Carling Black Label ‘The Real Injury Time – #No Excuse’

WISH I DID THAT
Judge’s Pick

IDIDTHAT JUDGE
Lauren Meyer

AWARDED
28 May 2026

JUDGES COMMENT
“I love a simple but impactful idea, especially when it’s a live stunt. An idea like this has no production-heavy gloss to hide behind – it’s front and centre, in its purest, most honest form – and it speaks for itself.
I’ve always admired the #NoExcuse platform. I would’ve loved to be a fly on the wall in that first client presentation – convincing a beer brand to not just own the uncomfortable role alcohol plays in GBV, but to actively speak out about it and put money behind it. Most brands in this position would never. Shout out to the team for continuing this very important conversation, year after year.”

WISH I DID THAT
Judge’s Pick

IDIDTHAT JUDGE
Thembalethu Msibi

AWARDED
28 May 2026

JUDGES COMMENT
“Powerful addition to the existing core organising idea that still manages to be empathetic, smart and purposeful.”

View WISH I DID THAT showcase

THE REAL INJURY TIME
The platform that urged soccer fans to reach out before they lash out during a moment of football’s heightened.

THE CHALLENGE:
In South Africa, gender-based violence can spike after football games because some fans, men, take their team’s loss and performance frustrations out on their loved ones in the form of domestic abuse.

THE IDEA:
The Real Injury Time: Use injury time to spotlight that the real injuries happen off the field.we spotlight that the real injuries happen off the field.

THE EXECUTION:
We needed to get South African men’s attention about gender-based violence spiking after football games and then encourage them to reach out to our dedicated anti-gender-based-violence support line before they lashed out. Carling Black Label hijacked a moment where every South African football fan’s attention would be, the injury time board, during a moment of heightened tension, at a high-stakes South African Premier Soccer League football match. At 90 minutes, we replaced the injury time board with a countdown clock displaying how many minutes remained before the real injury spikes post-match in communities. For the first time in South African football history, FIFA and the South African Premier Soccer League allowed a brand to display a message on its substitution boards. A message that all men needed to see, urging fans to reflect while reinforcing that win or lose there is no excuse for gender-based violence. For the first time in PSL and FIFA history, we turned injury time into a powerful GBV intervention, driving fans to the first-ever WhatsApp helpline to support not just victims but potential perpetrators too. Over 100 men reached out on day one, and the campaign reached millions of South African football fans in stadiums and viewers at home. Due to the success of this campaign, Carling Black Label, along with the SABC and PSL, has committed to running this at every single game for the next season.

Client/Brand: ABinBev – Carling Black Label
CMO or Marketing Director: Vaughan Croeser
Brand Director: Kerryn Greenleaf
Brand Manager: Nonjabula Ndwandwe

Agency: Ogilvy South Africa
Regional Agency Group: Ogilvy
Chief Creative Officer: Pete Case
Creative Director: Dale Mullany
Creative Director: Neo Makongoza
Executive Creative Director: Mike Barnwell
Art Director: Zen Myeni
Managing Director: Vicki Buys
Producer: Cathy Day
Strategist: Zoe Willems, Lwando Sopotela
Account Management: Richard Brodrick, Ntibile Zonke, Siviwe Nobhongoza
Writer: Neo Makongoza

Media Agency: (Not an IDIDTHAT member)

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