By subsidizing the phone cards, we ensured our message would be spread through one of the most powerful and trusted advertising mediums around – the voice of a loved one. Armed with a subsidized ‘Don’t Be Sorry’ phone card and the real facts about the dangers, they convinced thousands of potential asylum seekers about the safer, more certain ways to reunite in Australia.

And for the first time, an Australian Government campaign was able to deliver a focused message to an unreachable audience spread around the world.

With a limited budget of $100,000 we achieved…

• 1,877 phone cards given away

• 31% of respondents spoke to family friends about Australia’s asylum and immigration policy

• 67% of our responders used the telephone to do so

• 51% of the messages were ‘Don’t come by boat it’s too risky’

• 26% of the messages were ‘Apply legally’