According to Hollard, the brand had advertising budget that it had earmarked for a major brand campaign; however, the team felt compelled to do something that would benefit small business and the economy.

The brand says that a key aspect of Hollard's business values is a commitment to catalysing positive and enduring change and treating people with care and dignity.

VMLY&R conceptualised a brand campaign that intended to both embody Hollard's purpose and provide support to small business owners at a time when they need it most.

"I love that we have this incredible opportunity to showcase and support some of the amazing small businesses in South Africa at a time when they need it most," says creative director Ana Rocha. "My hope is that, as result, we as a collective support our local businesses and get this big wave of positive momentum going."

"These 12 businesses (that are representative nationally) will be benefitting for six months from ad space we would have used ourselves," says Heidi Brauer, chief marketing officer for Hollard Insurance. "They will be on our billboards and use our TV time and our digital advertising under our 'Big Ads For Small Business' banner."

Hollard says that it asked its employees to nominate small businesses that would benefit from advertising exposure. The nearly-300 applications that came in then had to be vetted to ensure that these businesses would be able to cope with the added trading pressure that would come with largescale advertising.

The brand says that it's not just space that these businesses will enjoy, but a targeted marketing effort that's been tailored to each business specifically.

"Hollard have gone to great lengths to ensure the optimal media mix for each small business, specifically ensuring that the media bought drives real business growth. This resulted in customised channel mixes for each business — from regionally targeted billboards to individual paid search campaigns," says chief connections officer Matt Arnold.

"We all have to try and do our part to drive the economy of South Africa forward and help entrepreneurs and small business succeed. They are the backbone of a better future for South Africa," says Ryan McManus, chief creative officer at VMLY&R.

"While we all face difficult challenges at this point in the world, it's amazing to work with a client like Hollard to produce something that can have a real impact on people's lives — something we at VMLY&R have always believed advertising can do," adds McManus.

"We are incredibly proud to produce work for a big brand like Hollard that is actually redirecting the impact and return on investment to some of the country's smallest micro-enterprises," McManus concludes.

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