Airtel used the antics of two young boys as symbols of minds free of prejudice, with their innocence depicted in contrast to the desolate landscape around them. The boys live across from each other, but are separated by a barbed wire fence - symbolising the border of a neighbouring country. When one boy spots a football on his side of the fence, he initially hesitates to pass it back to the child - symbolising a potential 'enemy' - who is awaiting the football on the other side. After a few words exchanged between the kids - each speaking their own language - the children's innocence prevails when they decide to ignore the fence between them and come together to kick the football around.
"Breaking Barriers is more than just a television ad, it is a statement," explains Andre Beyers, chief marketing officer, Airtel Africa. "The ad is a visual message that speaks to the innate disposition and longing to communicate without any hang ups that society places on us whilst showing the profound effects that communication can have on societies at large."
He adds: "The use of children from different communities demonstrates that communication can be universal. It does not need to be restricted by age, gender, language, race or ethnicity. These are nothing but barriers; barriers that can be broken, when people communicate."
The TVC, comes seven months after the launch of Airtel's global identity that unifies its 16 African operations.
