Why Nations Must Invest in Branding

A DESIGN INDABA PROJECT
WHY BRAND A NATION?

WE ASKED AWARD-WINNING BRAND CONSULTANT THEBE IKALAFENG TO GET THE INSIDE TRACK FROM THE GLOBE'S LEADING NATION BRANDING SPECIALISTS, SIMON ANHOLT AND WALLY OLLINS
Thebe: What differentiates nation branding from commercial branding? Simon: Brand is a useful way to help governments understand the value and complexity of external reputation and internal cohesion. Some of the techniques for understanding, measuring, and even managing brand are powerful if intelligently and responsibly applied to countries and cities. But the way that commercial brands are built has little in common with the way that nation brands are built: advertising, logos and slogans can be the major part of how a product or service brand is built and sustained; for countries and cities, it's simply a waste of public money. Wally: Nation branding is much more complicated. With commercial brands you deal with few stakeholders, the decision-making processes are clear and the objectives are specific. With nation branding, stakeholders are as varied as the tourism authority, the presidency, trade and investment, etc. There are many aspects involved in nation branding, such as foreign direct investment, culture, history, public diplomacy, investment and export, and you have to deal with both the public sector and the private sector. Nation branding is about finding a differentiated offering, a core idea that makes you different from other nations. Thebe: What are the strategic pillars of nation branding? Simon: Connecting policy, culture, people, products and tourism in a joint strategy; a coherent approach to short, medium and long term planning; leadership from the very top - the head of government and/or head of state; honesty, transparency and inclusion; clarity of vision; and lastly, courage.
THE CHALLENGE FOR EMERGING NATIONS IS TO EXPLAIN THEMSELVES, PARTICULARLY TO THOSE NATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE RELATIVELY UNINFORMED
Printed on Sappi Avalon Supreme Matt 250g/m2 (cover) and Sappi Avalon Supreme Matt 135g/m2 (text)
BRAND THE BELOVED COUNTRY
Wally: It's a balance between the internal and external focus. An understanding and integration of the input and impact of tourism, foreign direct investment, exports, politics, public diplomacy, and private/public partnership. It's also about understanding that your country is your people. You need the support of the people as nation brand champions, and key input by the media. Thebe: Why is it necessary for a nation to brand itself? What are the benefits? Simon: Nations don't brand themselves. It's public opinion that brands nations. It is therefore the responsibility of all good governments to do whatever they can to
Simon: Their often negative or out-of-date brand image is the primary barrier to their economic development. In Africa, all countries apart from SA suffer from what I call continent branding effect: they all have to share one big, bad brand called Africa, which is vigorously promoted by the aid industry. They urgently need to promote their separate and distinctive identities if they are not to remain objects of charity forever. I would like to abolish the brand of Africa and see 52 new country brands emerge during the next decades. This, in my opinion, is the key to Africa's prosperity and progress. Wally: The challenge for emerging nations is to explain themselves, particularly to those nations and individuals who are relatively uninformed. South Africa in particular is a diverse nation with varying levels of sophistication, development and education. The less sophisticated the audience, the more you need to explain the country's core idea. Because of this unique diversity, South Africa should not view itself as an emerging or developed nation. Its challenge is to explain this complicated positioning to similarly diverse and multi-leveled societies, some of which it has not had a relationship with yet, or whose stakeholders do not know South Africa as well as perhaps India, much of Europe or some parts of the United States of America.
Out of enthusiasm and possibly inexperience, many developing nations spend millions of dollars, in an uncoordinated way, on branding initiatives that result in confusion. Thebe: South Africa has invested millions of resources in institutions (International Marketing Council, South African Tourism, Proudly SA, etc.). Why, in your opinion, are we still lagging behind what are mostly European countries, with the exception of Australia, New Zealand and Canada? Simon: Because reputation always moves far slower than reality. Other people in other countries aren't nearly as interested in you as you are in yourself. Wally: With nation branding, you don't get an immediate reaction or results. It may take up to 20 years for attitudes and views to change, and to see the impact of your efforts - unless you have a dramatic change of the status quo, such as the fall of Apartheid and change of regime in South Africa, or the fall of Berlin Wall. South Africa is not like Australia or any other African country. It is many nations in one, a mix of African, European and Asian history and culture. It is unique in that way. Because of this, it has an easier job than many countries because of its unusual identity. In my view, what South Africa is struggling with, is identifying its core idea, its distinctive advantage. It should also avoid the mistake of trying to deal with and appeal to too many stakeholders. To make an impact, it needs to understand how it's perceived and focus its value proposition and reach. Thebe: Why does the world superpower, the USA, which owns 62 of the top 100 Most Valuable Brands in the World (according to Interbrand/Business Week), consistently feature low in such nation branding measures such as the GMI Anholt Nation Branding Index?
SOUTH AFRICA IN PARTICULAR IS A DIVERSE NATION WITH VARYING LEVELS OF SOPHISTICATION, DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION
ensure that this brand is as true, fair, complete and useful as it can be to the aims of the country. A good brand makes export, investment promotion, cultural relations, tourism, international relations and talent attraction infinitely easier; it can even help to promote a climate of benign nationalism. Wally: All nations are engaged in a competition to attract foreign investment, tourism, and export their products. They want to create a platform where they attract a greater share of the world's wealth. It's about having your place in the world and not losing out. Thebe: What are the issues affecting emerging/developing nation brands?
WITH NATION BRANDING, YOU DON'T GET AN IMMEDIATE REACTION OR RESULTS
NBI Q2 2005 Overall Ranking

Country Australia Canada Switzerland United Kingdom Sweden Italy Germany The Netherlands (Holland) France New Zealand United States Spain Ireland Japan Brazil Mexico Egypt India Poland South Korea China South Africa Czech Republic Russia Turkey Ranking 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Simon: Because the unpopularity of its foreign policy, the ubiquity of its products and popular culture, the decreasing relevance of its historical brand promise (freedom and the pursuit of wealth) and various other factors are causing it to decline. For further discussion of this complex topic, see my 2005 book, Brand America. Wally: Much of the positioning and state of Brand America is based on what we think of America, which is: a land of opportunity, which we admire, where anybody can do and be anything; it evinces technological advancement and success which we admire but envy at the same time; it has commercial successes built by brands like McDonalds and Coca Cola; and, there's the way the government behaves and wields its power.
IN MY VIEW, WHAT SOUTH AFRICA IS STRUGGLING WITH, IS IDENTIFYING ITS CORE IDEA, ITS DISTINCTIVE ADVANTAGE
Thebe: Is the future of South Africa necessarily linked to the future of Africa? Or can brand South Africa go it alone? Simon: South Africa has been going it alone ever since the end of Apartheid. It's the only country in Africa that has a truly separate identity (apart from perhaps Nigeria, which has a very strong but very negative image). Wally: There are 25 European countries, each with a distinct identity, that have a common loyalty to Europe. There is nothing wrong with having a multiplicity of
IN AFRICA, ALL COUNTRIES APART FROM SA SUFFER FROM WHAT I CALL CONTINENT BRANDING EFFECT: THEY ALL HAVE TO SHARE ONE BIG, BAD BRAND CALLED AFRICA, WHICH IS VIGOROUSLY PROMOTED BY THE AID INDUSTRY
loyalties. South Africa does not have to be overwhelmed by the rest of the continent, but can retain its distinct identity, while remaining loyal to the continent. Thebe: Which nations are the benchmarks? And how did they get it right? Simon: Ireland, Japan, UK, New Zealand, Spain, South Africa and Australia. Ireland was a foreign direct investment miracle; Japan, an export miracle; the UK, a leadership and economic miracle; New Zealand and Australia, a tourism miracle; Spain and South Africa, a political and cultural miracle. That's how their new brands were built. Not, needless to say, through advertising or other kinds of marketing, but by the things they made and the things they did. These are perfect examples of what I call policy-based branding which is entirely different from communication-based branding. The main advantage of this approach, apart from the fact that it's a hundred times more effective, is that all the money spent on it directly benefits the economy of the country, rather than going into the pockets of advertising and design agencies and media owners. Wally: Spain is a good example of a good national brand, and it took them 20 to 25 years to get there. Thebe: The new South Africa is relatively young. How difficult is it, and is it necessary, to shed the history in re-branding itself? Simon: It will happen naturally - very slowly indeed, but quite naturally - when a country's present and future are more interesting than the past. It's all a matter of how interesting people find what you do.
NATION BRANDING IS ABOUT FINDING A DIFFERENTIATED OFFERING, A CORE IDEA THAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT FROM OTHER NATIONS
Wally: The past is relatively unimportant. With Apartheid and the resultant pariah status, and with the miracle of transition embodied by Mandela, South Africa had a single-minded proposition. Right now, it's beginning to look like just one of hundreds of other countries. What South Africa needs now is a focus or core idea. Thebe: South Africa has many wellrecognised institutions, symbols (the flag is among the top three most recognised in the world), individuals (Nelson Mandela), companies (Sappi, De Beers, Anglo American), etc. What role, if any,
do they play, and how can they be leveraged to shape the brand positioning of South Africa? Simon: They can all be important. At the moment, Mandela is about 90% of the image of the country. The companies, tourism, other people, sport, and culture need to be promoted to round out what is still a pretty thin brand. Wally: Institutions shape people's perceptions about national brands. Public diplomacy and politicians play a major role in that. But they must be used carefully. Thebe: How can a country with many symbols spanning fauna and flora, various institutions, 11 languages and differing cultures, symbolically present itself? Simon: All countries are diverse, unlike products. Richness is an asset, not an obstacle. I don't think one needs to worry too much about symbolic presentation. That's an advertising issue and is a concern merely for the tourist board. Wally: You should not have too many symbols or initiatives because they confuse the audience. Examine what you want to say, what image you want to project and how you are going to communicate it. In simple terms, visualise your core idea. It's about simplifying your message.
About these thinkers: Simon Anholt advises governments, ministries, civil services and NGOs on the branding aspects of public diplomacy, economic development, public affairs, cultural relations and trade, tourism and export promotion. He is a prolific author on the subject and a wellknown public speaker, editor and broadcaster on these and many related topics. Visit www.earthspeak.com. Wally Olins is the co-founder of brand consulting house Wolff Olins, and the president of Saffron, a EU-based brand consultancy. He lectures at a number of Business Schools in Europe and is a published author on the subject of brands. His clients include BT, Prudential, Repsol, Renault and Volkswagen. Visit www.wallyolins.com. Thebe Ikalafeng is the founder of Brand Leadership and the forum www.leadingbrands.org, as well as a partner at Two Tone. He is a non-executive director of Mercantile Bank Holdings and Foodcorp, and a member of the Vega School of Brand Communications Governing Body. A soughtafter speaker, he has lectured and published on branding.
BECAUSE OF THIS UNIQUE DIVERSITY, SOUTH AFRICA SHOULD NOT VIEW ITSELF AS AN EMERGING OR DEVELOPED NATION
VIEW TO A THRILL
HKLM USES A VIEWFINDER TO SHOW BRAND SOUTH AFRICA AT ITS BEST

HKLM USED THE WORDS OF NELSON MANDELAS 1994 Inaugural speech, as re-iterated by Thabo Mbeki in 2005 as inspiration. The team engineered a succinct brand vision that embodied the spirit and purpose of South Africa: To create a truly people-centered society through driving the expansion of the frontiers of human fulfilment and the continuous extension of the frontiers of freedom and unleash the creativity of our people. With this as our base, we then identified four brand drivers or strategic objectives that would help bring this vision of South Africa to life in the minds of people who experience it. The four brand drivers are: 1. to celebrate our diverse culture and natural heritage by treating them as our most important exports; 2.to unleash the creativity of our people and unlock an unlimited natural resource; 3.to create a springboard for human fulfillment through social, economic and environmental development; 4.and to believe in the power of South African people to shape the future. The next part of the HKLM process was to define the essence of the brand South Africa - the single thought that expressed the vision and strategic objectives, bringing them together into one clear brand positioning. For us, the essence of South Africa was real freedom. This essence had to ring true to three different target markets namely investors, visitors and of course, South Africans themselves. For this reason, we expressed real freedom in a way that was appropriate to each target market. For investors it was more important to build freedom, for visitors to capture freedom and for South Africans the key was to express freedom. This thinking helped us generate a range of identities which we believed captured the essence of the land, helping us to uncover the symbol that would become iconic or instantly recognisable as the mark of South Africa.
TO CREATE A TRULY PEOPLE-CENTERED SOCIETY THROUGH DRIVING THE EXPANSION OF THE FRONTIERS OF HUMAN FULFILMENT AND THE CONTINUOUS EXTENSION OF THE FRONTIERS OF FREEDOM AND UNLEASH THE CREATIVITY OF OUR PEOPLE
FOUR OF THE BEST

After an exhaustive creative process exploring as many frontiers as we could, we settled on four options that we believed expressed real freedom, each in quite a different way. We also set about exploring how these logos could be applied to various elements to determine whether or not they were robust enough. By putting them to the test we would see which of the directions we had chosen was powerful enough which of them would come through as the idea that would be embraced by tourists, investors and the nation.
COLOURS The South African flag is one of the most recognized flags in the world. It has a combination of colours that not only makes it distinctive but also expresses the diversity of our nation. Our colourful flag also symbolizes the freedom of our nation because it was first unfurled at the 1994 elections, which can be viewed as the moment South Africa was welcomed back into the world community. The typeface is handwritten and personal and is juxtaposed with the clean multi-coloured stripes. The colours route draws on a historic moment in time when South Africa became free.
VIEWFINDER The viewfinder idea allows us to explore South Africas broad spectrum of offerings without threatening to overload the audience. It is versatile and can be used in a variety of applications. Its simple yet sophisticated. It doesnt limit or contain the viewer. There is always something beyond the borders of the frame so that while being focused, there always remains a sense of space, freedom and endless possibilities. The joy of this idea is how it encourages the audience to choose from its point of view. No matter who you are, it is an idea that offers you complete freedom.
NELSON MANDELA Nelson Mandela is still South Africas most well known and loved icon the same is true worldwide. The geographic shape or outline of South Africa is not well known. In fact, international research indicates that many people actually see South Africa as Africa. By using a geographic outline, this route draws attention to the fact that South Africa is the land at the foot of the African continent and by using Nelson Mandelas face, it becomes the shape of freedom.
Sources: gettyiamges.co.za
Sources: gettyiamges.co.za
Sources: corbis.com
Sources: art.co.za
This option depicts the vibrant energy and colours of our people and landscape. The shapes intersect each other in a dynamic, yet informal manner. The symbol has forward momentum designed to encapsulate innovation and creativity. The typeface is approachable and simple. The route is light, expressive and unrestricted. In an abstract way it reflects the nature of real freedom.
Author: Shadeberg, Jurgen
DYNAMIC SOUTH AFRICAN ENERGY
WE CHOSE TO SEE SOUTH AFRICA FREELY IT BECAME CLEAR TO THE HKLM TEAM THAT THE VIEWFINDER IDEA WAS THE ONE WITH THE MOST POTENTIAL. THE DEEPER WE DELVED INTO HOW TO APPLY IT TO DIFFERENT MEDIA, THE MORE IT SEEMED TO COME TO LIFE AND CONTINUE TO GROW
However, at this stage all we really had was a device. Yes, the viewfinder allowed us to drill down into different levels of communication and make sense. Yes, it allowed us to capture a range of elements that reflected South Africa everything from the diversity of our natural heritage to the warm smile of our people. It was dynamic and unrestricted, allowing us to leverage the strength of the country. It was simple yet effective as a tool to communicate the essence of South Africa to three different audiences but the soul of the idea still eluded us. Something that could make this idea unequivocally South African was missing. We asked ourselves how we could capture the powerful symbol represented by Nelson Mandela, as the man who led South Africa to freedom? By asking this question, we found what we were looking for - a letter that he had written to his two daughters during his incarceration on Robben Island, in which he explained to them the reasons for their separation and his vision for the future of South Africa. This was written simply and sincerely so that his daughters, who were young at the time, could understand. In this letter he had written the words South Africa...
By extracting these two words South Africa from his letter, we created a uniquely South African signature or logotype using Nelson Mandelas actual handwriting. We hadnt just labelled our idea with a typeface and the two words South Africa but instead had found a way to instill genuine South African soul into the idea. The viewfinder idea was now complete with the spirit of South Africa and real freedom.
We had found the idea that would capture real freedom and make South Africa a brand, creating a sense of the place in someones heart. Now came the task to extend this concept to various types of graphic, environmental and product mediums. In terms of graphic application, the viewfinder device would be used on images as a way to focus attention and capture a particular emotion or focal point within the composition of the image. The word freedom would support this visual treatment in order to emphasise and clarify the point of the communication. Every element was in place to create a genuinely engaging brand.
Sources: A Prisoner in the Garden
Author: Harris, Verne (ed).
HOW FREEDOM WORKS

The environmental applications involve a three-dimensional interpretation of the viewfinder device. A freestanding pillar has been designed with a viewfinder hole through which a person can capture a beautiful real-life scene in much the same way someone would look through a camera or at the LCD screen of a handycam. It allows for interactivity and the transfer of inspiring images of South Africa but in a way that is determined by viewers themselves. Other environmental applications include furniture and architectural expressions of freedom that may be used in public areas and places of interest for both local and international tourists. To demonstrate how the viewfinder idea could come to life, we applied the design to consumer products such as flip flops, cameras, bags and iPod covers.
Author: Fraser, Craig (Ph.)
Sources: Shack Chic
We can also use the device to highlight social issues like the threat of shack fires in townships where children get burned every year. We can use fireproof blankets with safety messages printed on them to educate people about how to prevent fires and how to use the fireproof blanket to douse flames.
As South Africans we were not only proud to have worked on this project, but also to have a country where we have the freedom to express ourselves. There is no shortage of inspiration when it comes to looking at South Africa as a brand.
Free to return
Free to invest
Free spirited
LCD screens to display info and facts about SA
Endorsing freedom
A freestanding device, framing views
Sources: art.co.za, corbis.com, google.com, greatstock.co.za, gettyimages.co.za
Free to be passionate
Be free!
Free to be inquisitive
Free to start something
Free to be surprised
Freedom of expression
FEELIT!
SWITCH DELIVERS AN ICON THAT COMES FROM THE HEART
WHILE SOUTH AFRICAN PEOPLE HAVE optimistically embraced the new age of cultural and social integration, South African brands have become casualties of rapid organic growth, causing fragmentation and confusion about the overall promise that South Africa offers as a destination. Multi-disciplinary brand consultancy, Switch Group, together with the other agencies briefed, formulated a brand platform to work from, out of which the concept of Real Freedom transpired. The essence of this
freedom is based on the countrys national heritage, the opportunities that the future holds, and its geographic spaces. Brazils brand identity was an inspiration for the Switch Design team in that it captured the spirit of the country in a celebratory identity and tagline, Sensational, presenting best practice within the developing country category. This was an insightful thoughtstarter for us, says Gaby de Abreu, group creative director for Switch Design.
Robert Landau/Corbis/Great Stock!
A COLOURFUL NATION...
THE UNIQUE FABRIC OF OUR SOCIETY IS WOVEN USING THE DISTINCTIVE RICHNESS OF OUR CULTURES, FAST-PACED ENERGY AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY ACROSS ALL RACES, AGE GROUPS AND GENDERS
Photograph by Obie Oberholzer
THE DIVERSITY AND FUSION OF SOUTH AFRICANS TELLS A STORY OF THEIR HISTORY AND FUTURE AND SHOWS A SURPRISING OUTCOME OF THE BIRTH OF A NEW SOUTH AFRICA. THIS DYNAMIC LED US TO OUR FIRST IDEA
Our first idea is based on the name South Africa which already boasts valuable brand equity and strong emotion internationally. Through the smart use of typography, the Switch creative team demonstrated fusion and diversity, by combining the lettering of the countrys name, using colour and split quadrants. Metaphorically, this image represents South Africas resourcefulness through the merging of letters A and F and also i and C, without compromising the legibility. The downto-earth, rustic approach is simple, but reveals a sense of consolidation and multiplicity. says de Abreu. A collage of visuals representing provincial imagery was developed into wallpaper, illustrating fusion of the countrys brand promise. To further enhance the element of surprise, we experimented with a collage of images featuring recognisable South African icons, that were used as a visual language to support the brand identity. This visual language was flexible enough to be used as large areas of wallpaper or cropped to focus on specific icons to communicate a message. According to de Abreu, we wanted to create an original perspective that best represents the nation of cultural richness, energy and opportunity across all races, age groups and genders. The variety of appeal that SA offers could be described as a world in one country and we decided to use the emotion associated with this appeal to develop a visual interpretation of real freedom. SA is already considered a top experiential destination that offers travelers something unique and something of a surprise. UN secretary general Kofi Annan supports this sentiment and was quoted saying, "South Africa is a country in which one can expect the unexpected. An inspiration for all. What made it possible was the determination of the people of South Africa to work together, to transform bitter experiences into the binding glue of a rainbow nation." The element of the unexpected or surprise that the country assures visitors of was channeled through two thoughts, fusion and diversity, and two textured brand images emerged.
The integration of brand identity and visual language allows for flexibility and adaptability across environments creating surprise when viewed from close or far.
Elements from the wallpaper visual language can be isolated and applied as graphic images onto various formats such as these cooling towers in Soweto.
A taxi shelter based on the shape of an acacia tree was designed as part of the initial concept work. This threedimensional manifestation of the visual language creates a direct interaction between the public and design. The outcome is a universally recognised icon of South Africa.
SA IS AN EXPERIENTIAL DESTINATION THAT TAKES YOUR BREATH AWAY. YOU FEEL ITS WARM AFRICAN SUNSHINE AND THE FRIENDLY NATURE OF ITS PEOPLE. FEEL IT IS A UNIQUE SOUTH AFRICAN OFFERING AND THIS BECAME THE BASIS FOR OUR SECOND IDEA
SOUTH AFRICA
FEEL IT
The identity was designed by fusing the abbreviated version of the name South Africa, i.e. SA, and the colours of the countrys flag. The relaxed lettering was drawn in a freeflowing swirl that encompasses the personality of our nation and how it knows no boundaries. The movement captured in the logo illustrates free-flowing freedom and creates a subtle heart shape in the middle.
We played with the swirl and stretched it out to become a flowing ribbon, to be used in conjunction with the heart shaped logo on all visual roll-out. The extension of this identity allows a visual language to be developed, and at the same time aids brand recognition. South Africans will only have to see part of the ribbon to immediately recognise the brand, and feel connected to it and what it stands for.
Image courtesy of: Galloimages
Design development leading up to the final brand identity
Boy on swing: (c)Hannelie Coetzee/Great Stock!
Elephant: (c)Allan Davey/Masterfile/Great Stock!
Talented local photographers captured beautiful images that are distinctively South African, for use in promotional brand applications. Using images that evoke freedom will attract the attention of foreign visitors and create synergy with the total brand experience. The usage of these visuals in conjunction with the ribbon demonstrates that everything we touch enhances a connection between us, the brand, and the country A total brand experience. Visually, the wave will be extended and applied to all elements that touch South African lives. It has the potential to add colour, life and emotion to any application and not necessarily in its full form. The beauty of this creative is its flexibility and the power of its expression. If only part of the wave is seen, it still offers the same visual nuance. Both ideas were opened up to vigourous debate within the agency. This provided an opportunity to ensure that the visuals spoke to all
cultures, genders and age groups etc. Its important to speak the same language across the different groups, says de Abreu. The colourful wave will be subtle, but should evoke feelings of freedom and patriotism as it meanders across city buildings and national sites. Switch Design anchored its creativity on tactile human emotion to define a personality for the country and its worth. We believe that both ideas embrace the true meaning of Real Freedom and simply illustrate the promise South Africa guarantees its visitors. These designs could only have transpired from our acknowledgement of everything South Africa stands for as well as our passion for this extraordinary destination, concludes de Abreu.
Black mans face: Horst Klemm/Great Stock!
IDENTITY IS WHAT HELPS A COUNTRY, AN organisation, or a part of it, feel that it truly exists and that it is a coherent being, with a history and a place of its own, different from others. Jean-Noel Kapferer The question of national identity - the essence of Brand South Africa is complicated, but at the same time enriched by the diversity of a nation with a long history, 11 cultures, and multiple symbols to represent
arts, culture and sport. Out of passion and commitment to the country, there has been no shortage of resources and propositions as to what the country should represent. All the institutions representing Brand South Africa have done a commendable job thus far. Our flag, arguably one of the top five most recognised globally, is but one quilt of our diversity in which we can all wrap
ourselves. This symbol of the nation has been taken up with enthusiasm, used in well over 100 identities of South African services, products and companies. Yet we still lag behind other countries in putting forward a strong, singular message. What is required is to consolidate and leverage the strengths of what we own and what weve already invested in with the various institutions, in order to create a unifying brand essence
and identity, which is true for investment, citizenship and tourism. So that we can excite the world. Expressing Brand South Africa visually presents a challenge, what with the country rich in symbolism spanning the fauna and flora, institutions, 11 languages and cultures. Two Tone chose to focus on the national bird, the blue crane, together with the vibrancy of the flag to create a new identity.

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A DESIGN INDABA PROJECT

WHY BRAND A NATION?

BRAND THE BELOVED COUNTRY

WITH NATION BRANDING, YOU DON'T GET AN IMMEDIATE REACTION OR RESULTS

A DESIGN INDABA PROJECT

NBI Q2 2005 Overall Ranking

BRAND THE BELOVED COUNTRY

BRAND THE BELOVED COUNTRY

HKLM USES A VIEWFINDER TO SHOW BRAND SOUTH AFRICA AT ITS BEST

A DESIGN INDABA PROJECT

BRAND THE BELOVED COUNTRY

FOUR OF THE BEST

A DESIGN INDABA PROJECT

Author: Shadeberg, Jurgen

DYNAMIC SOUTH AFRICAN ENERGY

BRAND THE BELOVED COUNTRY

A DESIGN INDABA PROJECT

BRAND THE BELOVED COUNTRY

Sources: A Prisoner in the Garden

Author: Harris, Verne (ed).

A DESIGN INDABA PROJECT

BRAND THE BELOVED COUNTRY

HOW FREEDOM WORKS

Author: Fraser, Craig (Ph.)

Sources: Shack Chic

A DESIGN INDABA PROJECT

LCD screens to display info and facts about SA

A freestanding device, framing views

Sources: art.co.za, corbis.com, google.com, greatstock.co.za, gettyimages.co.za

Free to start something

BRAND THE BELOVED COUNTRY

A DESIGN INDABA PROJECT

Robert Landau/Corbis/Great Stock!

BRAND THE BELOVED COUNTRY

Photograph by Obie Oberholzer

A DESIGN INDABA PROJECT

BRAND THE BELOVED COUNTRY

A DESIGN INDABA PROJECT

BRAND THE BELOVED COUNTRY

A DESIGN INDABA PROJECT

Image courtesy of: Galloimages

Design development leading up to the final brand identity

BRAND THE BELOVED COUNTRY

Boy on swing: (c)Hannelie Coetzee/Great Stock!

Elephant: (c)Allan Davey/Masterfile/Great Stock!

A DESIGN INDABA PROJECT

Black mans face: Horst Klemm/Great Stock!

BRAND THE BELOVED COUNTRY

A DESIGN INDABA PROJECT

BRAND THE BELOVED COUNTRY

A DESIGN INDABA PROJECT

BRAND THE BELOVED COUNTRY

A DESIGN INDABA PROJECT

BRAND THE BELOVED COUNTRY

A DESIGN INDABA PROJECT

BRAND THE BELOVED COUNTRY

A DESIGN INDABA PROJECT

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