of setting ambitious goals and working towards achieving them. To celebrate the power of ‘one’ BIC will donate a total of 71,200 pens to students in need. Each pen donated will be a reminder to a South Africa student of the power of change, representing a step towards a better education, self-expression, and boundless ambition.”
Nominations for schools can be made via Good Things Guy.
Production credits:
Retroviral & Shaun James Film
Integer\Hotspot