In India, the world’s largest democracy, many citizens have stopped believing in voting. But, 2014 was a landmark election year in which we needed everyone to vote.

Google, India's most preferred destination for online conversations, decided to find a way to restore people’s faith in democracy - by not preaching, but inspiring. A web film introduced India to Shyam Saran Negi, the first person to vote in Independent India, who has not missed a single election since 1951.

The first Indian to vote struck a chord across a diverse country. Millions took the #pledgetovote. The online chatter turned from negative to positive, spreading hope across the country. A record number of people turned up on voting day to exercise their franchise, registering an almost 10% jump in voter turnout.

Why this entry is appropriate to PR:

In India, voting had a PR problem. Many people didn’t think it was worth it and the massive youth population just wasn’t concerned enough. In an age of cynicism and apathy, we needed to turn public sentiment around and remind the country that voting is of crucial importance.

The internet is a key source of information for Indian voters. Google products like Search and YouTube play an important role in this. So, our idea lived within this world and encouraged conversations online.

In an age of cynicism and apathy, Mr. Negi’s dedication and patriotism moved the country. By introducing India to the very first person to participate in our democracy, we reminded people that voting is of crucial importance.

Google is all about technology and individual people making the world better, one small step at a time. Shyam Saran Negi’s story epitomises this in the best way possible.

Shyam Saran Negi’s dedication and commitment immediately struck a chord across a diverse country. Millions took the #pledgetovote and spread the word online. Scores of people left messages of hope at Google’s election hub. Most importantly, a record number of people turned up on voting day to exercise their franchise, registering an almost 10% jump in voter turnout as compared to the last general election.