OTTAWA, May 8 /CNW Telbec/ - The United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) is sending a provocative Canadian-made television advertising
campaign around the world in an effort to raise awareness about the plight of
more than 20 million refugees.
The pro bono campaign created by ad agency BBDO Toronto, in partnership
with the UNHCR, is being distributed to a dozen countries, including Austria,
Belgium, Brazil, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Mexico, Serbia, Kosovo,
Switzerland, Tanzania and the United Kingdom. The creative focuses on
highlighting the refugee experience by showing what it may be like to be
without shelter, food and water.
The 30-second television spot features an animated sequence of a snail
being forcibly removed from its shell. The spot ends with the tagline: "If you
think this is disturbing, you should know its being done to over 20 million
people around the world." The radio ad announces an address in a well-known
Toronto neighbourhood and advises the residents of that home that they have
been displaced. The series of print ads contrast the daily living challenges
of refugees with those of Canadians. The entire series of ads can be viewed by
visiting the website at: http://www.unhcr.ca/help.
"We realize that if advertising can sell products, why not use its power
to help people understand that millions of ordinary people are caught in a
nightmare of persecution, violence and personal tragedy," said Jahanshah
Assadi, the UNHCR Representative in Canada. "These people desperately need our
help and the campaign will help to create much-needed awareness about
refugees," he added.
"We've all seen the news reports and images of refugees around the world,
but the challenge in telling their stories is that their experiences are so
far removed from our daily lives. Now imagine coming home after a long day at
work to find that all your personal possessions and the home you know have
been taken from you. This is an experience we can all relate to and we used
this as our starting point for the campaign so people could begin to
understand what refugees around the world go through on a daily basis," said
Patrick Scissons, VP, Associate Creative Director, BBDO Toronto.
According to the UN Refugee Agency, the most critical regions for
refugees around the world include the following:

1.8 million Iraqis have been displaced within Iraq, and up to two million
others have fled their country, mainly to Syria and Jordan; this represents
more than one in eight Iraqis who have been forced from their homes.

Two million people have been displaced in Sudan's Darfur region, and over
220,000 have fled to neighboring Chad, which is itself now faced with the
internal displacement of up to 120,000 of its own citizens amid growing
regional insecurity.
More than three million people have been displaced inside Colombia,
representing eight percent of the country's population as a result of the
decades-long armed conflict between irregular armed groups and government
forces. Nearly 500,000 people have fled to neighbouring countries such as
Ecuador and Venezuela.

The campaign will lead up to the internationally recognized World Refugee
Day, which is observed every year on June 20. It is a day set aside to take
notice of the world's refugees uprooted by violence and persecution, and to
offer support and assurance that they are not forgotten. The television spot
will be used as the main centerpiece to promote World Refugee Day in Belgium,
Austria, Croatia and Serbia.
The UNHCR-BBDO advertising campaign was recently honoured at the annual
Canadian Marketing Awards with five awards, including the gold, two silvers,
and one certificate in the category of Public Service Single Print/Outdoor/Out
of Home. In addition, the campaign received the prestigious Andy Rogers Award
for the highest scoring public service announcement.

About the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

The UNHCR works in 116 countries to provide protection and assistance to
an estimated 21 million refugees, and other displaced and needy persons. The
UN refugee agency, which has won two Nobel Peace Prizes, was established by
the UN General Assembly in 1950 to protect refugees and resolve refugee
problems worldwide and has helped more than 50 million people over the past
five decades. For more information, visit the website at: www.unhcr.ca

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** I was really excited about this - cool that Canada is leading the campaign.