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The project was one of the first briefs submitted to the YCC, which aims to develop young township-residing creatives into ‘micropreneurs’ at scale; helping them to monetise their talents while delivering on the business community’s need for fresh, authentic creative assets.

Berniece Hieckmann, head of Metropolitan GetUp, says that the brand was looking for two things, “Firstly, we needed a large batch of images that we could use on social media on an ‘always-on’ basis, to bring our brand messaging alive. There is a distinct lack of authentic South African stock imagery available to brands. The images available on stock image libraries tend to be very European – both in terms of the models and the styling – and do not represent or resonate with a South African audience.”

“We sought imagery that embodied the youthful vibrancy, optimism and complexity of GetUp’s customer and believed that YCC was the perfect body to deliver on this brief,” Hieckmann continues.

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Secondly, the brand sought the creation of a video to showcase its Funeral Fusion product.

“We were also looking for a snappy, engaging digital video that would succinctly tell the story of our Funeral Fusion product, which merges the benefits of multiple funeral policies into one cohesive solution,” Hieckmann says.

On receipt of the brief, YCC’s central team called on its member base for submissions. A shortlist was created for both the photographic assignment and the video production.

Photographers were able to make selections from their existing portfolios or shoot new images to fulfil the brief. Ultimately 250 images were submitted from which the brand selected 50, paying for those images used.

“We requested a series of edits on certain images to better align with our CI and were thrilled with the final product,” says Hieckmann. “YCC ensured that the model release and usage rights documentation was in place. The process was mainly smooth and seamless – and, in fact, far less onerous than what we’ve experienced in the past when engaging traditional advertising agencies.”

For the Funeral Fusion video, 25-year-old YCC member Emmanuel Legoabe from Alexandra, assisted by Lesego Teffo, was appointed to script, storyboard and source the models for the shoot. The same team also shot and edited the piece.

After a series of internal and client reviews, the final product was delivered and approved; a polished but authentic video that told the Funeral Fusion story, which was used across the brand’s social media channels.

Nontokozo Madonsela, chief marketing officer at Momentum Metropolitan, says, “We’re proud to engage the services of YCC across our Group, and can highly recommend their platform.”

“Any business – big or small – can use their service. If you’re a small company needing branding or stock imagery, or a large corporate seeking authentic South African videography for a campaign, YCC can connect you with the relevant talent and facilitate the process from start to finish,” she continues.

“We call on all South African businesses to take a leap of faith and submit just one brief to the YCC. Here’s a real opportunity to not only access stunning South African creative talent, but to extend your social impact and make a difference in the lives of these talented young individuals,” Madonsela concludes.