Beautiful Pathogens
Goodbye Malaria
Issue 45 | December 2017
Agency
TBWA\Hunt Lascaris Johannesburg
Creative Team
Chief Creative Officer Peter Khoury Executive Creative Director Jenny Glover Copywriter Jeff Tyser, Dhasagan Pillay Art Director Nicola Taylor-Garrett
Production Team
Designers Nicola Taylor-Garrett, Sacha Traest, Joanne Theron Agency Producer Sandra Gomes, Boitumelo Rabosiwana Art Buyer Simone Assad Illustrator Sarita Immelman Photographer Aart Verrips Editor Nick Gishen Sound Engineer David Law
Other Credits
Client Service Debbie Pienaar
Date
2017
Background
Malaria killed more people in Mozambique than anywhere else. But an initiative called Goodbye Malaria was helping to change that through an innovative hut-spraying program. Launched in 2013, Goodbye Malaria set out to raise awareness and funding to prevent a disease that killed a child in Africa every two minutes.
The organisation tapped into Africa's creative talents to create Goodbye Malaria products and accessories.
Idea
The brief was to create a visual identity that captured the essence of the organisation and gave it a meaningful global presence.
The project was about much more than science and statistics. It was protecting the vibrant soul of Mozambique. It was where modern science met African culture. So, the idea was to bring together Mozambique's iconic, brightly coloured Capulana fabric and the four Malaria pathogens – Plasmodium Falciparum, P. Vivax, P. Ovale, and P. Malariae – to create unique pathogen patterns. These were incorporated into all collateral and promotional elements.
The pathogen patterns translated perfectly into fabric designs of Goodbye Malaria's clothing range, which was sold around the world. So the idea was to collaborate with traditional Mozambican fabric makers to expand the range.
The most important thing about these viral patterns is that they responded to real Malaria data, disappearing as Malaria cases were reduced. Each year the designs were reprinted to reflect this. The hope was that one day the designs would end up completely featureless when Mozambique said goodbye to Malaria, for good.
Results
This identity helped change the way the world saw African NGOs. Rather than focusing on negatives and shock tactics, it was a celebration of the incredible work being done on the ground by Goodbye Malaria. So far, this approach has helped Goodbye Malaria receive $100 million from The Bill Gates Foundation, in association with The Global Fund.
Our Thoughts
There are many campaigns out there for charities and NGOs which tug at our heartstrings. Not so many that tug at our purse-strings. Directory's judging panel (okay, the three of us) all voted this among their favourite ideas in this issue.
It's not just great design, turning pathogens into patterns; it's not just great PR, telling the story of how the patterns will dilute every year that the numbers of malaria victims dwindles; it's damn good business, selling clothes that look so bright and interesting.