BUILD OR BREAK – A MUSIC VIDEO CHALLENGING ONLINE HATE

Created as part of UNESCO’s Social Media 4 Peace (SM4P) initiative, our Build or Break campaign tackles the growing crisis of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) and online hate in South Africa.

In a country where gender-based violence is already alarmingly high, the digital world has become an extension of that harm, by amplifying misogyny, harassment and cyberbullying through algorithms that reward outrage, division and toxic behaviour. These online environments are not neutral. They are actively shaping how young men see themselves, success, and their role in society.

The challenge, then, was not just to raise awareness, but to respond in a way that could actually land with the audience being targeted by this content in the first place.

Our approach was rooted in a clear strategic insight: if harmful narratives are spreading through culture, then culture is how you disrupt them. That meant creating something designed for the medium, the moment, and the audience — not something that talks at them, but something that speaks from within.

Instead of a traditional campaign, we developed a music-led content piece, because this is a format far more likely to engage, travel, and resonate. We collaborated with emerging rapper Xtreem Makhayeni from Orange Farm to produce a track that speaks peer-to-peer to young men, challenging the distorted definitions of masculinity, success and legacy being pushed online.

At the heart of the idea is a simple but powerful tension: you can build, or you can break. Through smart, poetic lyrics and a compelling visual narrative, the film reframes success — not as dominance or destruction, but as respect, integrity and what you choose to contribute to the world.

Edited by Blackbird Productions, with sound design by our long-time collaborator Josh Thatcher from 9th Street Studios, the final piece blends Xtreem’s performance, message and mood into a culturally relevant, high-impact content film made especially for the people being manipulated by the algorithm and exploited by the social platforms.

The campaign rolls out across social media with a paid digital strategy driving audiences to the HeCareZA platform, where young people can access support, resources and peer-led guidance. It is further amplified through Taxi TV and out-of-home placements at taxi ranks, as well as broadcast on Cape Town TV, meeting audiences in both digital and real-world spaces.

This is not traditional awareness content. It’s culture as intervention — a music-led response to online hate, designed to shift mindsets, challenge behaviour, and offer a different narrative.

Got a problem you need to solve? Let’s chat about a creative solution that has real impact, contact us here.