South Africa is a country rich in culture and heritage. However, as western influence increases, young South Africans are losing touch with their culture. Castle Milk Stout is a brand that honours culture and inspires its consumers to embrace their heritage. Castle Milk Stout wanted to remind young South Africans that culture is something that lives inside all of us. Culture is the heartbeat of our nation. We wanted to remind our country that as long as their hearts beat, their culture will never die.

We began by scanning and recording the heartbeat of African cultural icon, musical artist, and clan praise (a traditional cultural practice where one uses a song or poem to recite, honour and remember your lineage and your ancestors) singer Madala Kunene. This heartbeat became the beat and the base of a song and a core design element on a one-of-a-kind vinyl. The recorded heartbeat was given to young, rising, producer and singer Muzi. Muzi then created a hit song titled, Ko Mama, which was built from the ground up using Madala Kunene’s heartbeat as the basis and the base of the track. A song that breathed a new life into an old cultural practice, and reminded a nation that along as their hearts beat, their culture will never die.

The song was launched during heritage month in South Africa. The song was made available through all the current streaming services and promoted through Castle Milk Stout's social media. A music video for the track was also filmed and released alongside the song.

Madala Kunene, a traditional African artist and Muzi, a young rising singer and producer collaborated on the song Ko Mama. Madala's recorded heartbeat was handed over to Muzi and this became the beat and the base of the track. Madala also played maskandi, a traditional Zulu guitar style as well as sang his clan praise, an old cultural practice where one recites and honours their lineage and ancestors. Muzi then compiled, mixed, and performed on the track. This created a beautiful collaboration between the old and the new, the past and the present. A song that reminded the youth of South Africa that as long as their hearts beat, their culture will never die.

250 limited edition vinyl records and their packaging were produced as a promotional item for our campaign. With a unit cost of roughly USD160.00 per unit, these were distributed for free to key influences to amplify our campaigns message. The vinyl was a part of the larger Clan Beat campaign. A campaign that saw brand equity increase by 39%, achieved 27 million rand worth of earned media and resulted in a volume growth of 17%.