BACKGROUND

In Belgium, over 1,500 children are reported missing every year. Some remain missing for years or even decades. Eventually their posters get less attention. Still, their families keep on hoping. Because even years later every tip can lead to a breakthrough. Nonprofit organisation Child Focus supports these families and wants to keep hope alive

THE PURPOSE

The chances of finding these children alive are very small, but it is not impossible. Their families keep on hoping for an answer. Even years later every tip or hint can lead to a breakthrough.

We had to recapture the attention of the public for the 'older' cases.

THE IDEA IN SHORT

To keep hope alive, we literally brought the standard government issued missing posters of six long-term missing children to life.

Using a 3D mask technique, we brought natural movement to the pictures, from eye movements and blinking to larger movements and facial quirks. Turning these mostly ignored posters into gripping confrontations on digital billboards.

EXECUTION

We spread our ‘posters’ on hundreds of digital billboards in major train stations in Belgium and subway stations in Brussels.

These days all missing poster are also spread on social media, so we adapted those messages too. Thanks to the autoplay function on Twitter and Facebook, the posters started moving when people scrolled past it.

RESULTS

The campaign was a main news item on every national news channel and in every national newspaper, online and offline. The news even went abroad, and police departments and federations for missing children in other countries want to use the technique as well.

2.008.197 views on social media
20.429 shares
6.402.414 social reach
€ 434.994 earned media
14.900.250 total reach (population of Belgium = 11.000.000)