‘Not marketing props’: ANC condemns Glenlivet ad featuring struggle heroes

Dineo Langa

Johannesburg – Whisky brand The Glenlivet South Africa and actress Dineo Langa have apologised and removed a Women’s Month advertisement after it sparked widespread criticism for using the legacy of the 1956 Women’s March and prominent anti-apartheid struggle figures to promote alcohol.

The 75-second black-and-white advertisement featured Langa holding a glass of Glenlivet while walking through rooms displaying portraits of struggle icons including Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Lilian Ngoyi and Sophie Williams-de Bruyn.

The campaign referenced the historic 1956 Women’s March to the Union Buildings in Pretoria, when about 20,000 women protested against apartheid pass laws. The advert also invoked the famous slogan, “Wathint’ abafazi, wathint’ imbokodo” – “You strike a woman, you strike a rock”.

The campaign was met with criticism on social media, with users questioning the appropriateness of linking the women’s liberation struggle to the marketing of whisky.

The ANC also condemned the campaign, saying the women who participated in the 1956 march should not be used as commercial symbols.

“The women of 1956 were not cultural props or marketing symbols; they were fearless leaders whose sacrifices and struggles helped secure the freedom and democracy that South Africans enjoy today,” ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu said.

The party said the use of the history to sell alcohol was particularly insensitive because alcohol had previously been used as “an instrument of exploitation and control” under apartheid.

ANC national spokesperson Bhengu-Motsiri further said: “Their legacies and sacrifices are not marketing props.”

The Glenlivet subsequently removed the advertisement from its social media platforms and issued an apology.

“The Glenlivet unreservedly apologises for a recent influencer post which drew on the legacy of the 1956 Women’s March,” the company said. “We acknowledge the offence that this has caused and have deleted the post.”

The brand said it would investigate how the campaign was “conceptualised and approved to make sure this does not happen again”.

Langa also apologised, acknowledging the impact of the campaign.

“I am sorry for the harm I have caused. I understand the gravity of this mistake and will be more mindful in future,” she said in a statement shared on social media.

The controversy has reignited debate over the commercial use of South Africa’s liberation history, particularly the use of iconic struggle figures and historic events in advertising.

Critics have also pointed to the complicated history of alcohol during apartheid and its impact on black communities, arguing that this context should have been considered before the campaign was approved.

The advertisement has since been deleted, while Glenlivet’s internal review into the campaign remains underway.

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