Cannes Lions

SINGING SAILOR

ÅKESTAM HOLST, Stockholm / THE SWEDISH PEACE AND ARBITRATION SOCIETY / 2015

Awards:

1 Shortlisted Cannes Lions
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Overview

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Credits

OVERVIEW

Description

In the search for foreign submarines last year, the Swedish military just had their biggest mobilization for decades. But, they found nothing. Voices are heard for more resources.

The Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society, the world’s oldest peace organization want the world to think in new ways instead of falling back on territorial defense, military service and rearmament – the world does not need more weapons.

The Singing Sailor is a subsurface sonar system installed into the sea in the archipelago due east of Stockholm. It sends out the Morse code: “This way if you are gay”. The Singing Sailor also features a neon sign with a sailor waving his white flag above the text “Welcome to Sweden - Gay since 1944” (the year Sweden as the first country in the world legalized homosexuality). Interesting info for any submarines passing close by.

The media impact:

After a fortnight in the archipelago due east of Stockholm, the Singing Sailor’s reach was 1.5 billion people. Without any media money spent, The Singing Sailor created a 100 percent organic buzz. People from 146 countries have seen his video and he was on CNN to Moscow Times. The Nobel Prize committee tweeted the campaign and the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society has been quoted in every possible media.

Execution

The Singing Sailor is a subsurface sonar system installed into the sea in the archipelago due east of Stockholm. It sends out the Morse code: “This way if you are gay”. The Singing Sailor also features a neon sign with a sailor waving his white flag above the text “Welcome to Sweden - Gay since 1944” (the year Sweden as the first country in the world legalized homosexuality). Interesting info for any submarines passing close by.

Outcome

After a fortnight in the archipelago due east of Stockholm, the Singing Sailor’s reach was 1.5 billion people. Without any media money spent, The Singing Sailor created a 100 percent organic buzz. People from 146 countries have seen his video and he was on CNN to Moscow Times. The Nobel Prize committee tweeted the campaign and the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society has been quoted in every possible media.

The strategy was to use three hot topics: Re-armament, the Swedish fear of Russians submarines and Russia’s conditions for LGBT people. Without any media money spent, The Singing Sailor created a 100 percent organic buzz.

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