District Six Museum, together with Ogilvy Cape Town, has launched a poignant campaign in response to recent media reports concerning Worcester’s introduction of green cards for workers. The campaign, which was advertised in The Times today, offers citizens of the Boland town a ‘free pass’ to the museum so that they can learn from South Africa’s harrowing past.
The green card has been likened to the ‘dompas’ system from the Apartheid era, which spanned over a century and were only abolished in 1986. It was a system used to segregate the population and limit the movements of non-white South Africans.
The Worcester Community Policing Forum, in a misjudged effort to combat crime, sparked controversy when they issued workers with green card permits to access upmarket neighbourhoods.
Have a look at the insert in The Times below:
The advertisement reads: ‘Dear Citizens of Worcester, we’d like to offer you a free pass. We’d like to invite you to visit the museum, and we’ll waive our usual ticket price, because we believe the lessons you’ll learn inside are priceless. For instance, the history of the pass laws and the misery, indignity and severe infringement of the right of free movement they caused for several hundred years. We’d like you to visit us, so that you know what we hold dear: THAT THOSE WHO DON’T STUDY HISTORY ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT IT.’
As of Thursday 12 March 2015, Worcester’s green card system was abolished under order of National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega.
Credits:
Creative Directors: Chris Gotz and Jacques Massardo
Art Director: Tania Barker
Copywriter: Alison Hingle
Ogilvy PR: Roxanne Leibrandt, Lisa Johnson, Kate McLeod, Alex de Kock, Farah Manuel
A special thank you to The Times for giving us the platform and promoting tactical advertising.