Number 28 of 52 Compelling Communicators: Nelson Mandela
July 15, 2013
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Born Rolihlahla
Dalibhunga, he was given his English name, Nelson, by a teacher at his school.
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July 18th is Nelson Mandela day making this an optimum time to celebrate this compelling communicator. While he is in the hospital and his immediate future is unknown, we do know the power of his story and that will live on forever.
I saw the
above photograph of him in New York last year at the International Centre of Photography at the Rise and Fall of Apartheid Exhibit. The exhibit made me weep. The
power of the imagery took me to a place I have never experienced. It evoked
feelings of anger, sadness and finally, a feeling of hope.
Rather
than extol Mr. Mandela's many virtues or present you with his most compelling speeches or
quotes, I have elected to focus on how this man and his team have created symbolic
concepts to compel us.
Symbol #1
46664.com
This humanitarian organization formed its name from Mr. Mandela’s prison number
466 and the year he was incarcerated, 1964. The number was to serve as a
reminder of the sacrifices he endured for social justice.
Symbol #2
#67minutes
– check out this hashtag to see how people are embracing the campaign to take
ActionInspireChange on #MandelaDay. Recognition of the 67 years he fought for
social justice, they ask you to dedicate just 67 minutes to help others.
Click
here to read the 67 suggested ways you can change the world.
Symbol #3
Mandela’s
hand is iconic. Using it with the tag line – make an imprint says it all.
Visuals
and symbols can tell a story and today we are becoming more and more reliant on
images to communicate and compel.
Check out Trendsmap and Google Trends to visualize topics that are of interest.
Here are some screenshots of both taken with Nelson Mandela’s name today:
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| Nelson Mandela trending on Google |
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| #Mandela on Trendsmap |
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