If Edgars created another TV ad it would not have allowed the brand to reconnect to culture. We needed to create something new. A piece of culture. A piece of entertainment that people wanted to watch.

We partnered with over 30 expressive African personalities to unite in their diversity, and create a part music video, part African musical film.

The cultural film allowed us to create content that people distributed across social media platforms, relevant to their culture, fashion, music and lifestyle.

The film is about self-expression, the belief of the brand, but also launched the first song for the

Edgars is a 90-year-old fashion and beauty department store in South Africa, that had completely lost relevance with a contemporary African audience. In 2018 Edgars was on the brink of closing– putting 140 000 jobs at risk. – potentially the largest retail disaster in South African history.

We needed to re-connect Edgars to culture and reimagine the entire brand.

But how do you connect a brand to culture in a country as diverse as South Africa? A country with 11 official languages, that is going through a creative and cultural renaissance. Africa has undergone a radical culture shift in the last few years - with the rise of a new black middle-class consumer and a bold new African identity, expressed mainly through music, art, and fashion. South Africa has become one of the most expressive places on earth – a unique African identity and no longer derivative of Western style.

We created: “DON’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO” - An African musical that became an anthem for self-expression, bringing together over 30 African personalities to reconnect Edgars to culture. This cultural collaboration, led by rapper, Sho Madjozi, created branded films, social content, original music, a fashion collection and a total re-brand and re-design of the 90-year-old store.

The legion of influencers and content creators included;

• Body-positive activist - Siphokasi Veti,

• Popular beauty vlogger - Jessica Van Heerden

• A transgender activist - Elle Rose

• TV personality and actor, Jonathan Boyton-Lee.

• African hair artist - Nkiwe Dlovu.

• The Swenkas (Zulu Fashion Crew), Local Pantsula Dancers, the Soweto Gospel Choir

• and the youngest DJ in the world, DJ Arch Jnr,

• and many more…

All of them led by Africa’s fastest-rising star, poet, rapper and fashion designer, Sho Madjozi!

We needed to connect to the rising middle-class African millennial, now focused on using fashion to express their unique African identity and no longer derivative of a more Western style.

As a brand that stands for “SELF EXPRESSION” we needed to find a way to express this in culture - showing how the brand empowers self-expression and is totally re-energized for a modern Africa. Using music and fashion, together with a diverse melting pot of African cultural creators, allowed us to express it as an anthemic celebration: “Don’t tell me What to Do!”

The campaign launched with a 3-minute branded film starring our African personalities, led by Sho Madjozi.

Set in the Johannesburg streets, the film is essentially a ‘musical’ genre, and follows Sho Madjozi as she navigates through different pockets of South African culture. The original song, written and performed by Sho Madjozi for the film, is the glue that holds it all together and the anthem for self-expression: ‘Don’t Tell Me What To Do!’

The film is a proud celebration of South African contemporary culture. An explosion of music, colour, in a cultural coming-together – all with Edgars merchandise at the core. As Sho Madjozi brings the cast together in unison, all defiantly singing the song, we cut to the end scene that makes a statement. Inspired by Delacroix’s “Liberty Leading the People” (1830), the cast defiantly states that NOW is the time for diversity, freedom and self-expression to triumph.

The campaign created a cultural movement:

• A 533% increase in positive brand sentiment.

• An 800% increase in share of voice – from 4% to 36% (as measured against competitors:

Zara, H&M, Woolworths and Mr Price).

• earned media value of $3.8million.

• Over 133million media impressions.

• The song took the message deeper into culture with over 65 000 streams on digital

platforms to date.

• Over 5000 items from The Sho Madjozi Collection were sold during the campaign launch.

• A PR value of $1million.

The campaign helped an outdated fashion retailer reconnect with its diverse contemporary African audience to become a voice for self-expression.

Edgars is now profitable for the first time in 10 years.