Shut-out for a cause: Giant mask on South Africa billboard

JCDecaux Africa collaborates with Mediology (winners of the Financial Mail AdFocus 2019 Independent Media Agency of the Year), Net#work BBDO (the leading creative agency in South Africa) and the Shout Foundation (a non-profit organization that focuses primarily on building libraries in disadvantaged communities within South Africa), for a public service OOH campaign called SHOUT4MASKS. The campaign is aimed at raising funds to purchase and distribute protective masks to “help make South Africa safer by protecting those who protect us.”

Mediology carried forward the audacious idea to create the largest protective mask in Africa and have it featured on a billboard.   “The SHOUT4MASKS campaign has been privileged and honoured to have partnered with Marc Taback (Group Managing Director of Mediology) and Christo Van Den Bergh.  Marc’s creativity and determination has been the driving force in gaining us magnificent traction with all the media owners in South Africa,” says Danny K and Kabelo Mabalane, co-founders of SHOUT4MASKS.

The expertise of Wow Guru Innovations (a unique design, fabrication and installation company) and Beith Digital (market leaders in digital printing) crafted a 3D fabric mask that spans 4 meters in length and 3.6 meters in width and weighs (together with its support framework) 180kg.   

A high-profile site on the M1 South Johannesburg was chosen from JCDecaux Africa’s network to maximise reach and exposure.  It is estimated to reach over 1.6 million people between 30 September 2020 and 31 December 2020, delivering over 31 million impressions.  In addition, the team at large was cognizant of reducing the carbon footprint of a project of this magnitude.  This will be achieved by extending the application of the mask by repurposing the mask material and creating protective masks – further adding to and delivering on the cause and campaign’s intention.

Marc Taback says, “We believe that creativity and innovation can be used to make a difference. We are proud of this work and the impact the campaign has had.  We are grateful to all our partners on this campaign, who contributed their time, expertise, and resources at no cost. It’s amazing what can be accomplished when we work together to help our nation.”

SHOUT4MASKS has already been able to distribute hundreds of thousands of masks to nurses and doctors in South Africa. The SHOUT4MASKS co-founders added their thanks in saying, “We could not have raised the much-needed funding without our partners. Words can never express adequately our feelings of immense gratitude to all who were involved and their magnanimous gestures in providing their skill at no charge”.