Curious Lauren
Wet Paint - A social experiment in social distancing

Site Specific

Commissioned | Professional

Why did you make this work:
South Africa had some of the harshest lockdown regulations in the world, we were experiencing the onset of the second wave of Covid-19, with infections rising, yet people were not social distancing due to pandemic fatigue. There had to be another way to get people to safely come together whilst remaining apart, so we came up with an idea of using wet paint on public benches keep people apart.

How was the illustration used:
The Illustrations were used in the middle of public benches as part of a social experiment in social distancing. We caught the unconscious change in behaviour on film and then shared it with the country as a reminder to stay safely apart as we come together, which formed part of the bigger global Stella Artois campaign: Together Apart in The Life Artois.

How did you make this work:
8 artworks were made between two artists, myself and Baba Tjeko. Each Illustration integrated Stella Artois’ brand assets (chalice, star, cartouche, beer bottle) in a way that was subtle enough to not give away the activation yet rich enough in style to draw people in. The artworks were created digitally to share with the remote team and then hand-painted onto each of the 8 benches.

Commissioner Name :
Stella Artois
Commissioner Company :
King James Group
Commissioned for:
King James Group

Social Media:
twitter.com/curious_lauren_
facebook.com/curiouslauren
instagram.com/curious_lauren
behance.net/laurencolinmitchell

Personal Website:
curiouslauren.com

College:
The Open Window
Course:
Communication Design
Year of Graduation:
2015


Biography:
Lauren Mitchell is a 28 years young, Art Director, Designer and Illustrator based in Johannesburg, South Africa. She strives to create meaningful work using creativity for good. Empowerment, equality, inclusivity and self-care are themes that come through strongly in her work. Her hobbies include pottery, perfecting her bangs without shaving off her eyebrows and collecting rare tropical plants.Lauren studied Visual Communication and Film at Open Window and has been working in advertising since 2015. She currently holds a position as Creative Group Head at King James Group, a top independent creative agency in Africa. Over and above her full-time career, Lauren has also taken on a number of freelance clients for her illustration work, her client list includes Pernod Ricard, Absolut Vodka, AB InBev, Yoppie (UK), Goop (US), Glitter Ball & Cannsun (CA). With just 6 years in the industry, she’s already been featured in VISI magazine, Glamour, Goop, and has partnered with Absolut to find South Africa’s next generation of design talent.

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