iPendoring 2025
Client: Pendoring Advertising Awards Board of Directors
Period: 2018 – ongoing
01 The liminal moment
Acknowledging language as a living system
For three decades, the Pendoring Awards functioned as the definitive platform for indigenous language communication in South Africa. Approaching its 30th anniversary, the institution faced a critical threshold: how to honour a deep legacy while acknowledging that indigenous languages are rapidly evolving. They are not merely surviving; they are shapeshifting, remixing, and multiplying across digital platforms, generations, and urban landscapes. The platform needed to reflect this living reality to remain the creative heartbeat of the country's linguistic diversity.
02 The brief
The surface brief
Deliver an integrated campaign and awards ceremony for the 30th anniversary to drive entries and celebrate indigenous language creativity.
The real brief
The challenge was structural and cultural. The platform needed to transcend the traditional advertising echo chamber to engage a broader ecosystem: students, publishers, and digital content creators. Simultaneously, the institutional identity had to evolve without alienating its historical base, all while absorbing significant new partnerships and expanding the physical convening format.
BBA Liminal managed the full-cycle mandate—from strategic naming and concept development through to multi-stakeholder partnership management and the execution of the Indigenous Language Imbizo and Awards ceremony.
03 The work
What we listened for | How we shaped it | What it became |
|---|---|---|
We noted how South Africans naturally spoke about the awards, applying the 'i' prefix common in Nguni languages. We also recognised that shaping contemporary language requires those who actively speak it. | We formalised the institutional name change to 'iPendoring'. Crucially, we structured the creative process as a partnership, bringing in award-winning freelance creatives Sanele Ngubane and Vumile Mavumengwana – both former Pendoring winners and jury members – to ensure the work held deep institutional memory. | A revitalised cultural platform featuring the overarching campaign 'Taal Never Die. We Multiply.', a national Student Radio Ad Challenge in partnership with Brand SA, and a milestone 30th Awards ceremony. |
04 The showcase
Campaign creative: 'Taal Never Die. We Multiply.'
Working alongside Ngubane and Mavumengwana, BBA Liminal developed a campaign concept that captured the dynamic nature of South African languages. From street corners to digital screens, from Kaaps to kasi slang, the campaign positioned iPendoring as the institution that champions this linguistic evolution. The visual identity featured bold, colourful artwork celebrating the richness of Mzansi’s creative content, applied comprehensively across social media, the website, event materials, and PR communications.
The formal adoption of 'iPendoring' was not a cosmetic update; it was a structural alignment with the vernacular of its audience, creating a meaningful storytelling opportunity for the 30th-anniversary campaign.
05 The proof
Outcomes & impact | Client voice |
|---|---|
Quantitative: We broke our record number of entries yet again, increasing by 12% on the previous year. | "This year is about celebrating 30 years while positioning iPendoring for the next chapter. We needed a campaign that speaks to our roots but feels fresh, relevant, and inclusive of everyone creating in indigenous languages." |
Qualitative: We successfully repositioned a 30-year-old legacy brand for its next chapter, shifting its audience from traditional advertising professionals to a broader creative economy. The inclusion of Brand South Africa validated the platform's national significance. | — Eben Keun, General Manager, iPendoring |
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