Amnesty International: FREEDOM CANDLES

Credits & Description:

Type of entry: Consumer Goods
Category: Collaborations (Products in partnership with designers, celebrities etc.)
Advertiser: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Product/Service: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Agency: OGILVY & MATHER LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

Client: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Product: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Entrant: OGILVY & MATHER LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
Type of Entry: Consumer Goods
Category: Collaborations (Products in partnership with designers, celebrities etc.)
Entrant Company : OGILVY & MATHER LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
Advertising Agency : OGILVY & MATHER LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
Media Agency : KINETIC WORLDWIDE London, UNITED KINGDOM
Production Company : BLAC IONICA London, UNITED KINGDOM

Chief Creative Officer/Executive Creative Director: Gerry Human (Ogilvy And Mather)
Creative Director: Ivan Pols (Ogilvy And Mather)
Associate Creative Director/Art Director: Mike Donaghey (Ogilvy And Mather)
Associate Creative Director/Copywriter: Chris Joakim (Ogilvy And Mather)
Designer: Mark Landwehr (Coarse)
Designer: Sven Waschk (Coarse)
Digital Producer: Carly Harrison (Ogilvy And Mather)
Composer: Rebecca Jones (N/A)
Composer: Sam Stubbings (N/A)
Creative Technologist: Craig Blagg (Ogilvy And Mather)
Digital Designer: Jesper Ellesson (Ogilvy And Mather)
Planners: Amelia Wood/Su Day (Ogilvy And Mather)
Account Director: Clare Dimmock (Ogilvy And Mather)
Account Director: Anchie Contractor (Ogilvy And Mather)
Account Manager: Melanie Ward (Ogilvy And Mather)
U X Designer: Omar Bakhshi (Ogilvy And Mather)
Agency Producer: Maggie Blundell (Ogilvy And Mather)
Traffic Manager: Peter Nuttall (Ogilvy And Mather)
Sound Engineer: Mark Hillaby (Clearcut)
Photographer: Robyn Vickers (N/A)

Brief Explanation:
Amnesty International fights human rights violators all over the world. This year, their campaigning efforts are focused around three key issues: Wrongful Imprisonment and Torture, Arms Trade, and Women’s Sexual Rights.

Describe the brief from the client:
Over the years Amnesty has had many victories. But they normally happen in far away places, so most people never hear the real stories about all the people Amnesty helps. Amnesty wanted to create a tangible example of the terrible injustices they fight against, that could also celebrate the lasting change they’re fighting for.

Creative Execution:
We collaborated with world-renowned vinyl artists COARSE, who are known for their meticulously detailed collector toys. Freedom Candles symbolise the three main efforts in Amnesty’s mission. But hidden inside each candle is a solid bronze statue – that symbolizes real stories of change Amnesty has created. COARSE's attention to craft brings out the emotion of both the negative situation and positive outcome. Each candle and bronze was sculpted in 3D by COARSE then poured, molded and polished by hand. An extensive search was undertaken to find the right material for the inner figure. After experimenting with several alloys and metal/resin compositions, bronze was chosen for its heat conduction as well as its aesthetic look for the final statue.


Freedom Candles are symbols of injustice that transform into beautiful symbols of hope. Inside each candle is a message that won’t melt or fade away. Each candle contains a bronze figure that shows the difference Amnesty International and its supporters make for real people. A candle depicting a tortured prisoner melts to reveal a man reunited with his family. An assault rifle melts to reveal a pen signing an arms treaty. And a young woman, forced into sexual slavery melts to reveal a women who is free to make her own choices.


We created Amnesty International Freedom Candles. To bring the idea to life, we collaborated with world-renowned vinyl toy artists COARSE, who are known for their meticulously detailed collector toys. The candles symbolise the three main efforts in Amnesty’s mission. But hidden inside each candle is a solid bronze statue – that symbolizes real stories of change Amnesty has created in the world. Each wax exterior and bronze interior was sculpted in 3D by COARSE and then poured, molded and polished or touched up by hand. COARSE’s attention to craft brings out the emotion of the people involved and the issues, causing the viewer to empathize with the situation on a more personal level.