Hidden, Amnesty
A multi-channel campaign to help Amnesty International raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis in Sudan and raise funds for evidence-gathering.
The challenge
The civil war in Sudan has created one of the world’s gravest humanitarian crises. Millions of Sudanese people are being displaced, brutal sexual violence is rife and famine is taking lives. Meanwhile, an illegal arms trade is fuelling the bloodshed. Amnesty International UK asked Catalyst to help raise awareness of the crisis, expose human rights abuses and ask supporters to help fund urgent evidence-gathering.
The work
As lead creative, I took a conceptual route, firing a bullet through the word ‘Hidden’ to highlight how the catastrophe was going unnoticed. The speeding bullet and subtle crosshairs hinted at illegal arms, while a trigger warning flagged the severity of the human rights abuses.
With Sudanese people determined to tell their stories, I interviewed an Amnesty researcher working in refugee camps and put hard-hitting testimonies right at the heart of the appeal. Digital adverts depicted war crimes at a glance – juxtaposing rifle graphics with images of people running from gunfire, the brutal reality of life in Sudan. We asked supporters to donate so Amnesty could gather more evidence of atrocities and demand action on the world stage.
The impact
This multi-channel cold and warm appeal exceeded fundraising targets.