--- title: "Smirnoff x Migos: Behind South Africa’s biggest hip-hop tour" description: "Culture Cartel raised $5M+ in partnerships and ran advertising, stadium branding and operations for the Migos Culture Tour in South Africa." canonical: https://www.culturecartel.ca/work/smirnoff-x-migos language: en-CA publisher: Culture Cartel --- # Smirnoff x Migos The commercial and operational engine behind South Africa’s biggest hip-hop tour. - **Client:** Mabala Noise - **Format:** Live - **Industry:** [Entertainment and Brand Partnerships](https://www.culturecartel.ca/industries/events-and-entertainment-marketing) - **Location:** Johannesburg, South Africa - **Year:** 2018 - **Raised in brand partnerships and sponsorships:** $5M+ Services - Sponsorship activation - Event properties - Experiential marketing - Advertising - Campaigns Practice - [Experiences](https://www.culturecartel.ca/live) - [Campaigns & Content](https://www.culturecartel.ca/services#campaigns-and-content) - [Strategy & Brand](https://www.culturecartel.ca/services#brand) [Start a project like this](https://www.culturecartel.ca/start?service=live&ref=smirnoff-x-migos) ## The brief Mabala Noise brought the Migos Culture Tour to South Africa and appointed Culture Cartel to make it work, commercially and operationally. Not just marketing the shows. Building the financial and structural foundation under them. That meant raising over $5 million in brand partnerships and running advertising across TV, radio and digital. ## The insight Hype sells tickets. It does not pay for a stadium tour or keep one safe. A tour at this scale needed a commercial strategy and an operational plan as strong as its creative. Partners had to fund it, crowds had to move safely, VIPs and sponsors had to get a premium experience, and the look had to hold across thousands of physical and digital touchpoints. ## The work ### Commercial strategy We secured over $5 million in sponsorships, brokering partnerships with MTV Base, BET and leading mobile telecom providers. ### Operational command We ran the ground game: stadium security, venue operational control, and the pricing and structure of the hospitality areas. ### Media rollout A synchronised campaign across TV, radio and digital, built to sell the tour out. ### Stadium branding We designed and delivered the full visual takeover of the venues, turning stadiums into brand environments. ## The result More than $5 million in partnerships, with MTV Base, BET and telecom partners on board. Stadiums branded end to end. A tour that ran as a cultural moment, not just a concert, and the commercial and operational model behind South Africa’s biggest hip-hop tour. Project highlights ![Official Migos Culture Tour South Africa poster](https://www.culturecartel.ca/media/w/f79f2c_108db9dd6e8a4aa9-2000.webp) 01 / Official Migos Culture Tour South Africa poster 02 / Migos Culture Tour video from the South African stadium shows ![Crowd at the Migos Culture Tour in South Africa](https://www.culturecartel.ca/media/w/f79f2c_d3d32912eee04e84-1200.webp) 03 / Crowd at the Migos Culture Tour in South Africa ![Migos performing on the South African tour stage](https://www.culturecartel.ca/media/w/f79f2c_6ec4fbd188dc49d1-1200.webp) 04 / Migos performing on the South African tour stage 05 / Migos Culture Tour promotional video ![Stadium branding for the Smirnoff x Migos tour](https://www.culturecartel.ca/media/w/f79f2c_3840725f257c4bb3-2000.webp) 06 / Stadium branding for the Smirnoff x Migos tour ![A full arena under Smirnoff banners at the Migos Culture Tour](https://www.culturecartel.ca/media/w/f79f2c_a6fdf9dd755d48ea-1200.webp) 07 / A full arena under Smirnoff banners at the Migos Culture Tour ![Live moment from the Migos Culture Tour in South Africa](https://www.culturecartel.ca/media/w/f79f2c_1e234c1a939446fa-1200.webp) 08 / Live moment from the Migos Culture Tour in South Africa 09 / Smirnoff x Migos tour highlights video ## Start a project like this. Launches, activations and brand presence people talk about the next day. Tell us where you are and where you need to be. [Start a Project](https://www.culturecartel.ca/start?service=live&ref=smirnoff-x-migos) [Ask about this project](https://www.culturecartel.ca/lens?mode=ask&ref=smirnoff-x-migos) Related work - [Mabala Noise](https://www.culturecartel.ca/work/mabala-noise): We built the creative department behind a hit-making label. · Brand / Music and Entertainment / Johannesburg / 2018 - [Nasty C](https://www.culturecartel.ca/work/nasty-c): Creative direction for one of Africa’s biggest exports. · Brand / Music and Entertainment / Johannesburg / 2019 - [F1inTO](https://www.culturecartel.ca/work/f1into): We took F1inTO over and built it into the biggest race day in Toronto. · Live / Events and motorsport / Toronto / 2026 [Next project Club Car Full marketing and dealer support for a global golf and utility vehicle leader. Keep scrolling](https://www.culturecartel.ca/work/club-car) --- Culture Cartel, 8 The Esplanade, Toronto, ON M5E 0A6. info@culturecartel.ca, +1 647 459 2154. Start a project: https://www.culturecartel.ca/start