Taking a stand: A Q&A with Havas’ Eoin Welsh on the Nugget #ProFro poster

By Nikita Geldenhuys

How did your team come up with the idea for the #ProFro poster, and to what extent did the project fall into Nugget’s mandate for Havas?

Nugget is an iconic South African shoe polish brand, and part of the Reckitt Benckiser stable of brands. Reckitt Benckiser is a key Havas client both locally, and globally. The idea came from following the protests as they unfolded, and realising that the Nugget brand stands for smart appearances, but not at the expense of natural identity, or natural looks. From this, came the idea of taking a stand in the context of Nugget’s brand values.

Please describe the process your team followed in pitching and developing the concept.

From the initial linking of Nugget’s brand values to the natural hair protest, the team created the “Afro” icon out of smart, polished school shoes – the primary purpose for which Nugget is used. It was created to link our support for smartness at school with an understanding that natural looks are just as smart. The pitch to the client was easy – they appreciated our effort and immediately supported the concept. As Reckitt Benckiser’s marketing director, Jorge Guil, put it, “it’s great to not just stand for something, but actually take a stand”.

Participating in social media conversations on sensitive topics like the #ProFro movement is often considered a risky move for brands. What measures did Havas take to mitigate the risk of negative reactions and responses to the post?

Usually, this kind of tactical execution is either satirical, or supportive. It’s observational, using an event as a launch pad for the brand itself. In this case, we were definitely taking sides – we believed that the #ProFro movement was a worthy cause, and we were not afraid to say so.

So this was not played for humour or satire, but was a genuine statement in support of a movement.

What was the response to the poster on social media?

Audience sentiment was totally positive. We were lauded and applauded on social media, and in unsolicited press coverage. There was no negative backlash. Support and feedback from our client were also overwhelmingly positive. It definitely created awareness for Nugget, especially considering the reach gained for the relatively small cost.

What did your team learn from this experience, and how do you plan to implement this knowledge going forward?

We learned just how powerful social media can be in spreading a good idea. We also learned, or at least were reminded of, the power and value of a great idea. Perhaps most importantly, we learned what impact a brand message can have when the brand takes a stand on an important social issue.

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