The brief that came from Moscow Department of Culture was to attract people’s attention to the problem of women’s rights. Despite the fact that equality of sexes is constitutionally guaranteed in Russia, our country is still highly patriarchal and Moscow is one of the most sexist Russian cities.

Our campaign was based on the unique insight. We decided to shake people's convictions urging them to change their patronymics to MOTHERnymics. (IMPORTANT FACT: in Russia patronymic must be formed from the father’s name only and is mandatory in each Russian ID). It means we were asking people to breach a centuries-old tradition.

Just before the 8th of March, the International women’s day, we launched 8mamarch site where anyone could temporarily change patronymic to mothernymic and send mother a complimentary postcard with mothernymic in her honor. Also we invited some celebrities to join our campaign. We placed postcards with them on billboards on the streets of Moscow and at their social media accounts.

The idea was so unexpected, provocative and daring that in few days we attracted people’s attention not only in Moscow but also throughout Russia and even abroad.

Just before the 8th of March, the International women’s day, we launched 8mamarch site where anyone could temporarily change patronymic to mothernymic and send mother a complimentary postcard with mothernymic in her honor. Also we invited some celebrities to join our campaign. We placed postcards with them on billboards on the streets of Moscow and at their social media accounts.

The idea was so unexpected, provocative and dare that in few days attracted people’s attention not only in Moscow but also throughout Russia and even abroad.

The campaign became viral in digital: people made postcards, shared them, posted and re-posted in social networks such as Facebook, VK, Odnoklassniki, Instagram, Twitter and their own blogs like Livejournal.

With zero budget this one-week campaign managed to gain very impressive numbers:

Earned media impressions – 363 609 159

PR value – 73 168 080 RUR

As a result, people of their own free will decided to start a petition at the site Change.org for people to have a chance to choose either to have patronymic or mothernymic. The petition is to be sent to the authorities in charge.