Beewol
Like many banaKampala, I spend a fair amount of my life on a boda boda. It is quick, readily accessible & affordable. Plus Boda guys have dope intel & juicy gossip.
So, recently, while on my way to Arena Mall for the first time, I jumped on one, to beat the rush-hour traffic. Yes, I know I’m probably the last person in Kampala to visit that place but before you judge me, understand that I don’t live that side of town so I have no reason to go there.
Anyway, I decided to venture into the unknown and go check out the cinema at Arena mall – I’ve heard a lot about it.
As we approached the Nsambya Tunnel, I did something that confused my boda guy. I asked him to slow down and then go back. No, I hadn’t dropped my phone. I just wanted another look at an advertisement that caught my eye. Now that’s not something I do very often.
The truth is that most outdoor advertising in Kampala is forgettable. Our roads are lined with billboards competing for attention, banners hanging wherever there’s a pole, and signs that seem to have been erected on the planning principle of “there’s still some empty space over there.”
It almost feels like our city is not planned but rather negotiated, which is why the Uganda Waragi installation at the Nsambya Tunnel caught me off guard – I was impressed!
Instead of simply occupying the space, it seemed to work with it. Giant bottle installations framed the tunnel entrance in a manner that felt bold but not chaotic. It didn’t just advertise a product; it added colour to an otherwise drab tunnel. Whether you drink Uganda Waragi, or you’re one of those insufferable teetotalers, this one will blow your mind.
I’ve always believed that good design deserves appreciation wherever you find it – no matter what brand is involved.
In cities around the world, brands increasingly invest in installations that become part of the urban experience. People photograph them & visitors look for them. They stop being “ads” and become landmarks in their own right. That’s a lesson worth thinking about as Kampala continues to grow.
If we’re being honest, visual clutter has become one of our city’s defining features. We don’t seem to have a shortage of advertising. We have a shortage of advertising that respects the spaces it occupies.
Imagine if more brands asked a different question. Not, “How do we get noticed?” But, “How do we leave this place looking better than we found it?” That shift in thinking would be good for brands, good for creativity and, perhaps most importantly, good for Kampala.
The Uganda Waragi installation reminded me that our creative industry is more than capable of producing work that rivals what you’d expect to see in Johannesburg, London, Tokyo, New York or Singapore. The talent has never been the problem. Perhaps we’ve simply set the bar too low.
As for my boda guy, I’m still not convinced he understood why I made him turn around. But if an advertisement can make someone willingly spend extra money & time on a boda ride just to have another look, I’d say somebody got something right.
Kudos to whoever is behind that Uganda Waragi installation at the Nsambya Tunnel. You have my utmost respect!
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