o25 Ogilvy Graduate Programme
BRIEF TWO

CULTURAL OWNERSHIP

Brief in an X

Develop one bold, novel, big idea that puts the brand of your choice at the epicentre of culture by making them the driver of a cultural identity that people actively want to participate in.

Not just a sponsorship.
Not a simple influencer partnership.
Not a momentary reactive social post.
Create something only that brand could do.

Background

Culture has always been the foundation of great advertising. However, modern brands have become too comfortable simply hopping on existing pop-culture moments rather than finding undefined culture moments and owning them. They act as cultural tourists; reactive, safe, and easily forgotten. With the next wave of advertising, brands will only stand out by being the drivers of undefined culture.

We need brands that act as the signal. We want to see work that is so beautifully disruptive, so unexpectedly right, that when people see it, they stand in the shower for hours thinking: 'I never expected them to do that, but they absolutely own it.'

The Ask

Identify one emerging cultural moment, behavioural shift or trigger point that is not part of pop-culture. Think niche, think counterculture, for example when 'Amapiano in bedrooms x Jägermeister took over during Covid-19 before Amapiano to the World became a thing.'

Then create a novel big idea that allows a brand to uniquely own that pivot.

Ask yourself, 'Would KFC selling chicken feet redefine culture?' – that's the direction. In other words, a move so unexpected it should not work, and so true to the brand that it does. If the same idea makes sense for anyone else, it is not the one.

Not by borrowing attention.
By creating participation.
Show how the brand becomes part of the identity itself.

Your audience is 16 to 35. Your moment can be niche in origin, but it must have a mainstream trajectory.

Show Your Work In Three Steps

  1. Idea Card
  2. Idea Board
  3. 60–90 Second Snap Pitch Video

Key Considerations

Spot a Trigger, Not a Trend

  • Don't tell us what's popular.
  • Tell us what behaviour is emerging.
  • Tell us what's not mainstream yet.
  • What's the tension?
  • What's changing?
  • What's becoming desirable?

Make The Brand Essential

  • The idea should not work for every brand.
  • The best ideas feel impossible to separate from the brand.
  • The best ideas are rarely forced. They surface in conversation and in shower thoughts.

Create Participation

  • Don't ask: 'How can the brand show up?' Ask: 'How can people take part?'
  • The audience should become the medium.

Create a digital cultural asset that lives in a 360° campaign.

Think social/digital behaviour first:

  • A ritual
  • A challenge
  • A tool
  • A symbol
  • A tradition
  • A community mechanic

Then go as far as TVC, OOH, Radio, Print, Experiential, Guerrilla etc.

Deliverables

1. Idea Card (Word Doc, Max 120 Words)

  1. What behaviour, tension or emerging cultural shift did you identify?
  2. Why is your chosen brand uniquely positioned to own this moment?
  3. Big Idea: One headline explaining your solution.
  4. Concept: Tell us the 'why' for your big idea.
  5. Rationale: Explain how the brand becomes part of culture rather than reacting to it, and how people can actively participate.

Tip: Think of this as an elevator pitch on a page. Yes, 120 words across five prompts is tight. Economy is part of the test.

2. Idea Board (PDF/PNG/JPG, under 20MB, 2560px x 1440px)

  1. A quote, stat, meme, observation or screenshot that proves the behaviour exists.
  2. A hero visual showing how the brand owns the identity.
  3. Three frames showing how people engage with the idea, one for each of three executions (at least one digital first).

3. Snap Pitch Video (60–90 seconds, vertical, shot on your phone)

  1. Walk us through your idea card and board.
  2. Demo one key moment through sketches, mock-ups, role-play or prototypes.
  3. Keep it authentic to you, one take is perfect – your energy is everything.

How We'll Judge

Every entry must meet all five criteria. Originality of idea carries extra weight.

Criteria Weight
Cultural Insight 20%
Originality Of Idea 30%
Brand Ownership 20%
Audience Relevance (16–35) 15%
Innovation Of Executions 15%

Common Pitfalls

  • Trend Chasing: 'If we put our logo on this trend, we're part of culture.' False.
  • Generic Activations: If competing brands could execute them tomorrow, rethink it.
  • Influencers and Ambassadors: They can support an idea, but they cannot be the idea. If your concept collapses without a famous face, rethink it.
  • Media-First Thinking: Buying attention is easy. Creating participation is hard. Focus on the behaviour that your culture moment is inspiring.
  • Awareness for Culture: A hashtag is not culture. A repeated behaviour is.

Final Vibe Check

  • Think in the space of niche and counterculture.
  • Create something only your brand could own.
  • Don't ride culture, be it.
  • Keep it tight.

The Fine Print

  • Deadline: 31 August 2026 by 23:59:59
  • Submit to: og.ogilvy.co.za
  • Eligibility: Graduates between the ages of 21 – 35yrs
  • AI tools: You may use AI tools to prompt, generate, and aid you in your executions. In the event you use AI, declare it in the artwork and copy. Ethical use is the best kind of use.