Bold Ideas Stop Traffic

I wanted a job as a designer at Sunshinegun South Africa, and I needed a way to get noticed.

One evening, brainstorming with a friend, one idea clearly stood out - use the agency's own surroundings. Its offices sit right beside Witkoppen Road, one of Johannesburg's busiest. So we would stop traffic outside, with a banner facing the building: 'Bold ideas stop traffic'. A unique hashtag on the banner led the ECD on Instagram straight to my portfolio and contact details.

It took a few months, with no budget and a lot of trust in other people. I designed and hand-painted an 11m x 1.5m material banner, and spoke to people inside the agency to make sure the ECD would be outside overlooking the road at exactly the right moment, all while keeping it a surprise.

A video of the stunt went up on Facebook. In its first week it had 719 views and 13 shares, which is a lot for an unknown designer. The agency posted a personal mention on its Facebook page applauding it.