For the past 10 years, Amnesty International has organized a letter-writing marathon to demand the release of prisoners of conscience and people detained without trial. Across Quebec, people came together to write letters to encourage victims of injustice and to bring the human rights violations to the attention of certain international leaders.
While this event attracts a large number of Amnesty International supporters every year, it is often overlooked by the general public. The organization wanted to change this situation...and with absolutely no budget.
The objectives were to increase the number of letters sent out by 15% compared to last year and raise awareness among the general public with a strong, powerful message.
There were two primary targets: urban women aged 38 to 64, and university students aged 18 to 25.
The main idea consisted of demonstrating that Amnesty International’s letter-writing marathon helps protect human rights all over the world and thereby encourage more people to write.
For over 50 years, Amnesty International has used signatures to make people understand that joining the movement will give a bigger voice to fight injustice. The writing marathon is not a regular petition and gets people much more involved than a simple signature. It was important to step back from the signature yet remain close to writing.
The organization wanted to fully capture the meaning of our slogan, “Écrire, ça libère” (Write for Rights) by representing a real situation between an oppressor and a victim of oppression.
A scene of injustice was depicted on a pencil, suggesting that writing could help end the torture. The idea was simple: the more people write, the more they contribute to eradicating injustice.
Several versions of this idea were adapted in various communications pieces that appeared on the web, as well as flyposting, signage in university washrooms, and in newspapers. The slogan, “Écrire, ça libère,” (Write for Rights) was used in TV spots. The organization wanted to raise awareness of the fact that during the marathon, people would be doing something to help free victims of injustice, so they were asked to take a break from their daily chores like doing laundry or housework and go “write for rights.”
The campaign increased traffic by 10% during the letter-writing marathon on Dec. 8, 2012. What’s more, the letter-writing goal was surpassed by 60%.
With a budget of $0, Amnesty managed to reach more than two million Quebecers and raise awareness about this important cause through this campaign.