Cosmopolitan: Suffocation [alternative version]

Credits & Description:

Client Karma Nirvana
Advertiser Cosmopolitan Magazine
Media Print
Brand Karma Nirvana
Country United Kingdom
Activity Human Rights
Campaign Breaking Free
Agency Leo Burnett London
Agency city London
Copywriter Darren Keff
Copywriter Phillip Meyler
Graphic Designer Tim Fletcher
Account Director Sofia Sarkar
Account Director Chris Jackson
Creative Director Justin Tindall
Art Director Darren Keff
Art Director Phillip Meyer
Photographer Erin Mulvehill
Brief Explanation
Karma Nirvana is a UK registered Charity that supports victims and survivors of Forced Marriage and Honour Based Abuse. Their aim is to raise public awareness on the issues and break the silence. Their experts provide confidential support, options and guidance to all victims and survivors of Honour Based Abuse.
The Brief
Drive awareness of the British girls who have lost their lives to ‘honour’ killings. Girls like Shafilea Ahmed who was suffocated with a plastic bag by her parents because she refused an arranged marriage.
How the final design was conceived
The work juxtaposed the magazine most famous for encouraging women to be in control of their lives, with the sheer brutality that women subject to Honour Based Abuse face. It contrasted an icon of Western female freedom with the appalling repression and abuse that these young women suffer.
Opening the plastic wrapper which was ‘suffocating’ the victim inside was both symbolic of the audience’s power and ability to release these girls from abuse, and in reality gave them the report outlining the measures collectively required to bring change.
The wrap was distributed to the targeted audience at a closed event at House of Commons during the launch and panel discussion of the report. The campaign was supported by a broader social media campaign. This was as planned, though later requests to hand out the cover to further influencers such as the Prime Minister were received and actioned.
Indication of how successful the outcome was in the market
The campaign achieved 28,517,589 media impressions and 220,771,948 views, generating a global conversation with the public through social and organic PR.
It received a public response from Home Secretary Theresa May and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. Cross governmental support from all key internal government agencies who have given commitment to delivering internal comms and conferences to their departments in July.
All of which drove a 94% increase in traffic to Karma Nirvana’s website and in January this year, an Annual National Day of Remembrance for the British victims of ‘honour’ killings was officially declared at The Houses of Parliament.