High Five: Ripples of Social Change
“It’s not like you are changing the world.” While heard most often in context with the stress that advertising folks deal with on a day-to-day basis, once in a blue moon, some work comes across your table which makes you sit up and say: “Wait a minute, that could change the world, or at least it has the potential to.” If the world were an ocean, here are the five campaigns that created a ripple for social change, if not a wave...
Maxx Flash - 'The Killer Pack'
Agency: VMLY&R Mumbai
Product innovation for social change. The best solutions are often remarkably simple. Mosquito repellents are a standard across all houses in India. 'The Killer Pack' is innovatively packaging these products, which biodegrades to kill mosquitoes in dumps and sewers when discarded. The beauty of this innovation is its self-sufficiency, requiring the audience to do zilch on their part.
UNESCO - 'Backup Ukraine'
Agency: Virtue Worldwide x Blue Shield x Polycam
Technology for social change. The war in Ukraine, the outrage over it and the global crisis ensuing from it made many of us feel helpless, so much more the citizens of Ukraine. In such a scenario, the making of this tech, its adaptation to a cause, and the power it gave resident Ukrainians to join the fight and save their nation’s identity were unprecedented.
Change the Ref - 'The Lost Class'
Agency: Leo Burnett Chicago
Stunt for social change. The world has been privy to mass shootings in American schools. While each event broke hearts, what never broke was the gun lobby’s resolve to give up their firearms. 'The Lost Class' was an epic stunt which asked the gun-lobby a simple question: “The freedom to exercise the right to firearms comes at what cost?”
MACMA - 'Art of Self Examination'
Agency: DAVID Buenos Aires, Ogilvy
Designing for social change. Breaking the most sacred rule of art exhibitions - insisting visitors touch the paintings - created the eyeballs and education needed towards self-examination in women. Above all, the campaign attempted to imprint a subconscious behaviour of self-checking among women by making them touch the paintings.
Smart Bazaar - 'The Second Question'
Agency: FCB Ulka
Storytelling for social change. India is the land of varied festivals, with Pujo (celebrated by the Bengali community) being one of the biggest. While times have changed and society evolved, 'The Second Question' challenged a significant custom in celebrating this festival - the exclusion of sex workers.
