Bafana Bafana is flying the flag for South Africa in Mexico and VML is flying our flag high in France! The country’s favourite Heritage Day campaign has done it again – on the creative industry’s biggest stage.
After picking up honours at the Clio Awards, The One Show and D&AD Awards earlier this year, Vaseline’s much-loved Mntana ka Gogo campaign has now added a Cannes Lion statuette to its growing list of international accolades.
The campaign has just won Silver in the Social & Creator Lions at the 2026 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, held in Cannes, France.
A South African story with global impact
Since first capturing the hearts of South Africans on Heritage Day last year, Mntana ka Gogo has become one of the country’s most celebrated recent advertising campaigns. Its portrayal of the bond between caregiver and child struck a chord with audiences across social media and traditional media alike, giving South Africans all the nostalgic feels and instantly going viral.
Despite being deeply rooted in South African culture and language, the campaign went on to resonate with audiences and juries around the globe.
Its latest success at Cannes follows a strong international awards run. Earlier this year, it picked up Silver and Bronze at the Clio Awards, won Silver in the Social Media: Social Post/Single category at The One Show, and earned a coveted Shortlist/Merit at the D&AD Awards.
“Seeing this work recognised on one of the biggest creative stages in the world is incredibly rewarding,” says Jarred Cinman, CEO of VML South Africa. “What makes this achievement particularly meaningful is that the work never set out to be a global campaign. It set out to tell an honest South African story. The fact that it has connected so strongly across cultures is a reminder that the most powerful ideas are often the most human. We’re enormously proud of the team, our partners at Vaseline and everyone who believed in the idea.”
Creativity in its purest form
Reflecting on the campaign’s success following its earlier international recognition, VML South Africa Group Executive Creative Director Nhlanhla Ngcobo said: “The part that still amazes me is that it was signed off in a conversation and shot in 20 minutes, starring the daughter of one of the creatives. I feel like advertising has become so complicated these days. An idea has to go through so many rounds of approval and by the time it gets signed off, it’s often quite watered down from the original. I think what’s beautiful about this post is that it’s creativity in its purest form – raw and inspired. And it’s so human. There was a lot of trust needed on both the client side and the agency side to make that happen and I’m really grateful to everyone who believed in this idea and allowed it to come to life.”
The Cannes Lions are regarded as the world’s most prestigious awards for creative communications. Winning a Lion places work among the best creative ideas globally and represents recognition from some of the industry’s most respected creative minds.
A win for human storytelling
The success of Mntana ka Gogo demonstrates the enduring power of authentic storytelling. While the campaign is unmistakably South African in its setting, language and cultural references, its emotional core proved universally relatable.
Speaking on The Lead Creative Podcast, Kenosi Matsebatlela, Head of Marketing for Vaseline, said she bought into the simplicity and authenticity of the idea: “We were speaking about our people. How we resonate with the people who actually use and purchase our products.”
At a time when audiences are exposed to more content than ever before, this cultural moment serves as a reminder that people respond to stories that feel genuine, familiar and human.
For Vaseline, VML South Africa and the broader South African creative industry, the campaign’s growing collection of international awards is further evidence that locally rooted creativity can compete with the very best work in the world.
View the case study here.
