BACKGROUND:

Shield MEN is a male skincare brand—its Shield Sbonis’iDiski program exists to empower young South African soccer talent through grassroots development and skills training.

Shield also partnered with the Orlando Pirates Football Club—a professional South African football (soccer) club based in Johannesburg—to find a deserving player to join their development team; traveling the country to scout for talent, rather than inviting players to a central location, thereby making the opportunity accessible to many more young people.

CHALLENGE:

In the crowded space of male grooming brands, Shield needed to break through and engage with its target audience in an authentic way. They wanted to have a positive impact on people’s lives while putting their product to the test as South Africa’s #1 leading deodorant brand.

Shield asked us to create a PR campaign to amplify Shield MEN’s work in the community and reflect the brand’s purpose of empowering soccer development in communities.

OBJECTIVES:

• Own the market share and increase relevance for Shield MEN through stronger associations and communications, highlighting the power of soccer development to build communities
• Drive awareness amongst core target audiences and demonstrate the efficacy of the Shield MEN product
• Create a positive perception and sentiment around Shield MEN products