Nairobi News

A Nation.Africa campaign video has been selected as a finalist in the iF Design Awards for 2021.

The recognition comes just days after Nation.Africa, Nation Media Group’s flagship news and digital content website, crossed the 200,000 mark in registered users in just under five months, a major milestone in the Group’s digital transformation journey.

NMG will battle it out with companies such as Siemens, Virgin Galactic, Primera Beauty Products and Planet World.

Organisers of the awards said NMG’s campaign video creatively sent the message that Nation.Africa was there for every African; relayed through its imagery, music and conclusion.

“This video marks the continuation of change that Nation and its rebranding represents. Their goal, best explained by the chairman of directors, “to decolonise the African mindset that keeps Africa poor despite the abundant natural resources and talent,” they said.

Mr Mutuma Mathiu, the Group Editorial Director, yesterday said that the company is “delighted by the recognition of the high standards we have set for Nation.Africa” and promised that NMG “will strive to maintain those standards”.

“Bigger things are in store for our audiences,” said Mutuma.

“It is encouraging that people appreciate the quality and high standards of our products.”

The iF Product Design Award was introduced in 1954 and is annually conferred by the iF International Forum Design. The award, which spans multiple disciplines, has more than 5,500 entries from around the world every year.

This year, between January 18 and 22, 91 international and independent design experts evaluated nearly 10,000 submissions from 52 nations and selected the best 50 per cent.

These submissions qualify for the second round of judging, the Final Jury, which will take place in March 2021, and have the chance to win the iF Design Award 2021 or the iF gold award.

Nation.Africa was launched last September with a mobile-first mindset and with the versatile African youth in focus.

Coming at a time the media business has been disrupted, the 200,000 subscriptions stamp the group’s commitment to generating content that informs, educates and entertains while keeping in mind the changing needs and trends of the industry.

In December the company, which is East and Central Africa’s largest media house, also marked another milestone with the launch of Nation Puzzle, a new online feature hosted on Nation.Africa that will contain daily crosswords, Sudoku and word searches designed to give audiences a fresh way to challenge themselves and simulate their minds.

Group CEO Stephen Gitagama said Nation Puzzles are a unique opportunity for NMG to leverage on a classic product that has featured in our dailies for over five decades, and to reach and attract new audiences by repurposing it to a digital platform that is easily accessible on mobile.

“We believe that delivering these digital interactive puzzles will propel us to a new frontier of growth while fostering deeper connections with our customers. We will give them a new way to challenge their minds and sharpen their mental skills while also providing an avenue for a well-deserved break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life,” he added.