The Red My Lips campaign was an amazing initiative, even though exhausting. I had heard about this campaign that was to start in April, and it runs for the month of April, having people of both sexes, showing of their red lips in aid of raising awareness for sexual abuse, rape- and victim blaming.
Red My Lips is an initiative started by an American woman called Daniella Tansino. On the night of April 28, 2011, Red My Lips founder, Danielle Tansino, was out with friends and ended up being brutally raped, and victim-blamed later in court.
To wear red lips for the month of April shows support for these victims, and I wanted to have my own campaign in support of this, with as many higher-profile people I could find.
Throughout April, I drove all over to photograph people in a certain way, for a united look to the project. I wanted the focus more on their lips, and opted for all of my people, mostly wearing only black if they could.
With South Africa being a smaller country than the US, we definitely do have a different community when it comes to our celebrity community, and I was amazingly blessed and happy to be able to get so many people in the public eye, part of this drive.
Amazing entertainer-; singer-; and comedian Emo Adams, actress Nadia Beukes, actress Anel Alexander, entertainer- and performer Bianca le Grange, presenter Rozanne McKenzie, comedian Jason Goliath, model Adele Segal, singer Jak de Priester, actress Zetske van Pletzen, and a few others joined into the cause, and made for a very successful campaign in helping.
When I do projects, I call them fondly heart-projects, as I won’t commit myself into doing something I don’t believe in. They spring from my own talents, and my own ideas, but they serve a greater purpose, and I always find amazing creative satisfaction from them.
The Red My Lips campaign was so successful, that it landed in the UK newspaper for South African people, the SouthAfrican, and was featured on Sarie.online, the online version of one of South Africa’s oldest and most esteemed magazines.
Yolandi Jacobsz, Specialized Photographer