CANNES, FRANCE — A low-budget, direct-mail campaign has picked up the United Nations and Lions Health Grand Prix for Good at the 2024 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. “Child Wedding Cards,” a campaign created by IMPACT BBDO in collaboration with UN Women, directly engaged lawmakers in Pakistan by sending them invitation cards to a child’s fictional wedding. Invitation cards were designed entirely by children ranging from ages five to fifteen.
Pakistan currently has the sixth-highest number of child brides, and efforts have been ongoing to lift the minimum age for marriage to 18. Lawmakers who received the child wedding cards proceeded to make videos holding the cards up while affirming their commitment to the fight against child marriage. Dozens spoke up, generating a reach of more than 25 million. Most impactfully, efforts from lawmakers fighting for the cause have led to actual legislative shifts, both through the National Assembly and in the Shariat Court, the highest religious body in Pakistan.
The campaign worked on the insight of the Pakistani cultural nuance of wedding card deliveries, which is highly symbolic for any wedding — printed cards are delivered by hand even today. Each lawmaker was directly targeted through the mail campaign. The entire production, in collaboration with BBDO Pakistan, was low budget and cost under $1500.
A powerful film capturing the construction of the cards, in which faceless children are seen painting and drawing the invites, was directed and produced by Shiny Toy Guns, with music provided by Zohaib Kazi at Karma Kolectiv.
Dani Richa, CEO and Chairman of BBDO EMEA, said, “Winning a Grand Prix in Cannes is rewarding on multiple levels, with the most significant being the opportunity to shine a spotlight on this important cause on a global stage.”
Ali Rez, Regional Chief Creative Officer at IMPACT BBDO, commented, “This campaign demonstrates the true power of creativity: the ability to deliver a highly impactful message without relying on massive budgets, and an emphasis on emotional voltage. We are fortunate to have a brave brand partner like UN Women, who have been incredibly inspiring in the way they have been fighting this important fight against child marriage.”
