Social Media Responsibility. Episode 1

As the official social media content agency for the Centre for Analytics and Behavioural Change (CABC), we created an animated video content series for their Facebook platform, CareZA. This page serves as a counterpoint to the growing wave of online mis- and disinformation, fake news, and toxic echo chambers. CareZA exists to provide South Africans with verified, fact-checked stories and insights into critical issues affecting our society. It aims to keep audiences informed, mindful, and grounded in truth.

Our insight came from social media listening and analytics conducted by CABC. One major trend stood out: the increasing volume of hate speech and vitriol, particularly around political discourse on Twitter. Twitter (now X) had become a battleground, where mis- and disinformation spread rapidly, often going unchecked. People were reacting, retweeting, and reposting in rage without questioning the source or consequences. This cycle only fuelled more hostility, more division, and more chaos – something our country cannot afford.

In response, we created a powerful animated series that used satire to comment on this dynamic. The lead character was inspired by the familiar Twitter blue bird. But as he scrolled through increasingly inflammatory content, his feathers darkened into red, his eyes widened, and his anger escalated. He metamorphosised into an angry bird, and this became a metaphor for what happens to users when they allow rage to drive their online engagement. The visual transformation of his world mirrored the internal deterioration caused by absorbing and amplifying hate online.

Our message was simple but urgent: “Social media is not reality.” In a world of algorithmic outrage, we encouraged people to stop scrolling, to breathe, to come back to themselves. Because while rage trends, real life (with peace and calm) is waiting offline.

This campaign served as a creative PSA — a reminder that unchecked digital behaviour can have real-world consequences. It reinforced the idea that media literacy, emotional intelligence, and fact-checking are now critical life skills.

Produced in collaboration with Flic.tv (animation) and Josh Thatcher at 9th Street Studios (sound design), this series was as visually striking as it was socially impactful. It formed part of our broader mission at Iron Heart to create content that doesn’t just inform or entertain, but drives meaningful behaviour change.

As a social marketing agency working exclusively with purpose-led brands and organisations, we believe in using creative storytelling to interrupt toxic cycles, not perpetuate them. This campaign remains one of our proudest contributions to the ongoing fight against online disinformation and digital harm in South Africa.