AfrikaBurn

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From the interpretation of the brief, we have decided to focus on a communication strategy aiming to communicate AfrikaBurn's ethos in a way that resonates and translates with our target audience. Our task is to communicate that AfrikaBurn is a much larger social movement, with the gathering in the desert being merely an expression of this. In simple terms, we aim to educate people on the social movement that is AfrikaBurn by showing how the event is merely the heart of a much bigger body. We know that we can’t control what people say about AfrikaBurn, but we can control what they hear and see from AfrikaBurn. Therefore, for our communication strategy we have decided to focus on a digital communication strategy to correct the word of mouth.

THE ETHOS

WHO ARE WE TALKING TO

THE STRATEGIC INTENT

Every social experiment, campaign or movement has that one-liner that can express the intentions to those who don't know anything about it. Since the “Each One Teach Principle” is AfrikaBurn’s special addition to the original 10, we found it to be the most important one to orientate this experiment around. Since we are trying to inform, convince, and correct the public about the AfrikaBurn Movement, we felt this was the best way to explain the experiment in one sentence: Using Each One of AfrikaBurn Stories to Teach One another how to Travel Light

TRAVEL LIGHT can be interpreted in various ways. It relates greatly to the guiding principle of “Leave no Trace”, where one should travel light between spaces. It also directly relates to travelling light to the events free of our materialistic representations in the default world. Secondly, its a philosophical idealism of being free of mental baggage. it Implies a sense of wisdom when someone shares their story, that there is a lesson to be learned. A lighter that has been with someone for decades...

TRAVEL LIGHT:

Travel Light starts at AfrikaBurn HQ. There will be 11 lighters given to a trusted member of the movement. Each lighter will have one of the 11 guiding principles engraved on them, with a QR code for a microsite that has further instructions. It will be up to AfrikaBurn in terms of whom to send it to, but each lighter will be distributed to a believer that best represents that lighter.

WHY USE A LIGHTER YOU ASK?

When we were discussing the things that surround storytelling, fire was the most obvious reason. It was the start of communities many years ago, as it brought people together & allowed them to progress and develop. It is also a very durable and easy way to transport between participants. When commencing an experiment, you want to provide participants with something familiar, and we think a lighter is something that everyone can relate to. Lighters have set structures at AfrikaBurn alight, it has lit the candles over romantic dinners, and started the fire for the Sunday braai. It’s a way for someone to start conversations at parties. Ask yourself, how many lighters have you lost or retrieved after a party? Even if you’re not a smoker, you are able to relate to the essence of fire and conversation. You are passing on the lighter that carries the ethos of the AfrikaBurn movement Since we are unable to transport a campfire in our back pockets, a lighter is a convenient and relatable alternative means to commence such an experiment.

The creative solution we have proposed is called Travel Light. It's a is a social experiment that we feel will suit the intentions and motivations of the AfrikaBurn movement. It’s a unique means of engaging with the advocates of the movement by integrating tangible and intangible means of communication. We want to raise the voices of the AfrikaBurn believers who advocate that the movement is more than a week in the desert. We understand that a social experiment is a bit risky, for the results of how people will receive and engage with it are unpredictable.

When the team at AfrikaBurn has given the lighters to the trusted members of the community, they will be instructed to scan the QR code on the lighter. Once the QR code is scanned, it will redirect the user to the microsite.

THE LOOK & FEEL

Travel Light uses a completely different look and feel to dismantle the perspective that the Movement is a grungy and steampunk-themed week in the desert. The tangible elements for this social experiment include a lighter, which becomes the mouthpiece of telling the stories of AfrikaBurn advocates. The intangible elements are the stories being told through a microsite and social media. We find that this combination is a unique test of the AfrikaBurn principles and a fun way to spark curiosity for those who don’t understand what the movement is about.

THE MICROSITE