Cannes Lions

Unshowable

STEVE, PARIS / WORLD VISION FRANCE / 2024

Awards:

2 Bronze Cannes Lions
1 Shortlisted Cannes Lions
Presentation Image
Supporting Images
Supporting Images

Overview

Entries

Credits

Overview

Background

All over the world today, millions of children are constantly surrounded by violence, death and suffering. These tragedies have been further exacerbated these last years, with the acceleration of global warming (which in Africa has led to an unprecedented drought, causing a dramatic decrease in water and food resources), as well as the intensity of devastating conflicts for civilian populations.

World Vision France wanted to sound the alarm on these crucial issues. Atrocities such as the rape of a child bride or the genital mutilation of a young girl.

Beyond alerting opinion, the campaign also called for donations.

Execution

“Unshowable” is a book of “photography without any photos”. Only the caption tells what can't be shown for decency reasons and legal ones.

That is why we mainly used what is called “external focalization” in literature: everything is described as if we were merely looking at the scene.

Of course, each description is as meticulous as a photograph would be. The copy gives you all the details you would get from a picture.

Most of the time, we respect a kind of distance. It is a cold, sharp description. Nevertheless, here and there, we used a stylistic device, as an effect aimed at boosting the impact.

As another exception to our writing rules, from time to time, we also added some kind of extrapolations: what a viewer could guess or imagine while looking at the real picture. A way to make each copy more emotional.

Outcome

Trafic to the website raised by 30% (31% of new comers)

Engagement raised by 15%

+3% conversions despite record level inflation in France