Remangate, pull up your pant leg
Issue 22 | February 2012
Agency
Proximity Colombia
Creative Team
Proximity President: Mario Bertieri; Creative VP: Sandra Piedrahita ; Creative Director: Alejandro Mesa, Pablo Wills; Copywriter: Emilio Mutis ; Art Director: Martha Montenegro; Web Designer: Jonathan Mcvinish
Other Credits
Account Manager: Catalina Ramirez; Account Director: Natalia de Toro; Account and Client Services VP: Juan Fernando Nino; Client: Juan Pablo Salazar; Photographer: Carlos Gaviria
Date
2011
Background
Colombia was the third highest-ranking country in the world for landmines.
By mid-2011 there had been 9,133 victims of explosions, whom 870 were children,
3,408 of whom were civilians and 5, 275 of whom were soldiers.
A landmine was being triggered every sixty seconds but because they went off far from the cities, where they were not seen or heard, the problem was ignored by the media and by the politicians.
Idea
The campaign invited all Colombians to step into the shoes of the victims’ of landmine detonations. How? By rolling up a leg of their trousers.
A group of celebrities was broght together to roll up their trouser legs in a video, inviting others to do the same and to visit www.remangate.org
One one day of action, thousands of people, companies, schools and brands showed their support by rolling up a trouser leg. Even the President rolled up a trouser leg. The PR that was generated helped the message get through that the law needed changing.
Results
The campaign cost just USD $12,000 but it led to USD $1m of press coverage. Thousands of Colombians took part in the day of action but more importantly, a bill to outlaw the use of landmines which was lannguishing at Number 38 in the table of bills to be brought before the congress suddenly moved up to the top of the list and was approved and became law.
Our Thoughts
The way that advertising has moved across into social media has brought a new power and a new responsibility with it. As well as being able to influence how people feel about branded goods and services, agencies also have the wherewithal to change behaviours towards society. I’m not entirely sure the industry yet fully realises its power as a broker between governments and peoples let alone between causes and potential supporters.
Proximity Colombia is one of Directory’s ‘Agencies to Watch’ in 2012 because of ideas like this, which show an understanding of brands, an understanding of people and an understanding of how communication works. Bring them all together and you really can make the world a better place.