Vaseline’s Mntana ka Gogo campaign earns international recognition for a distinctly South African story
VML South Africa has been ranked second among South African agencies in the Social Media discipline of The One Show’s 2026 rankings, following a Silver Pencil win for its Vaseline campaign, Mntana ka Gogo.
The ranking places VML South Africa among the country’s leading agencies for social creativity at one of the world’s most respected advertising and design awards.
Produced by The One Club for Creativity, The One Show has recognised creative excellence for more than 50 years. Its Pencil awards are among the industry’s most sought-after honours, making the recognition a significant achievement for the local team and its client.
Created for Heritage Day in September 2025, Mntana ka Gogo drew on a familiar childhood ritual: a grandmother lovingly, and vigorously, rubbing Vaseline into a child’s skin before sending them out into the world. It recalled an everyday act of care shared across generations, giving Vaseline a meaningful place in the Heritage Day conversation.
The response extended well beyond the original post. People shared childhood memories, tagged family members and described carrying the same tradition into their own children’s lives. The work travelled across social platforms and into radio, television and digital news coverage.
According to the campaign’s One Show entry, the post initially attracted 2.2 million views, followed by a further 5.2 million over the next 24 hours, largely through sharing and reposting.
Jarred Cinman, CEO of VML South Africa, says: “ONE Show is the one of the pre-eminent global advertising awards and to rank second in South Africa is a huge honour. It demonstrates the focus we at VML have put on creativity. We are grateful to our amazing clients who gave us the chance to do this work and I’m super proud of Nhlanhla and his creative team for this brilliant result.”
The One Show recognition forms part of a wider international awards run for Mntana ka Gogo, including Silver and Bronze at the Clio Awards, a D&AD Shortlist/Merit and Silver in the Social & Creator Lions at Cannes Lions 2026.
“For brands, there is real value in understanding the everyday experiences that shape people’s lives. We’re proud of our team and grateful to our partners at Vaseline for trusting the idea. This is the kind of work we want to keep making: culturally relevant, carefully crafted and meaningful to the people it reaches,” Cinman concludes.