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Vodacom ad lights the way

  • July 8, 2008

The inspirational Vodacom advert used for the Nelson Mandela 90th Birthday Campaign was shot in Fordsburg, Johannesburg, during one long highveld winter’s night in the middle of June.

The concept of using the lights of cell phones to convey a message came from an advert on VH1 where candles were used to transmit a story, according to Tamaryn McPherson (Vodacom Brand Manager) and Firoze Bhorat (Executive Head of Regional Marketing & Sponsorships). By adapting the concept, Vodacom put together this piece, which relies heavily on a technique called stop-motion photography.

The wall, chosen for its unique atmospheric ambience, features 1 000 cell phones, which light up to convey the message for Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday celebration.

The “Text Your Birthday Wishes” campaign was launched at Mandela House in Houghton, Johannesburg, on June 19, 2008, together with Vodacom, the official sponsor of the SMS campaign in South Africa. An SMS costs R20, the majority of which goes towards funding a host of Nelson Mandela charities including the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, the Mandela Rhodes Foundation and 46664.

South Africans can send Madiba a personalised birthday message via SMS to the number 46664. Each message includes the name of the sender.