FREEDOM DAY

Our client, who also incubated our agency, the Centre for Analytics and Behavioural Change (CABC), approached us to help launch their new initiative, CareZA, in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. As South Africa entered lockdown, anxiety, confusion, and frustration began to surge. Social media analytics conducted by CABC confirmed growing dissatisfaction with the national regulations, as many citizens grappled with the emotional toll of confinement, isolation, and uncertainty.

In response, we created a poignant and powerful video for Freedom Day (27 April), just 32 days into lockdown, to help shift the national mindset. We wanted to offer a moment of reflection – to anchor people in the history of struggle and the price paid by others for our collective freedom. Our content film paid tribute to legendary anti-apartheid freedom fighters who endured long and cruel periods of solitary confinement, often in inhumane conditions.

We featured the solitary confinement stories of Fatima Meer, Lillian Ngoyi, Winnie Mandela, and Albertina Sisulu through famous historical photos. All these struggle stalwarts were subjected to psychological torment and unjust incarceration for their political activism. Most harrowingly, we highlighted Robert Sobukwe’s experience of solitary confinement with the total number of days tallying up: he was kept in complete isolation on Robben Island for a staggering 3,285 days. These heroes paid for our freedom with theirs.

Our objective was to create a powerful perspective shift. While lockdown was undoubtedly difficult for many, it was also a vital public health measure. Compared to the long and lonely prison sentences endured by these icons of resistance, staying home was a small but meaningful act of solidarity and responsibility.

Set against a hauntingly urgent and contemporary score by Josh Thatcher of 9th Street Studios, the film featured emotive drums and ambient textures to mirror the gravity of the message. The music amplified our call to action: Stay home. Save lives. Help stop the spread.

Because freedom is not just about rights – it comes with responsibilities. And sometimes, the most powerful expression of freedom is restraint. In this case, choosing to stay home wasn’t just an act of compliance; it was a collective commitment to the greater good at the time.

At Iron Heart, we believe that content has the power to heal, connect, and shift perception and paradigms. This Freedom Day campaign stands as a reminder that even in isolation, we are united by history, sacrifice, and a shared hope for a better tomorrow.