Following the success of the Amex ZA Graphic Arts Challenge, American Express committed to continuing its support of the creative industries in South Africa by sponsoring the quarterly edition of First Thursdays at the Silo District of the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.

Breinstorm Brand Architects (BBA) was appointed as project managers for Reimagining Heritage, Archives and Museums: Today/Tomorrow, an initiative of the Institut français d’Afrique du Sud (IFAS) / French Institute of South Africa and Embassy of France.

The Institute for Creative Repair is a newly formed ‘think and do tank’, based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Institute is driven by the belief that the current world order is not working, that creativity, disruption and collaboration are necessary, and that demonstration is more powerful than rhetoric.

To launch IQOQO to the public, Breinstorm Brand Architects (BBA) conceptualised the IQOQO Sessions: a series of nine talks hosted over three days on 1, 2, 3 August 2023. Each speaker was invited to share their journey to success, including triumphs and adversity. A speaker was chosen from each of the nine key sectors of IQOQO: Milisuthando Bongela (film), Papama Mtwisha (fashion), Lady Skollie (visual arts), Gabi Ngcobo (museums), Nindya Bucktowar (design), Shaakira Jassat (architecture), Nosipho Maketo van den Bragt (animation), Kirstin Lee Grey (XR) and Cukia ‘Sugar’ Kimani (gaming).

Breinstorm Brand Architects (BBA) was tasked with a brand refresh of the Javett Arts Centre at the University of Pretoria. Javett-UP needed a brand that aligns with their mission and vision, and their place as a serious and respected art museum.

Kunste Onbeperk (NPC), under which the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival (KKNK), Klein Karoo Klassique and Teksmark falls, approached Breinstorm Brand Architects (BBA) to provide strategic input on a turnaround strategy, as well as a complete brand refresh.

BBA was tasked with developing an integrated marketing communications process for Aspire Art. We evaluated where the company/brand was and workshopped their purpose together. As we discovered that they play an important role in the arts ecosystem beyond the physical and live auctions they hold, we dropped auctions from the name (Aspire Art Auctions became Aspire Art). 

American Express tasked Breinstorm Brand Architects (BBA) with conceptualising and heading the campaign and execution of the Amex ZA Graphic Arts Challenge. This entailed naming the competition, designing the campaign rollout on the website, overseeing registration and entry mechanisms, designing a social media look and feel, and setting up a content calendar and writing press releases. In addition, the winning artworks were displayed at the Keyes Art Mile in Johannesburg, an exhibition that BBA conceptualised and managed.

The French Embassy and the French Institute in South Africa (IFAS) approached Breinstorm Brand Architects (BBA) to conceptualise and execute a project that would facilitate connections between South Africa and the global North, particularly in the creative industry. From here IQOQO was born – a platform focused on nine creative sectors, namely animation, architecture, design, fashion, film, gaming, museums, visual arts and XR (virtual reality).

It all begins with an idea.

It all begins with an idea.

It all begins with an idea.

It all begins with an idea.

It all begins with an idea.

It all begins with an idea.

It all begins with an idea.

It all begins with an idea.

Of all the existing online content pertaining to South Africa, very little is available in our indigenous languages.

Moleskin Foundation and Constitution Hill Trust tasked Breinstorm Brand Architects (BBA) with the creation of a brand for a movement to encourage Wikipedia editors to write the South African narrative in indigenous languages.

The Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO) asked Breinstorm Brand Architects (BBA) to initiate a programme that would crowdsource the visualisation of a province through the eyes of its citizens as a form of action research.