Project Description
In recent years, South Africa had been going through a period of socio-political high drama. Every day was another headline filled with dread and despair, from #FeesMustFall causing chaos throughout the country to a corrupt government capturing the state. Our fuel was at an all-time high and our currency at an all-time low. So was our spirit. South Africans needed a renewed sense of hope. #HopeJoanna, named after a famous Apartheid song, was created not as a campaign, but a social movement that served as a powerful reminder that as a country we’ve been through worse and triumphed and we can do it again. The movement encouraged South Africans to send their stories of hope and be part of uplifting the spirit of the nation. The movement launched last year with a film of South Africa’s turbulent past, a timeline that juxtaposes moments of creativity with archival footage, accompanied by a refreshed version of Eddy Grant’s iconic Apartheid song, Hope Joanna. Our posters took their cue from the film and depicted both high and low moments in South Africa’s history. The posters took on a layered, collage technique using a combination of photography and type, resulting in a hand-crafted feel, as was common in many anti-apartheid poster designs. The photography used in the posters, captured key political moments in South Africa’s history that were recreated with absolute authenticity and integrity, using the actual locations where the original moment had occurred. The technique is a deliberate way to strip away from the past, not to forget it, but to remind us of how we as a country have persevered, as is expressed through the gold. Our line “We can overcome anything” brings hope to the imagery, reminding us that in adversity we triumph. The hashtag #HopeJoanna became a platform for people to share their stories of hope and uplift their fellow South Africans.
