NATIVE raises online support for GM’s Chevrolet UTE Force initiatives

When Chevrolet decided to launch its all-new Chevrolet Utility with the idea to bring more heart and soul into it, NATIVE stepped up to assist. Coining the term Chevrolet UTE Force, NATIVE offered digital support for a GM initiative aimed at giving back with heart and soul.

In essence the UTE Force is made up of varied experts, from carpenters and plumbers to electricians and industrial designers, who tackle projects with a fleet of legendary all new Chevrolet Utilities at their disposal. The goal is for the team to travel around the country for a year completing missions for communities who need it most.

To support these projects, NATIVE updates the UTE Force site and assists in driving the campaign virally. Jason Xenopoulos, the CEO of NATIVE, says the projects completed so far have been inspiring. “The latest project was the renovation and a garden installation at Lulama Primary School in Soweto. While we mainly play a behind-the-scenes role, it has been incredible seeing these projects come to life and make a real difference in these communities,” he says.

Bridgette Bolton, the co-ordinator of the UTE Force projects, says the team achieved each of its objectives in this latest project and got the community involved including the teachers, principal, parents and most importantly the children. “During the course of the week the UTE Force team painted the toilets, window frames, and three classrooms and stenciled art on the walls. We filled in the holes in the floors with concrete, tiled classrooms, replaced cupboards and gutters; and installed a booster pump to improve the water pressure. We also installed a 5000l JoJo tank on its own base with taps and, most exciting, planted a 300m squared food garden with a variety of seeds that will yield tasty, healthy winter vegetables. We left a painted mural across the dilapidated outside building’s wall,” she reports.

In addition, the team gave each child a bag made from recycled billboards with a stern message about recycling and littering. “The children also participated in a soccer and cricket clinic which was very well received,” she adds.

NATIVE then spread the word online and various influential bloggers picked up on the project. “The online community has responded very positively to these projects and, in their own way, raised awareness. It has been a brilliant initiative by Chevrolet. These projects continue to touch lives and we feel privileged to be a part of it all. We are looking forward to the next project and offering our support,” says Xenopoulos.