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#NOFILTER

In the PSA campaign #NoFilter, UNICEF takes audiences on an exploration of the matter of clean water. 

Overview  

   A series of Vietnamese children photographs were captured and then developed traditionally with the polluted water from the neighbourhood rivers (Happiness Saigon, n.d.). The impurities leave a striking effect on the final film, representing the unseen issues faced by families throughout this major metropolis.

 

   The project aims to raise awareness of the availability of clean water for children in Vietnam, not only among the mass but also to encourage corporations to think about the effect that their businesses have on our populace (Brands Vietnam, n.d.). Especially as Vietnam is susceptible to climate change and crippling drought.  

 

 

unicef-print_aotw.jpg

Key elements that make the campaign successful   

   The creative team knows how to shock people into awareness by calling on the most vulnerable victims, the children. Hence, the series easily stirs Vietnamese people feeling since they are universally known to innermostly accept and have more sympathy towards kid depiction. By asking the question “imagine what it does to our children”, the ad triggers everyone’s self-condemnation and brainstorm with an unsolved problem. It urges readers to make a donation.

 

   Apart from the above-mentioned element, what makes the ad stand out is the brilliant copywriting. It might be sophisticated in the development of the creative idea but is instant in the story it wants to portray. In short, it is informative without being wordy. The hook here is how the title #Nofilter being displayed next to a visual distortion. It works like a teaspoon of sarcasm to me. As a millennial who belongs to the “zombie scrolling” generation, I get myself acquaint with the hashtag accompanied by an already-attractive picture, or one that highlights some natural beauty. One way or another, I have always subconsciously thought of the term as positivity. How perfunctory I  was until now that I stumble upon this triggered campaign. It hits me; it is arresting. While people busy spreading optimistic messages with the hashtag such as “let things be” and “do not filter anything", this ad speaks the opposite and point out the reality where we actually need to filter the “no filter”.

 

 

unicef-print2_aotw.jpg

Drawback  

   Nevertheless, despite creating a near-perfect ad, there is but one drawback. Since the campaign is designed for UNICEF global, they do not translate the viral video into Vietnamese. As for the print ad, even when the translation was done, the title remains the same. It can cause misunderstanding to locals in rural areas, thus hinder them from taking action.

 

 

 

Suggestion for improvement

   As I mentioned, the campaign, first of all, should include a Vietnamese version of the viral video. Furthermore, if the creative team can come up with a Vietnamese name for a campaign without losing its profound tie-in to the visual, it will be easier for the mass to enjoy the ad.

 

   Secondly, as UNICEF plans to encourage more eco-friendly decisions not only from the corporations but from everyone, they should collaborate with leading associations which help the community to reduce wastes such as Zero waste or Lai day refill station. Because nowadays, we have seen more and more people, especially youngsters raising their voices, both online and offline to push others to stop using plastic (Tat Dat, 2018). It is the new trend that if UNICEF can catch up, the shareability of the campaign will be likely to escalate.

 

 

More and more people, especially youngsters raising their voices, both online and offline to push others to stop using plastic

 

 

 

 

   Finally, the campaign can learn from the massive success of the sunflower festival campaign that raised funds on social media for children who are diagnosed with cancer (Mai Trịnh, 2018). For instance, a #Nofilter camera effect can be created on Facebook, and whenever someone posts the photo and tags their friends, an amount of money will be donated to UNICEF. By this way, the campaign can reach out to more audience seeing that 55 million of Vietnamese are active users on Facebook (Roscher, 2018).

Conclusion  

   All in all, the agency has succeeded in conceptualising an imperceptible issue and its damage into a vivid, peculiar campaign. It is thought-provoking and haunts me for days after casting my eyes on it.

Reference list  

Brands Vietnam n.d., #Nofilter, Brands Vietnam, viewed 03 March 2019, <https://www.brandsvietnam.com/campaign/75-Nofilter#prettyPhoto>.

Happiness Saigon n.d., #Nofilter, Happiness Saigon, viewed 03 March 2019 <https://happiness-saigon.com/news/No%20Filter%2C%20UNICEF%2C%20Happiness>.

 

Lại đây refill station 1, 2019 photograph, Lại đây refill station, Facebook, viewed 04 March 2019, <https://www.facebook.com/laidayrefillstation/photos/a.225067905015646/327396944782741/?type=3&theater>.

 

Lại đây refill station 2, 2019 photograph, Lại đây refill station, Facebook, viewed 04 March 2019, <https://www.facebook.com/laidayrefillstation/photos/a.290850308437405/296165191239250/?type=3&theater>.

 

Mai Trịnh 2018, ‘Lí giải trào lưu đăng ảnh hoa hướng dương trên Facebook được tặng 30.000 đồng cho bệnh nhi’, Vietnammoi, 30 November, viewed 04 March 2019, <https://vietnammoi.vn/li-giai-trao-luu-dang-anh-hoa-huong-duong-tren-facebook-duoc-tang-30000-dong-cho-benh-nhi-160464.htm>.

 

#NoFilter 1, n.d. Photograph, viewed 02 March 2019, <https://happiness-saigon.com/news/No%20Filter%2C%20UNICEF%2C%20Happiness>.

 

#NoFilter 2, n.d. Photograph, viewed 02 March 2019, <https://happiness-saigon.com/news/No%20Filter%2C%20UNICEF%2C%20Happiness>.

 

Roscher, K 2018, ‘How to market to Vietnamese consumers', Warc, viewed 04 March 2019, <https://www-warc-com.ezproxy.lib.rmit.edu.au/content/article/bestprac/how_to_market_to_vietnamese_consumers/124218>.

 

Tất Đạt 2018, ‘Năm 2018, giới trẻ Việt ‘sốt' gì trên mạng vậy?’, Tuổi Trẻ, 31 December, viewed 04 March 2018, <https://tuoitre.vn/nam-2018-gioi-tre-viet-sot-gi-tren-mang-vay-20181222095344571.htm>.  

 

UNICEF #NoFilter 2016, streaming video, Happiness Brussels, Youtube, viewed 02 March 2019, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u017-3zhGsI>.

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