The Giant Flag is a FCB South Africa initiative. FCB Group CEO, Brett Morris, talks about why an advertising & communications group got involved with social upliftment.
In July four years ago, the agency group responded positively to curb the nation’s potential post FIFA Soccer World Cup slump and launched a national campaign to retain the energy and passion unleashed by the 2010 spectacular.
The campaign encouraged brands and South Africans alike to ‘Keep Flying’ the flag and maintain the positive spirit that was born during the world cup. FCB developed a Keep Flying logo device for their clients to incorporate into their existing campaigns, and compiled a toolkit detailing how other companies and brands could similarly join in. In addition, the agency recorded a song featuring then Archbishop Desmond Tutu it distributed to the country’s radio stations.
Lexus became the first brand to join the agency in its bid to fly the flag by agreeing to include the device in all three of its television commercials it ran for months after the soccer tourists left the country, but more than 70 big and small brands joined in the campaign, either by incorporating the device developed by the agency into its marketing communication or by purchasing Keep Flying buttons and a manifesto to give to their staff.
FCB wanted to then ground the campaign in a legacy project that took the embodiment of the flag’s spirit to the next level. Guy Lieberman, head of FCB’s green and social new business development, came up with a big idea. A giant idea in fact. This was where the Giant Flag was born.
In spirit, the Giant Flag is a multi-dimensional project that includes the three spheres of government – national, provincial and local. It brings together several streams of environmental, social and economic activity under one enterprise. Physically, this enterprise comprises a conference and tourism precinct and a 4 megawatt solar panel field.
But most importantly, the Giant Flag is a 66 hectare South African flag made up of 2.5 million coloured desert plants (cacti and spekboom), each making up a colour portion of the flag, that will be viewable from space. Set in the Karoo in the Eastern Cape, it will generate a socio-economic shift so effective that it will change the course of the communities that surround it, forever.
The Giant Flag will be a man-made natural phenomenon, viewable from the flight path that will also generate a national pride campaign, the impact of which will be felt by the local community, throughout the nation, and across the globe. A symbol of the country’s potential, it is intended to mobilise us as a nation to work together for our mutual benefit.
At FCB in 2010, we felt that we hadn’t just been celebrating soccer those few tournament weeks, we knew we’d been celebrating South Africa – our passion, our drive, our spunk, our ‘gees’. We showed the world our true colours. And we showed our guests true African hospitality.
Most importantly, we showed ourselves. We showed ourselves that with one spirit, we can do anything. The Giant Flag is a legacy of that spirit and get-it-done attitude.
With FCB committing to long term support, Lieberman worked with dauntless optimism, passion and drive, to connect, lobby and fund-raise for his brainchild.
Its purpose is to create a cycle of sustainable socio-economic development that addresses the challenges espoused in the National Development Plan. All jobs linked to the Giant Flag (either through direct employment, SMME incubation or contract) will be considered ‘green collar’. All public tenders will favour Camdeboo citizens and companies as a priority, extending to the broader Eastern Cape.
Giant flag 