Call For Help
Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO)
Issue 4 | July 2008
Agency
Arc Worldwide / Leo Burnett Advertising
Creative Team
Tan Kien Eng - Executive Creative Director ;Theresa Tsang, Valerie Chen - Creative Directors;Theresa Tsang, Tan Kien Eng - Art Directors ;Benjamin Woo, Valerie Chen, Tan Kien Eng - Copywriters ;Nurazlinn Fariss - Designer
Production Team
Sheikh Munasar - AV Producer; Ram Chia, Stella Hew (TWO AM Studio) - Audio Engineers
Other Credits
Ken Chin - Chief Production Director ;Mark Darren - Client Servicing
Date
January 2007
Background
The Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) lacks funds for awareness campaigns. They also face a constant challenge to make Malaysians understand the severity of domestic abuse and act against this social plague. To rally support, the agency was tasked with compelling Malaysians to empathise with victims of violence on a more personal level - a personal wake-up call, if you will. They wanted Malaysians to realise that violence against women can happen to anyone - friends, neighbours, co-workers and even family members. And that they’ll have someone to turn to if faced with this predicament by saving and remembering the phone number of the Women’s Aid Organisation.
Idea
Through SAM (Short Audio Message) technology, WAO was able to send a pre-recorded S.O.S. call from a woman being abused to the recipient’s mobile phone. The recording starts with the woman pleading for help the instant the phone is answered, and ends with the line getting cut, leaving the recipient speechless and guessing the caller’s identity. Minutes after the call, this follow-up SMS was sent to the recipient: ‘If ur a victim of violence or worried about someone who is, call the Women’s Aid Organisation at 03-7956 3488. Save this number & you could save a life. Pls fwd this msg.’
Results
The SAM was sent to 1,500 journalists and people on WAO's database. A qualitative survey conducted by WAO indicated that each recipient forwarded the text message to an average of four people. More importantly, WAO succeeded in getting the message out to the masses through this campaign, which contributed to their concerted efforts to raise awareness.
Target Audience
Members of the press and WAO supporters
Size
1,500 SAMs (initial batch)
Our Thoughts
It must be tough getting a WAO brief at Arc Worldwide in Kuala Lumpur – because you’re under pressure to come up with something as good as the award winners last year and the year before that. But by using sound, the terrible and shocking recording of a woman being abused, the team has cracked it.