I’LL RISE: Stories from Benin, Morocco, and South Africa

The stories of I’LL RISE reveal how access, opportunity, and ambition can change everything for African creators powered by creativity, resilience, and improved infrastructure. 

Challenge

Ahead of the TotalEnergies CAF African Cup of Nations 2025, and in the context of the partnership between the European Commission (DG INTPA) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF), ICF Next was tasked with creating a concept that celebrates the EU–Africa partnership: making it feel personal, inspiring, and relevant to young Africans. The goal was to show that this partnership between continents is not just about policies or infrastructure, but about people, opportunities, and shared progress.

The concept needed to:

• Use a tone that feels optimistic, dynamic, and confident, avoiding institutional language.
• Take an approach that is future-focused, bold, modern, and upbeat, reflecting hope and ambition.
• Deliver a message rooted in real-life examples, highlighting how EU-supported initiatives empower individuals and communities across 54 African countries

Solution

We collaborated with Glass Creative Studio and African creative and production partners to develop an unuplifting and empowered concept that is rooted in African culture and speaks to the young people between 18-35 years old.

The 20-second TV commercial “I’LL RISE” celebrates African pride, creativity, and the EU–Africa partnership. It features three young African creators using their art to inspire and connect cultures: Amémé (DJ, Benin), Ismail (photographer, Morocco), and Shamyra (fashion designer, South Africa). The TV spot blends dynamic cultural visuals with music and a poetic voice-over, highlighting themes of unity and empowerment.

Together with the European Commission and Glass Creative Studio, we produced:

• A 20-second TV commercial aired during tournament matches and across African broadcasters, reaching millions of football fans in 54 countries.
• Dynamic motion graphics, animations, and custom music scores blending traditional African rhythms with contemporary beats, reinforcing cultural authenticity and engaging diverse audiences.
• A series of mini documentaries titled “I’LL RISE” featuring the three ambassadors and their stories of resilience, creativity, and ambition under the European Union flagship investment strategy, Global Gateway.
• On-location production shooting to capture authentic cultural and creative environments.

To further strengthen the media efforts, we carried out a comprehensive research approach to analyze the target audience’s media consumption habits. This included an analysis of popular platforms, content preferences, and consumption habits, as well as trends. By tailoring our approach based on these insights, we created a media plan with VICE to promote the campaign teasers and aimed at attracting attention of our desired demographic in the 12 focus markets for the TotalEnergies CAF African Cup of Nations.

Results

The creative assets were broadcast across African TV networks during all matches of the Women’s TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2024 and the Men’s TotalEnergies CAF African Cup of Nations Morocco 2025. The ads aired in the high-impact slot before kickoff, providing an opportunity to connect with millions of viewers at a moment of pride and unity.

Some results from the partnership between the European Commission and CAF included:

• The main campaign TV clip was broadcast across all 54 African countries, and the docuseries distributed in multiple formats for both African and European audiences, including TV, online, and in stadiums.
• The campaign reinforced the EU’s image as a trusted partner, committed to sustainable investment and long-term engagement in Africa. By focusing on empowerment, creativity, and shared opportunity, the partnership helped rewrite the narrative of EU–Africa relations for a new generation.
• All final films and raw footage were delivered to the EU at the end of the campaign period, with rights retained for five years, enabling ongoing use across digital, out-of-home, billboards, and print channel.

Across two campaigns, the initiative delivered strong and sustained visibility, reaching audiences at scale while driving meaningful video engagement. In total, the campaign generated 36.9 million impressions and reached 22.5 million people, with over 11.2 million video views.