The Occupied Passport
Giovanni Morra
Issue 52 | September 2019
Agency
Giovanni Morra
Creative Team
Initial Idea, Art Director: Giorgi Popiashvil Art Director: Juarez Rodrigues Copywriter: Vicky Jacob-Ebbinghaus Freelance Creative Team: Pavle Gabritchidze, Natia Svanidze, Mariam Lapiashvili, Tinatin Lomaia
Date
November 2018
Background
In 2008 Russia invaded Georgia. Eleven years later, 20% of the country is still occupied and Georgians are banned from entering the annexed territories.
Not only do people outside the country not know about this, inside Georgia people seem to have lost hope of reunification.
Meanwhile, a small, local business selling accessories was struggling with the same problem, low awareness.
Idea
Among the range of products sold by Giovanni Morra were leather passport covers. Since a passport is a representation of the country of its origin, the idea was to ‘cut off’ 20% of the surface of the passport cover with barbed wire and mark it in red, a visual demonstration of the occupation.
Thus Georgians, when they travelled, could spread the message to the countries they visited. The relaxation by the EU of visa regulations for Georgians meant a significant increase in the number of travelers, each of whom could now be a messenger to the outside world.
The simple concept inspired other companies to produce their own ‘20% occupied’ products (travel bags, T-shirts, etc.).
Online, Georgian Facebook users spread the occupation information through their ‘20% occupied’ profile pictures.
Results
The passport covers were expected to be on sale for three months but were sold out in a few hours.
Tens of thousands of Georgians crossed the borders with the passport covers. Opinion leaders bravely posted photos from airports, holding occupied passports.
One of the presidential candidates started wearing a special ‘20% occupied’ suit at official meetings.
As Georgia is not the only victim of Russian occupation, Giovanni Morra has released the occupied passport for Ukraine too, carrying the message: ‘7% of my country is Occupied by Russia.’ Six million media impressions have been made, increasing brand awareness 400% and increasing traffic to the website 600%.
Our Thoughts
In the UK and the USA, when brands enter the political arena, they do so knowing that they may stir up debate but at least the company owners and marketers won’t be arrested. This incredibly and beautifully simple idea could quite easily get a lot of people at Giovanni Morra into very hot water. The Caples Awards is reintroducing the Courageous Client award in 2020 and these guys would most definitely be in line for it next year.