Creative: experiential route to remembering Mandela
Author: CIMCOM
Born on the 18 July 1918, Nelson Mandela campaigned against the race segregation of apartheid, was incarcerated for 27 years and elected as the unifying President of South Africa, before he died on 5 December 2013. Interbrand’s project to celebrate his 95th birthday stands out as a memorable experiential initiative and a fitting tribute to this extraordinary human rights campaigner on the anniversary of his birth.
Mandela Poster Project – Paper prison
Poster project celebrates Mandela’s life
The Mandela95 Poster Project, launched in 2013, called on artists to design A2 posters to celebrate Nelson Mandela’s 95th birthday and his life. Ninety-five posters were then chosen for a special exhibition which went on a world tour. The team at Interbrand could see that an A2 poster wouldn’t be enough to convey Mandela’s spirit. In response, the agency decided to use the idea of a poster to show the injustice he had experienced. Interbrand’s poster unfolds to the dimensions of Mandela’s 8-foot by 7-foot cell at Robben Island prison in South Africa, where he served the majority of his 27 years. It was selected from 700 entries to be part of the exhibition.
Creating moments of understanding
Interbrand’s poster has black block lettering on yellow paper, which reads:
“He illuminated the world from an 8-foot cell.”
Interbrand took the poster to London, New York, Sydney, Madrid and Johannesburg. Members of the public were invited to step inside the 8-foot by 7-foot space and experience just a moment of the confinement Mandela faced for 27 years. The poster enabled people to grasp something of what Mandela had endured and created new wonder about how he had maintained his sanity, his dignity and his vision for a better future for South Africa.
Enduring power
The poster was awarded a Gold Design Lion Award at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in 2014 and a Black and Gold Cube in Design by the Art Directors Club in 2015. Recognised as an inspirational use of design, Interbrand’s creative approach allowed people to share in the celebration of Mandela’s 95th birthday, with an eye-opening experience that communicated how his spirit overcame the physical limits of his imprisonment. It remains a powerful piece of communication, for its simplicity, shareability and profound meaning. Consider this as a birthday tribute to a man who sacrificed so much, and helped make our world a fairer place.
For more photos of Interbrand’s ‘Paper Prison’ see their Facebook page: