No ordinary travelling salesman — an SA odyssey from Soweto to NY and back

Who would give up a coveted advertising job in New York to come home to start to fix Jozi? Not many, but then Melusi Mhlungu isn’t your regular, run-of-the-mill creative. He returned last year, opened an agency called We Are Bizarre (the name says it all) and is the creative force behind the Jozi My Jozi movement.

His brief: to create hope and instil pride as a catalyst for change across the city and ultimately the whole country, to inject positivity back into the city and inspire everyone to “re-love, reimagine and re-experience” Jozi.

Melusi Mhlungu. (Photo: Supplied)

“This is not another marketing campaign. It’s a movement for the people, by the people, rooted in actions, big or small, to create a city we can all proudly call Jozi My Jozi.

“It’s an ode to the city we love. We want to remind each other of what we have as well as our of future potential, and to encourage people to use the love we have for our city to help fix it. This is a catalyst of change … A call to action,” says Mhlungu.

Mhlungu’s journey isn’t your typical suit-and-tie ascent.

He was born in Soweto and raised by his grandparents and was captivated by the magic in the world of advertising. He defied expectations and swapped the rigid letter of the law for creative wisdom at the Vega School of Branding. From there, he honed his craft as an art director on many creative campaigns for several iconic South African brands.

But still, he craved more.

A shift from art direction to copywriting unlocked his true voice, and his words earned him the prestigious Young Creative of the Year award at Ogilvy. This wasn’t just recognition; it was a passport to new opportunities.

Rejuvenating the inner city through the Jozi My Jozi movement is something Melusi Mhlungu s deeply passionate about. (Photo: Supplied)

The US beckoned, and he took his talents to Miami’s David Agency, where he conceptualised two back-to-back Super Bowl commercials for Budweiser and Kraft Heinz. At New York agency Johannes Leonardo, he continued to excel by recognising and using the power of his unique South African perspective on global brands.

He acknowledges that accolades can open doors and offer opportunities, but they don’t necessarily lead to the kind of change he wants to see in the world.

“I realised that you have to be a bit bizarre to do the things that I have done, including coming back home to work on this massive project called Jozi My Jozi.

Mhlungu met Nando’s Robbie Brozin, a founding member and director of the Jozi My Jozi movement, who told him the creatives and crazies needed to be the country’s next leaders. “I was hooked.”

Read more in Daily Maverick: Jozi My Jozi poised as the catalyst for Joburg’s ‘phoenix moment’ of inner-city renewal

Jozi My Jozi became the catalyst for his return.

Inspired by the Constitution, the movement aims to instil hope and pride in Joburg again, connecting individuals from all walks of life to create sustainable solutions for the inner city. It embodies Mhlungu’s belief that getting Jozi right is a microcosm of getting South Africa right. He decided to prioritise a purpose-driven approach over the pursuit of recognition, focusing on projects that aligned with his values and vision for his country to create better communities.

In November last year, Standard Bank went on a mission to rejuvenate the inner city through the Jozi My Jozi movement. (Photo: Supplied)

In opening We Are Bizarre, Mhlungu emphasises the transformative power of ideas, the process of learning and relearning as a creative, and the significance of small actions and collaborations that can lead to big change.

“We need to shine the spotlight on people who are already doing great work and making a difference in the city – there are many of them – and we need to highlight their work and appreciate them more. The city might be broken, but [its] engine … is its people, and it is their resilience that we need to tap into.”

By focusing on creating positive change in Johannesburg, Mhlungu hopes to show how targeted, thoughtful actions can resonate across the country. His commitment to his purpose not only reflects his deep love for his country but also his belief in the potential of South Africa to achieve greatness.

Melusi Mhlungu. (Photo: Supplied)

This new chapter isn’t without hurdles and challenges as he navigates the shift from creative to businessperson while balancing agency demands with his passion projects.

“For me, the success of Jozi My Jozi is the success of We Are Bizarre, and the success of We Are Bizarre is the success of Jozi My Jozi — the two entities are aligned and intertwined.”

Mhlungu says Jozi is the city where he grew up, which made his dreams come true. Now he is back to make a meaningful difference to the city that will hopefully go out to the world.

“It’s like full circle,” he says. “My dream for the agency is to remain small but work on big brands with big thinking, to be agile, produce impactful work on a global scale, and achieve results.”

He is a testament to the power of creativity, a champion for his country, and a man determined to use his talents to uplift South Africa, one idea at a time. DM

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.