As South Africans return to their daily lives of work, play and creativity, Reebok has teamed up with local giants to remind us that Life is Not a Spectator Sport. Harnessing the power of digital storytelling, and the essence of the Reebok brand, they invite us to get off the side-lines and live large.
In 1984, Reebok launched its classic campaign, under the tagline “Because life is not a spectator sport”. Nearly 40 years later the message is the same, but the world has changed. Reebok once again invites us to remember that ‘Life is Not a Spectator Sport’. The new iteration of the campaign celebrates the ‘Classic Leather’ shoe and the pioneers that have made it iconic. This time around, the Reebok South Africa team have leveraged the power of digital storytelling to highlight the potential that emerges when people are driven by their ambition to live life on their own terms.
Reebok South Africa’s Brand and Omnichannel Manager Steffi Jones says “We want to create real emotive connections with our communities. Partnering with world-class, local talent allows us to tell their stories, connect with our communities and enable the possibility of greatness by ‘getting off the sidelines.’
Leading the pack are 5x ‘Movement Makers’, who will work with the brand to create content that tells their story of living ‘off the bench’ in the hope of inspiring their audiences to share their experiences too.
Musa Keys – Amapiano Artist
Sne Mbatha – Professional Dancer and Choreographer
Melissa – Commercial pilot and Content creator
Ponahalo Mojapelo – Model, DJ, Stylist, and writer
Joshua Rubin – Podcaster & Documentary Photographer
Each Movement Maker brings a different element of South African culture to the fore. Whether it’s inspiring young South African women to take to the skies, encouraging the youth to channel their talent, or documenting the power and pitfalls of living in South Africa, the intention is to hold up a mirror to the everyday Reebok Movement Maker so that they too feel empowered to excel. “In coming together to share our stories, we can inspire others,” says artist Musa Keys.
For Ponahalo, who has been featured in Thebe Magugu campaigns, in Vogue and is a regular feature of the local creative community, the excitement is palpable:
“I’m excited by the calibre of people involved in this campaign and I’m excited to have a seat at the same table as them. My focus has always been on inspiring young girls and women to be bold, daring, and proudly different. I’m ecstatic to be a part of a campaign that reverberates that message even further. I’ve always been a go-getter and I’ve drawn inspiration from other go-getters I met in my professions. I hope to see more young people go after what they want as soon as possible!” she says.
For the South African execution of the campaign, Reebok and Augment Agency have connected with Hashtag Our Stories, an online digital storytelling platform founded by ‘selfie journalism’ legend Yusuf Omar, to encapsulate easy, accessible storytelling which encourages content from everyday people. The partnership is a crucial part of the campaign.
“Off the back of two tough years for most, aspirational content has never been more important. Having said that, this is more than just about inspiring people to think positively, it’s about equipping them to take action. If these last few years have taught us anything, it really is that anything is possible if you are willing to go for it,” says Aaron Zipper, Director at Augment Agency.
