Passop: I Am Muslim

Credits & Description:

Agency: Vml
Brand: Passop
Country: South Africa
Advertising Agency: Vml, Cape Town
Entrant Company: Vml, Cape Town
Media Agency: Vml, Cape Town
Pr Agency: Vml, Cape Town
Production Company: Vml, Cape Town
Additional Company: Vml, Cape Town
Design Agency: Vml, Cape Town
Global Chief Creative Officer: Debbi Vandeven (Vml)
Chief Creative Officer: Jason Xenopoulos (Native Vml)
Creative Director: Adam Whitehouse (Native Vml)
Editor: Duvan Durand (The Institute)
Stylist: Crystal Birch (Freelancer)
Camera Man: Warrick Mcleod (Freelancer)
Producer: Chantel Green (Infidels)
Motion Graphics: Frank Van Der Elst (Freelancer)
Photographer: Justin Polkey (Native Vml)
Art Director: Ernst Lass (Native Vml)
Project Manager: Lara Matthews (Native Vml)
Group Account Director: Elizabeth Graham (Native Vml)
Executive Creative Director: Ryan Mcmanus (Native Vml)
Synopsis:
Following the recent terror attacks in Europe and the Middle East, intolerance directed at the Muslim community is higher than ever. Social media has amplified the vitriol so that the most divisive voices are the loudest. Muslims worldwide have been painted as extremists and terrorists, no matter their actual beliefs.People Against Suffering Oppression and Poverty (PASSOP), a non-profit that advocates for equality, justice, and human rights for all people, decided to change this situation. They wanted to confront people’s prejudices and remind the world that being a Muslim does not make someone a terrorist.
Campaign Description:
We created portraits of Muslim women wearing a traditional hijab made from the flag of their native country.We used these images in a poster, print and social media campaign that helped to reframe the global conversation.
Outcome:
At the time of writing the campaign has only just launched and therefore measurable results are not yet available. However, in just a few days of release the campaign has received an outstanding response with significant media pickup and overwhelmingly positive reactions on social media.
Execution:
We identified women who were both Muslim and native to various Western countries to feature in these images. We dressed them in a hijab fashioned to resemble the flag of their home nation. The resulting images were coupled with simple copy (“I Am Muslim. I Am [Nationality].”) and distributed via social, print and outdoor media.We expanded the campaign with additional collateral, including a behind-the-scenes vid-eo of the “making of” the campaign, as well as short interviews with some of the women who described their experiences as Muslims living in the Western world. This content was also syndicated via social channels.As people encountered these images, they were forced to re-examine how they felt about Muslim people in their own country, and to see them not just as Muslims, but as fellow citizens and human beings.
Strategy:
In the same way that a flag is the symbol of a country, the hijab is a symbol of Islam. The fact that juxtaposing these two symbols creates such a powerful impact highlights the tensions people have about Muslim identity. Therefore these images were able to spark conversation and force people to confront their prejudices and assumptions. To reach the widest possible audience we distributed these images via print, outdoor and social media, syndicating the images on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.Our target audience for the campaign was anyone who has participated in this global conversation, and who may have made snap judgments or assumptions about the Muslim community as a whole.