Eight projects selected to receive $100,000 for development and to attend workshop in March
The selection process of the third Cannes Chimera global communications challenge, set by the Cannes Chimera Initiative, has concluded with eight
The creative brief was launched during the 60th Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in June 2013, with a bid for new communication concepts that can incite the public to support an emerging international agenda to ensure that extreme poverty is virtually eliminated by 2030.
The Cannes Chimera initiative is a partnership and a competition focused on finding innovative communication approaches that can help address critical global development problems.
Nine hundred ideas from 79 countries were received answering to the ‘Help Lead the Fight Against Extreme Poverty’ brief. Facilitated by Cannes Lions, the entries have gone through a vigorous judging process by the Cannes Chimera, comprising the Cannes Lions 2013 Grand Prix winners.
Each winner will take part in a unique mentoring workshop next month with the Cannes Chimera, who will help take the ideas to a new level. Each winner is invited to go back to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with a proposal for further funding of up to US$1 million to implement the idea.
The winning projects are:
The Share Exchange by Dentsu, Young & Rubicam, Singapore:
Facebook users become media owners by allowing brands to buy their personal Facebook space. Money paid by brands is then contributed to funds set up to eradicate extreme poverty. Additionally, each time an online activist opts to share a brand’s message, they will also share the latest facts on the fight against extreme poverty. Facebook users are therefore empowered to take action while their shares create awareness and generate funds.
Good Cents by Joe Public, South Africa:
Devising a ‘Good Cents’ button at the bottom of all online bank statements would allow users to round their bank balance and donate their surplus of cents to a dedicated fund with just one click.
The GAP index by venturethree, United Kingdom:
Develop the Global Anti Poverty index (GAP), the first global measure of extreme poverty to be carried on all major media outlets around the world. Based on the total number of people living in extreme poverty, the frequently updated GAP number will decrease in response to development programmes, economic progress and other positive factors, or will increase in response to war, crop failure or other catastrophic events.
The Act Button by Naked Communications, Australia:
In partnership with a major online news provider, the Act Button can be activated after an extreme poverty news story, allowing the user to share positive solutions that could play a role in changing the outcome of a particular news story.
$1.25 cube experience by JWT, Israel:
Create a pay-to-enter multi-sensory experience cube to get people in the Western World involved in the life struggle of people living in extreme poverty.
Gamers VS Poverty by DFCB Digital, The Philippines:
The Gamers for Poverty will provide users with in-game content information based on extreme poverty – new storylines, item upgrades, information linked to game and poverty – so by changing their view of the world, gamers can be heroes inside and outside the game world. Additionally the project aims to change the perception of gamers from being negative to positive.
One Two Five by PHD International, United Kingdom:
Create an internationally recognisable code to signal extreme poverty, which has the ability to transcend language and borders. As the numbers 911 or 999 signal emergency, #125 will be recognised as representing extreme poverty around the world. This simple, powerful, global campaign will be used to springboard a number of global awareness initiatives.
We See Women by Vital Voices Global Partnership, USA:
70% of extreme poverty sufferers are women and girls and there is an underlying pervasive cultural bias that relegates women and girls to secondary status or worse. As such, deeply ingrained beliefs about women first need to change. By harnessing strategic information available through Big Data, this project aims to distribute perception changing stories about women into places where women are marginalised and where existing mass communication channels don’t reach.
Philip Thomas, CEO of Lions Festivals, said: “It’s fantastic to see how our industry has risen to the latest Cannes Chimera challenge. We have such talented people in the business and to see how they are applying their creative abilities to really help others less fortunate but on a very ambitious and global scale is truly inspiring.
“These eight ideas will now go on to benefit from the forthcoming workshop with the Cannes Chimera with everybody working to the common goal of helping eradicate extreme poverty.”
Tom Scott, director of Global Brand & Innovation at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said: “Building greater public awareness and understanding of tough problems like extreme poverty is an important part of global progress—and ultimately, saving lives.
“We believe that tapping into the best creative minds can help us develop communications ideas that can change the world.”
The Cannes Chimera Initiative was launched by the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, which brings together the global advertising and communications industry and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the world’s largest philanthropic foundation, in an effort to generate communications ideas that motivate global audiences to support change and take actions that address critical development issues.
The initiative issues a competitive brief to the creative community each year, with the next brief being launched at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in June. For more information about Cannes Chimera, click here.