Save the Children is dedicated to protecting children and their well-being. A mission that is embedded even in the NGO’s circle logo surrounding a child, called the “Safety Circle.” So, in the face of a growing crisis of gambling among youngsters, we conducted the 1st study on the effects of gambling on children's wellbeing. The study revealed scary stats: 1 in 4 children in Romania has been engaged in real-money gambling. This culminated with several cases of children in schools taking their own lives for losing their parents’ money on gambling. Save the Children decided to take a stand against the vicious industry and effectively communicate research results in order to engage stakeholders and drive change. The final purpose? Legal action for stricter advertising regulation and driving gambling houses out of schools' proximity.

We turned the circle in our logo into an empty plate that fights against a different type of hunger - the hunger for money of the gambling industry. Then we strategically used this symbol to fine gambling house establishments in schools' proximity and influencers who promoted gambling to their young audience. Millions of empty plate emojis with “ hunger for money” messages were left in comments whenever an influencer, football player or popular show advertised gambling on their online pages.

Our strategy was based on a targeted guerrilla approach to disrupt the gambling industry's narrative and practices. However, the difficult part was that 70% of media providers who already had contracts with gambling brands ignored our call. So we reframed the conversation, positioning Save the Children as proactive disruptors. Instead of traditional educational campaigns, we opted for a localized guerrilla strategy, focusing on exposing the offensive offline and online gambling advertisements and the multitude of gambling houses placed in the proximity of schools. How? By strategically shadowing gambling communications with our message – Hunger for money attached to the empty plate symbol. By doing so, we aimed to underscore the urgency of the issue and galvanize stakeholders into meaningful action. An approach designed to challenge the status quo and drive school authorities, activists and politicians on our side.

Hand in hand, hundreds of students across Romania measured the distance between their schools and nearest gambling houses, proving dangerous proximity of fewer than 200 meters, in most of the cases.

Since most media spaces are paid by gambling industry, it would have been impossible for us to win. So we outsmarted them. On the day of the human chains, high schools became our outdoors.

In an unprecedented move, school buildings displayed campaign banners proclaiming "Save the children from Hunger for money!” School principals declared to the press they wouldn't take them down until the government approves a legislative framework to protect children.

Online, the movement turned into a cold war against gambling. The campaign’s empty plate symbol became an emoji that criticized celebrities who promoted gambling, accusing them of doing it solely out of "hunger for money". Millions of such ‘plates’ were left on their pages, by users.

For the first time, the devastating effect of gambling on children and their families was a subject of public debate in the Romanian Parliament.

We fought for setting a legal distance between school units and gambling houses, we obtained even more: a law that completely banned gambling houses from 90% of localities in Romania.

As to outdoor advertising, banners larger than 35 m2 were taken down. For good.

Our campaign’s message spread beyond the political sphere. And turned into an online war undertaken by users who left millions of empty plates on the pages of celebrities who made hefty profits from promoting gambling to minors. Many influencers popular among kids, apologized and donated the money earned from promoting gambling to different NGOs.

Our campaign message was picked up in digital media, social, TV and radio news. Including OOH placements, we achieved 674,000 Euro in earned media, with a total of 24M impressions.