Online Student Showcase 2025

Varsity Vibe presented a challenge to the students in 8GHT to increase engagement, as deal redemption remained below 20% - in spite of their 700,000 verified student members. Many students forgot to use the app, found the deals irrelevant, or struggled with its usability. To address this, Varsity Vibe needed to improve onboarding, expand localised deals, and embed itself in campus culture. 8GHT agency created the compelling “VV & Me” campaign, which aimed to humanise the brand, transforming it from a discount app into a trusted student companion, that also offered real and practical value.

Captain Fanplastic challenged the ATE Creative students to develop a youth-driven campaign using the brand’s mascot and storytelling approach to extend their influence beyond schools into homes and communities. The “Heroes See (Sea) Heroes” concept celebrates how children and parents inspire one another to care for the planet and champion ocean conservation. Tactics included school badge activations, mirror ads, and microsite treasure hunts that gamify recycling. The campaign culminates in Family Fanplastic Day, a clean-up event filled with fun activities and hero recognition moments.

Orphan Clothing Company (OCC) tasked students to develop a purpose-driven, creative campaign to boost awareness, build trust, and drive online engagement and sales. The brand currently faces challenges of low brand awareness, unclear messaging, and limited budgets. The Backyard student agency aimed to leverage strategic touchpoints such as pop-up activations and use authentic messaging to help OCC connect emotionally with consumers, inspire user-generated content, and position the brand as an essential name in South African streetwear.

TSHEPO jeans challenged the students to define African luxury beyond fashion and create a campaign that honours craftsmanship, legacy, and storytelling while resonating with global audiences. The team identified the compelling insight that time is at the heart of luxury, embodied by the brand’s core focus on meticulous craftsmanship in all their products. The campaign presents a celebration of slow living, centring around a gallery-like installation experience titled The Practice of Presence, which reflects different dimensions of time and how South Africans value deep connection, and the beauty of moving forward with purpose.

Students from Conic Studios were challenged to reposition Yococo, a dairy-free artisanal ice cream brand, into a fun-luxury premium brand. Their objective was to achieve a boost in awareness and online sales within six months through a strategic campaign that blended indulgence with emotional wellness. Conic Studios developed a compelling brand narrative highlighting sustainability, ethical sourcing and chakra-inspired storytelling. The campaign utilised digital marketing tactics, influencer collaborations, and experiential pop-ups, to expand reach, build trust, and foster lasting consumer loyalty.

This team was challenged to establish Orphan Clothing Company as a cool, purposeful clothing brand amongst South African youth. OCC is a premium, locally made streetwear brand born from a mission to help end the global orphan crisis. The proposed campaign transforms the overlooked clothing tag into a symbol of identity, community and belonging. A tag is never just a label, it’s a story, a mark of craft and authenticity. The OCC tag connects makers and wearers, stitching individuals into a collective. The tag makes them one of a kind, but also part of something bigger, a part of the OCC community.

Students from Golden Motif were challenged to reposition Mitsubishi Motors South Africa from a forgotten challenger to an aspirational, lifestyle-driven brand, rooted in Japanese heritage and craftsmanship. The goal was to boost test drive bookings and sales by 15–20% in six months through a campaign highlighting reliability and adventure. Strategies included integrated media, storytelling on Japanese and Dakar heritage, billboards, radio, social media, and community activations, supported by a microsite and raffle to drive engagement and dealer-level sales.

The Keystone Kollective team was challenged to reposition Visi from a clinical eye care brand to a trusted, family-friendly household name. The goal was to boost awareness and increase sales by 15–20% in six months through a strategic campaign building emotional and cross-generational loyalty. Using a humorous, caring robot mascot, the students developed a relatable brand narrative supported by nostalgic, culturally relevant content. The integrated marketing campaign featured digital, in-store, and retail channels to enhance engagement.

The challenge to the L∞né student agency was to reimagine Blacknut as South Africa’s go-to cloud gaming platform. The bold, culturally grounded campaign, Mzansi, Access Granted!” focused on freedom, inclusion and connection, transforming gaming from a tech experience into a lifestyle. With three dynamic phases - Discover the Power to Play, Choose Your Player and Every Day a New Way to Play - the campaign united families, gamers and brands, turning access into empowerment and play into a proudly local movement.

The challenge was to attract 1000 new landlords to the DigsConnect site, a student-landlord accommodation platform. They aimed to build awareness and position the brand as a smart, easy and trustworthy alternative to estate agents. The team used a human-centred mindset, addressing the common fears of landlords renting to stereotypical students. The campaign flipped the narrative and provided reassurances that DigsConnect will find trustworthy students as dependable tenants. Channels included social media, merchandise, posters and an outdoor fridge installation posted with achievement certificates.

The After Taste student team was faced with a challenge from Khayelitsha Cookie Company (KCCO). They aimed to connect the brand’s powerful social mission “Compassion through Passion” and “Taste the Pride” with younger audiences who value authenticity but are driven by trends and digital engagement. The students tackled this by exploring how youth perceive purpose-led brands. The campaign reimagines the KCCO story through creative, shareable, and community-driven messaging that bridges emotional storytelling with modern digital touchpoints in a way that is both meaningful and relevant.

Urban Voice was challenged to reposition the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, which faced low public awareness and a heavy reliance on donor funding. Confusion with the Mandela Children’s Fund had weakened brand clarity and donor confidence. The task was to build national awareness, clarify the hospital’s referral-only model, and grow a sustainable donor base. Leveraging Mandela’s legacy, powerful patient stories, and specialised paediatric care, Urban Voice helped to simplify the messaging, strengthen the brand’s identity, and inspire long-term support through transparency and emotional connection.

In this challenge, students were tasked with developing a strategic campaign to reposition Sapmok and expand its footprint beyond niche eco-conscious audiences. Sapmok is a South African footwear and apparel brand rooted in adventure, sustainability, and ethical craftsmanship. Inspired by Africa’s landscapes, the students’ campaign strengthened community engagement through authentic storytelling and drove sales across digital and physical channels, positioning Sapmok as South Africa’s go-to outdoor and lifestyle brand built on relatable values, consistent quality, and a clear sense of purpose.