The symbolic OROS man with a bright smile and its pop-art-like font are evidence of this, and while the world continues to evolve and expand into more articulate and complex facets, OROS remains fun and playful, says the brand. 

OROS adds that to continue in this light, it is important to emphasise these elements to a newer and younger generation — and where else could be a better place than the vibrant townships of South Africa?
 
The brand adds that Ekasi is where you would commonly find children playing umshinxi / umGusha, black Toti, Diketo / Upuca, which are officially recognised as indigenous games due to their historical context. FromGugulethu to Soweto, these games are enjoyed by millions, and it was important for OROS to focus on this aspect for its outdoor campaign.

The brand aimed to position itself on, unlocking the power of play and how play makes the world a better place. This would be emphasised by groups between the ages of 16-24, within major townships around the country, where the youth can be found playing outdoors.

The most personal platform for this form of advertising is wall murals, a speciality for Owakhe Media.

Some important criteria for the wall murals were that they had to be near areas where joy and play can be found daily, along with being highly visible to the public eye. These sites also had to cover townships in the three major metropolitan regions with a mass reach.

OROS says that it was only fitting that these townships were:
  • Gugulethu
  • Umlazi
  • Kwa-Mashu
  • Tembisa
  • Alexandra
  • Mamelodi
  • Soshanguve, and
  • Soweto.

Some iconic sites in these areas are those such, Gugulethu on NY1 as well as NY99. Both these sites encompass the Gugulethu Mall and are the most popular streets within this area, making them primed for mass visibility.

In Kwa-Mashu, a hybrid site, which is located at a children's park with swings and roundabouts and overlooks the bustling motorists on Queen Nandi Drive, is an example of both play and visibility.

In Alexandra, the most densely populated township per square meter, you can find a site that faces the locally renowned soccer grounds on a main interior road and iconic sites can be found throughout Soweto such as those on the tourist attraction precinct of Vilakazi Street.

The strategic importance of choosing wall murals for this campaign's success is because of the mass reach that it presents, as nearly 25% of South Africa's 60 million reside in townships, and historically these areas were deemed low-income areas, but that is swiftly changing, according to the brand. 

A recent study by Survey 54 finds that Soweto — which is the largest township in South Africa — has a purchasing power of over R5-billion and is mainly exchanged in the form of cash at small convenient stores, commonly referred to as spaza shops.

Collectively, there are over 150 000 of these stores nationwide and are responsible for as much as, 5% of a USD$419-billion national economy. 
 
Mural areas and regions include: 
  • Soweto, Johannesburg
  • Kagiso, Johannesburg
  • Alexandra, Johannesburg
  • Kathorus, Johannesburg
  • Diepsloot, Johannesburg
  • Tembisa, Johannesburg
  • Soshanguve, Pretoria
  • Mamelodi, Pretoria
  • Mabopane, Pretoria
  • Umlazi, Durban
  • Kwa-Mashu, Durban
  • Lamontville, Durban
  • Gugulethu, Cape Town
  • Khayelitsha, Cape Town
  • Nyanga, Cape Town
  • Mitchells Plain, Cape Town
 
Owakhe Media says, "We believe that outdoor advertising is one of the most exciting and memorable advertising platforms and will remain so for generations to come. We also trust that our innovation is leading us to merge the success of this platform into other digital avenues, where farther and wider audiences live."

"Not only does this guarantee that an outdoor campaign’s measurement can spill over into digital, but it can have a unique and memorable experience that shapes how brands are perceived by audiences," Owakhe Media concludes. 
 
For more information, visit www.owakhemedia.co.za. You can also follow Owakhe Media on Facebook or on Instagram.