Previdar and The Odd Number win four IAB South Africa Bookmark Awards for #ShowGhanaLove campaign

Previdar is a South African digital magazine that celebrates queer African identity. When the Ghanaian government proposed a “Family Values Bill” that would criminalise queer relationships, the brand refused to stay silent.

During Pride Month, Previdar partnered with The Odd Number to launch #ShowGhanaLove. The campaign followed a popular queer South African couple, Lue and Rue, as they took their love to Ghana.

The couple visited some of Ghana’s most iconic and heavily monitored landmarks of freedom and independence. They posted their journey on Instagram and TikTok, showing their queer love in a country where LGBTQ+ rights remain heavily contested.

With less than $15,000 in PR spend, the campaign generated $1m in earned media and quickly went viral across all social media platforms.

A few weeks after Lue and Rue showed Ghana love, the Ghanaian government abstained from a UN vote to renew the mandate reaffirming global commitments to protecting people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. Other countries voted against the motion, but Ghana chose to abstain. For queer Ghanaians, this offered a hopeful sign that change could be on the horizon.

#ShowGhanaLove earned Special Honours with a Black Pixel, Gold in Connect and Publish for Social Media Campaign, and Bronze in Impact for Breakthrough on a Budget at the 2026 IAB South Africa Bookmark Awards.

These awards reflect the depth and passion found at the heart of the vision to transform hardened political opinions towards the queer community in Ghana.

Credits:

Account management: Masibulele HlwatikaAgency managing directors: Taryn Coetzee, Sinqobile MjaliAgency producer: Leigh VisserAnimator: Tertio EsterhuysenEditor: Tertio EsterhuysenPhotographer: Sibuyiselwe NhlangwiniBrand – marketing director: Sheila AfariChief creative officer: Sibusiso SitoleExecutive creative director: Terry McKennaCreative director: Neema NouseStrategist: Mbali MchunuHead of strategy: Ray MehtarSound designer: Lovemore NkunaPR: Simbongile NdlangisaArt director: Sibuyiselwe NhlangwiniCopywriter: Tebogo Kgapola