Loud outcry against torture
Social Advertising II On December 10—Human Rights Day—Publicis helped Amnesty International make its voice heard with a shock campaign.
Social Advertising II On December 10 - Human Rights Day - Publicis made Amnesty International heard with a shock campaign: "No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms. This is proclaimed in Article 4 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted exactly 55 years ago. Although the UN member states have committed themselves to protecting and promoting human rights, the practice in many countries makes a mockery of any healthy sense of justice.
Ijaba Masamba was to be read out, but no words were heard. Instead, a gloomy black and white image of a gagged woman screaming, whimpering and crying in a cell appeared. The slogan called to mind: "Today is Human Rights Day. But not everywhere." The Publicis team led by CD Markus Gut and AD/ copywriter Ralf Kostgeld had other human rights articles "recited" in an equally unbearably insistent manner. In all of them, the announcement misled the viewer in order to intensify the shock effect with the re-enacted torture recordings. These sequences were deliberately kept short so that the viewer's defensive reaction would not tempt them to zap before the denouement. However, Kostgeld believes that we should not close our eyes to reality: "It is far worse than what we showed in the commercials." The fact is that thousands of people are beaten, raped or tortured with electric shocks every year.
Shocking instead of prevaricating However, unlike in Anglo-Saxon countries, the Swiss section of AI has moved away from communicating with brutal images and pithy words, says Christian Hosmann from the human rights organization. In German-speaking Switzerland in particular, AI has found that people tend to be put off by violent campaigns, which is why it switched to a more diplomatic tone a few years ago.
Undeterred by this, Publicis proposed a shock implementation for Human Rights Day and AI's concerns, because this year the risk of being lost in the media hype surrounding the Federal Council election would have been much greater. The positive factors were also decisive for the agency's voluntary commitment. Thanks to the implementation and the strong, sponsored media presence, the campaign can expect good results in AI's first-time participation in the GfS Donation Monitor. This is the first time that the awareness of the organization in Switzerland has been surveyed. In addition, Publicis' appeal should strengthen the perception of the other means of communication - the Internet, information stands, mailings, events and the solidarity candle - and update the campaign launched three years ago worldwide to abolish torture in the public eye. The TV ads were flanked by radio spots and a submarine ad. In the latter, the image of a meaningless room turned out to be a torture cellar with a gallows rope above a trap door when the newspaper bundle in the WoZ and NZZ was pulled apart (see page 14). "A press photo of an Iraqi courtroom that we received from the Dukas agency," explains CD Markus Gut.
Designed to get under your skin: Shock commercial by Publicis for Amnesty International.
Luca Aloisi
Ijaba Masamba was to be read out, but no words were heard. Instead, a gloomy black and white image of a gagged woman screaming, whimpering and crying in a cell appeared. The slogan called to mind: "Today is Human Rights Day. But not everywhere." The Publicis team led by CD Markus Gut and AD/ copywriter Ralf Kostgeld had other human rights articles "recited" in an equally unbearably insistent manner. In all of them, the announcement misled the viewer in order to intensify the shock effect with the re-enacted torture recordings. These sequences were deliberately kept short so that the viewer's defensive reaction would not tempt them to zap before the denouement. However, Kostgeld believes that we should not close our eyes to reality: "It is far worse than what we showed in the commercials." The fact is that thousands of people are beaten, raped or tortured with electric shocks every year.
Shocking instead of prevaricating However, unlike in Anglo-Saxon countries, the Swiss section of AI has moved away from communicating with brutal images and pithy words, says Christian Hosmann from the human rights organization. In German-speaking Switzerland in particular, AI has found that people tend to be put off by violent campaigns, which is why it switched to a more diplomatic tone a few years ago.
Undeterred by this, Publicis proposed a shock implementation for Human Rights Day and AI's concerns, because this year the risk of being lost in the media hype surrounding the Federal Council election would have been much greater. The positive factors were also decisive for the agency's voluntary commitment. Thanks to the implementation and the strong, sponsored media presence, the campaign can expect good results in AI's first-time participation in the GfS Donation Monitor. This is the first time that the awareness of the organization in Switzerland has been surveyed. In addition, Publicis' appeal should strengthen the perception of the other means of communication - the Internet, information stands, mailings, events and the solidarity candle - and update the campaign launched three years ago worldwide to abolish torture in the public eye. The TV ads were flanked by radio spots and a submarine ad. In the latter, the image of a meaningless room turned out to be a torture cellar with a gallows rope above a trap door when the newspaper bundle in the WoZ and NZZ was pulled apart (see page 14). "A press photo of an Iraqi courtroom that we received from the Dukas agency," explains CD Markus Gut.
Designed to get under your skin: Shock commercial by Publicis for Amnesty International.
Luca Aloisi
