iO & Amnesty International: Creativity as a driver for engagement

How do you protect human rights?

We encourage engagement using creative campaigns: a specific form of communication, that focuses on building positive connections that make it more likely that the message it’s linked to will have an impact on the audience. A collaboration that’s driven by creativity; that triggers sensitisation, empathy, and action.

Challenge

To use creative campaigns to raise awareness and respect for human rights.

Solution

Video marketing and creative advertising built on a strong concept.

Football is great, but at what price?

Qatar employs nearly 2 million migrant workers – that’s equal to 95% of Qatar's total population. They worked on infrastructure, in construction, in services and building stadiums and other facilities for the 2022 football World Cup. We made a clear statement with the creation of this image; we put the workers and their plight in the spotlight.

"A strong idea, combined with creativity and authenticity, that’s our starting point. This makes advertisements that stick – not least thanks to the extra persuasiveness."

Sam De Win, Executive Creative Director iO Belgium

Birthday party for Djalali

On Friday, January 14, 2022, Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali celebrated his 50th birthday. However, there was little to celebrate. He has been alone in a cell in Iran's notorious Evin prison for more than 5 years. The best we can do is keep him in our thoughts and keep hoping. This idea inspired iO to create a subdued video for Amnesty International Belgium Flanders, that appeared on social media on Djalali's birthday. Gregory Frateur, singer, and frontman of the band Dez Mona, joined the campaign. You can see him in the spotlight and hear him in the music he made with Chantal Acda.

Breaking the sexual violence silence

Sexual violence is a major problem. Our ideas of what sexual violence needed an update. Survivors are still struggling to find proper support and have their voices and experiences heard. Amnesty International Flanders is tackling this problem with a striking TV ad.

In a cinematic ad - Amnesty, in collaboration with various partner organisations, calls on everyone to break the silence around sexual violence.

Amnesty: human rights protected by iO

Every year, the Belgian broadcaster VRT holds a competition where good causes can compete for free airtime. iO hijacked this airtime for Amnesty International with a beautiful diptych about human rights. There can never be too many reminders about the importance of human rights. Human rights are our basic needs and it’s easy to forget that even today, many freedoms and human rights are being tested around the world.

In a cinematic diptych, iO makes the connection with some fundamental rights that we all know, copyrights. Lyrics, books, songs ... can’t just be copied or misused. Josse De Pauw, theatre maker and actor, and writer Saskia Decoster explain serenely and soberly why.

Amnesty International and iO striking out with 1,000 drum strokes

In 2014, blogger Raif Badawi was sentenced to 1000 lashes, 10 years in prison and a heavy fine in Saudi Arabia. He was punished for making critical statements about the government and insulting Islam. Amnesty International and iO responded to this with an inspiring online video, Mario Goossens, drummer of Triggerfinger, with a torrent of drum strokes – 1000, to be precise.

This video has impact and leaves the audience in no doubt: 1000 lashes is 1000 lashes too many. Time for action on www.amnesty-international.be