Cointreau Creative Crew challenge launched to find SA’s most creative woman!

Last Friday I attended the launch in Bishopscourt of Cointreau South Africa’s philanthropical program of upliftment, to find our country’s most creative woman through its Cointreau Creative Crew. The motto of the program is ‘#DreamDareCreate’, and comes with a prize money of R100000 to be awarded in March next year.

The Cointreau Creative Crew is an ‘exclusive communication platform empowering women to reveal and boost their creativity, by encouraging them to #DreamDareCreate in order to accomplish their creative dreams. From chic designers to acclaimed performers and photographers, the Cointreau Creative Crew identified these creative and influential women in order to give them a platform to showcase their creativity‘, explained the media statement.

The launch of Cointreau SA’s women’s upliftment program ties in with an international campaign, and was attended by 6th generation family member Alfred Cointreau, as well as his colleagues from the Cointreau Head Office in Paris. A ‘Grant Scheme‘ will award one entrepreneur a R100000 bursary in support of a creative project of her own. Creatives within the art, music, design, film, food, or even the cocktail industry are invited to apply for the Grant. ‘The program is open to all creatives who have a dream they want to materialise: whether it’s launching a clothing line, opening your own restaurant, becoming a professional photographer, or filmmaker‘, explains the media statement.

The launch event was attended by a mix of media, and other personalities. The company could not have chosen a better day, at 30°C, and the event was held inside an open-sided marquee, with a catwalk down the centre, and a bar at the far end, decorated with hanging oranges. Outside the marquee fans with water sprayers were designed to cool things down.

Seating had been set up on the side of the marquee, and each table had empty Cointreau bottles decorated with green ferns and orange carnations. Beautiful was the overhead flower arrangement in green, orange, and white. I was invited to attend by Sue-Ann Allen, a presenter on media partner Hashtag Radio, and a member of the Cointreau Creative Crew.

On one side of the marquee food platters had been set up, with cold meats, vegetables, cheeses, breads, and fruit sticks. Cointreau Fizz cocktails were prepared, but seemed to take a long time to make.

Cointreau South Africa Brand Manager Tamika Sewnarain introduced Alfred Cointreau, as well as his two colleagues Global Image and Communications Director Maud Rabin and Global Marketing Manager Valentine Mathieu from Cointreau Paris. She announced that Alfred would host a Cointreau Cocktail Master Class later in the afternoon. Ms Sewnarain said about the Cointreau Creative Crew (CCC) initiative: ‘We are very excited to give these incredible women a unique platform to express their creativity and showcase their work. It is also exciting and inspiring that South Africa has been chosen to pioneer this movement outside of UK & Europe the CCC, to recognise the extraordinary talent our country holds’.

In the UK Cointreau’s business partners for a similar campaign were celebrities such as Holly Branson as well as Eva Longoria. The Cointreau South African jury was announced:

# Karabo Poppy Moletsane is a Gold Craft Loerie award-winning illustrator and designer based in Pretoria. She is passionate about the preservation of the African aesthetic, and founded a creative agency called Mother Tongue – Creative House.

# Manthe Ribane is a Soweto-born graphic designer, dancer, and performer. At the age of eight, Manthe performed in front of the late Nelson Mandela at the FNB Stadium for the world-renowned icon’s birthday. She is a creative and energetic woman that enjoys taking risks, believing it to be the best thing to do to grow as an individual.

# Lisa Ting Chong is a graphic designer based in Cape Town and studied at Art Director’s Workshop. She is an Instagrammer with an impressive 16300 followers, her feed filled with a unique, simplistic style of beautiful everyday objects and gorgeous sunsets. She was on the panel of judges for the D&AD Awards in London in 2007, judging packaging design.

# Nonku Phiri is a graphic designer, singer, and songwriter based in Johannesburg. She has recorded notable collaborations with the likes of Swindle, Branko & Mr Carmack, and as well as with PhFat, Crazy White Boy, and fellow Red Bull Music Academy Bass Camp alumni Card on Spokes, Okmalumkoolkat and Robin Brink.

# Sue-Ann Allen is a food personality, private chef, and author of award-winning cook book, Gourmet Sisters, which she co-wrote with Masterchef SA finalist, Ilse Fourie, and a radio presenter on Hashtag Radio. She was the runner-up in the first season of MasterChef SA.

# Nadia Turton is the owner and creator of LABEL Collections, a women’s wear brand that is timeless, easy to wear and has an added element of surprise.

# Nosipho Tisani is a social media strategist by day and a part-time radio presenter on GoodHope FM with an interest in urban fashion, photography and travel.

# Tamika Sewnarain is a marketer, actress, fashionista, and dreamer. She is the brand manager for the iconic orange liqueur triple sec, Cointreau, in South Africa.

Nonku and her band entertained the guests. A massive board (main photograph) formed the backdrop for the announcements, and had been designed by Karibo, which could be colored in by guests attending. More details will be made available about the Cointreau Creative Crew on the new www.cointreau.co.za website, which was launched over the weekend.

A fashion show by LABEL Collections, owned by Nadia Turton, formed part of the event. The models appeared unhappy, probably hot from having to model some winter clothing in the heat. LABEL Collections is a partner of Cointreau, said Ms Sewnarain. The clothing shop is in the Point Mall in Sea Point, and a shop window was made available for a Cointreau window display.

The Cointreau Creative Crew Grant Scheme Grand Finale will take place in March, when the South African Grand Jury will meet with ten finalists, before crowning the winner.

Finding the property was difficult, as the City of Cape Town had closed the M3, where we were instructed by Google Maps to turn into Upper Torquay Road, and it took me to the wrong section of Upper Primrose Road. Parking was in short supply outside the mansion. It was an unusual event in honour of a unique brand which is almost 170 years old, yet appeared rejuvenated with this noble Cointreau Creative Crew project!