From cans, PET Bottles and Glass Bottles; they are all housed in a uniquely Ghanaian-identified label that encapsulates all that the Malta Guinness brand stands for and its unique journey in Ghana. The mastermind and creator of this unique label is Charles Okyere-Afoakwah Jnr, who beat eight other designers to win the prestigious spotlight of "Malta Guinness anniversary designer" plus a mouthwatering cash prize of GHS 20,000 and other incredible giveaways.
It’s fair to say that very little was known about Okyere-Afoakwah until this Malta Guinness gig came his way. However, his professional growth shows he’s a young man who has always been destined for such a big breakthrough.
The 29-year-old is one of the very few people who are very passionate about the creative arts. It is this sort of unbridled passion that has seen him developed into a talented graphic designer, animator and illustrator.
Having completed Prempeh College, Okyere-Afoakwah furthered his education at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, where he studied Communication Design.
With a keen eye on taking his craft to the next level, Okyere-Afoakwah ventured into the professional world of art when he completed university in 2015. After his national service, he moved to Accra to join Ronin Ghana, a data agency at Haatso.
From there, he went ahead to work with Social Ghana Creative Agency, where he currently deals with anything related to art, design and other creative stuff. The arts industry in Ghana is a very tough terrain for all stakeholders.
And it hasn’t been an easy journey for Okyere-Afoakwah. A few months ago he was unknown despite all his efforts and hard work. Now, though, he’s one of the most sought-after creatives after working on Malta Guinness’ 30th anniversary label.
The Malta Guinness 30th anniversary limited edition label was the outcome of a design contest in which nine graphic designers competed to come up with a unique label design to commemorate the brand's 30 year milestone. It was the brand's way of demonstrating its commitment to fueling greatness in Ghanaians.
Charles was part of the "Rekognize Design Contest", a campaign birthed from the insight that Ghanaians believe that Ghanaians do not support/celebrate their own as they do outsiders.
Malta Guinness chose to celebrate its 30th anniversary by illuminating this truth and being a facilitator of a new normal where Ghanaians pull their fellow Ghanaians UP rather than down, through their "Celebrate Your Own’ campaign.
"There’s a notion that Ghanaians don’t support their own, so Malta Guinness came up with this project, thus to help your own,” he explained.
“In this case, it was the brand Malta Guinness trying to help Ghanaians, specifically graphic designers, by pulling them up and giving them the stage where they can exhibit their qualities.
“They did that by submitting their package which is an important asset to them, being the can, glass bottle and plastic bottle, to relatively unknown designers to redesign. An opportunity that I could not miss. Not to mention the attractive rewards which were attached to it”
In an exclusive interview with Pulse.com.gh, Okyere-Afoakwah said his name has since shot to national fame. According to him, lots of people have called to congratulate him on the gig, while a lot more opportunities have come his way.
“So far, the response has been good. I’ve had people call me to ask me about how I went through the whole creative process. People also called me to congratulate me,” he disclosed.
“A lot has gone around it. It has brought me, as a freelance and a full-time worker, a lot of opportunities on the side. I’m also a shy person so this opportunity has given me a platform to curb a bit of my shyness by letting me speak out and letting people know what’s in me and what I can bring out.
“So the response has been cool. Malta Guinness has given me a great platform to show my skills and other channels to improve myself in so many different ways. I’ve had positive feedback and less negative feedback. For me, it’s all about using those responses to improve on myself and build my craft.”
Okyere-Afoakwah told Pulse Ghana, he believes the art industry can become a huge source of revenue in Ghana with support from the government. In his view, with the needed branding and education, the industry could develop into a cash cow and a massive source of interest from foreigners.
“I think generally the arts is looked down in Ghana as a general service, so the only thing the government can do is to just promote art through tourism. It’s all about branding so it’s like giving the brand a solid name, thereby encouraging people to have knowledge about it.
“When people don’t understand certain things, he read all meanings into it. If people are educated about it and they understand the use of arts on the national level, they’ll understand how important it is in our day to day life.
“So for me, it’s all about branding, just like we had foreigners coming here two years ago for the Year of Return to see things. That’s how we can rebrand the art industry to make it attractive so that students going to SHS will not be scared of choosing visual arts as a course, just like the science students are proud of theirs,” Okyere-Afoakwah added.
Okyere-Afoakwah’s journey from an ‘underground’ to a well-known creative is well documented. For him, though, it takes a lot of hunger, hard work and humility to thrive in such an industry.
“My advice to young ones is to first of all stay humble, because it’s God who blesses man. I believe that if you stay humble and diligent, you’ll be rewarded for your craft,” he admonished.
“I think sometimes we’re quick to think we’ve reached our destination but life is a journey from A to Z. I advise young ones to stay humble, be hungry, work hard, try to improve themselves day by day and never settle for mediocre work.”
The next time you buy Malta Guinness, make sure you look at the label carefully. For every sip you take, know that it was designed by a young Ghanaian and let it always remind you of the enormous talents that this country boasts.