Rugani Juice || Tunnel Vision Reimagined

Rugani Juice, a health brand from Tarlton, needed to establish a unique position as a health and wellness innovator in a category dominated by unhealthy alternatives. They wanted to land their brand differentiator - offering 100% natural fruit and vegetable juices that aren’t just refreshing, but functionally designed to boost immunity, increase energy levels, and cleanse the body.

As the lead copywriter on the campaign, I played a key role in shaping this new positioning - from ideation through to execution. I was responsible for developing the tone, voice, and messaging across every platform, bringing the rebel spirit of Rugani to life in a way that felt both credible and disruptive.

Our challenge was clear: we were up against beverage giants with deeply engrained consumer preference and significantly larger budgets. We also had to navigate a landscape muddied by misleading health claims, making it harder for us to highlight the real, proven benefits of our juices. With limited time and spend, we had to find a way to cut through - and fast.

We chose to start our rebellion at Africa's largest running event: The Two Oceans Marathon. Despite the dominant presence of the major beverage sponsors, we found a way to disrupt.

We identified a previously untapped white space - the tunnel connecting the marathon finish line to the parking area. It was the only entry and exit point for every runner and spectator, and we used it to insert ourselves into the heart of the running community.

We redefined what tunnel vision meant by becoming the tunnel vision.

We transformed the space into an immersive Rugani Juice experience. Graffiti murals, orange lighting, electric music, our brand manifesto echoing throughout, and promoters driving sampling - all designed to captivate and energise. I was responsible for overseeing, writing, and presenting every aspect of the campaign, helping to turn a functional walkway into a full-blown brand world.

Knowing not everyone would be there on race day, we amplified our presence through social media. I wrote and oversaw all campaign copy across Facebook and Instagram- running a competition to win an all-inclusive trip to the marathon, using video-first content to promote our health benefits and new bold packaging, and making sure our voice stayed consistent, fresh, and impactful.

We didn't stop there. We became a broadcast sponsor on SuperSport, showcasing our new packaging, brand proposition, and rebellious tone through squeeze-backs, a 30” TVC, and live mentions.

And to cement our message, we partnered with Olympic athlete and five-time Two Oceans champion Gerda Steyn. As a self-made success story, Gerda embodied the spirit of Rugani - bold, unexpected, and completely uncompromising. She interacted with runners, represented us across her social channels, and helped amplify our message of truth and performance-driven health.

The result? Disruption - and a response we couldn’t have scripted better. Following our tunnel takeover, we were informed the main beverage sponsors were seeking legal advice to prevent similar visibility gaps. We had made ourselves impossible to ignore and solidified Rugani Juice as the rebel brand in health and wellness.