The refugee crisis is in its seventh year. With media constantly showing pictures of derelict refugees, people have become de-sensitised to their plight. The public is unable to imagine a better world for the refugees*.
This makes it extremely difficult for aid organisations to raise funds. Amidst this donor apathy, UNHCR needed to raise money for its Winter Assistance campaign to provide aid and core relief funds to refugee families.
*A study conducted by Brad J. Bushman of the University of Michigan and Amsterdam, and Craig A. Anderson of Iowa State University, aimed to prove that “exposure to violent media reduces aid offered to people in pain.”
Ogilvy decided to reframe the portrayal of refugees in the media, with an innovative campaign on Reddit - A Photoshop Battle for Good that made people care about refugees again.
Ogilvy approached Reddit, the famous online community where 8 million computer geeks use their creativity and Photoshop skills to change the context of an original image with dramatic re-creations. This time, we asked the community to embark on a one-of-a-kind battle for good.