It’s a known fact that humans sympathize more with animals rather than other humans. We have become more desensitized than ever. But what if that poor man who’s going through hard times asking for mercy were our own father, mother, or son? Would we be more kind to each other? That’s exactly what Dutch NGO Free a Girl wants to find out. To find a clear answer to the question, the organization has teamed up with creative agency DDB Unlimited.
Just in time for International Day of the Girl — celebrated on October 11th and advocated by the United Nations since 2012 as a day to address girls’ needs — Free a Girl has launched ‘Fight as If She Was Your Own’ campaign to make people care more about the major problem which affects girls around the world: prostitution.
More than 2 million children are exploited and trapped in forced prostitution worldwide. To draw attention to these shocking ‘numbers’, the NGO launched a social experiment in which it brings the problem closer to people’s homes. Maybe now they will start paying attention…
Imagine taking a stroll down your favourite Amsterdam street. There are usual billboards that you see almost everywhere. And then there are Free a Girl’s interactive panels, which are not like any other you have seen around the city (or any other). These OOH boards use latest face swap technology to replace the face of a young girl sitting on a bed in an Indian brothel with the one of random pedestrians passing by – especially with girls. Each young lady taking part in the experiment has her mother, father, or grandparents by their side. They all get confronted with a simple message: ‘Fight child prostitution as if she was your own.’ Can you imagine what your reaction would be?
Evelien Hölsken, Director and Co-founder of Free a Girl, explains the reason for using face swap technology: “With this campaign, we’ve given the problem a face. The face of a girl who could be your daughter, sister or girlfriend. We want everyone to stand up for the girls who are exploited in prostitution.”
Ysabelle Tierie, Creative at DDB Unlimited, the agency behind the campaign, adds: “In communication, it’s always a challenge to break through the clutter. To generate impact. People get flooded by so many messages that almost nothing reaches them. Technology is one of the things that can help us break this barrier. This allows us to make our message relevant and personal. So that we can relate to other people’s situations.”
‘Fight child prostitution as if she was your own’ is the latest initiative by Free a Girl — an international organization dedicated to fighting child prostitution and impunity — which is known for previous social campaigns such as 2017’s School for Justice in India. Free a Girl has managed to rescue more than 4500 underage girls from prostitution, and that’s just since its foundation 11 years ago. Let’s give the NGO a helping hand to save more girls from getting in such terrible position and stop this epidemy from spreading even more!