Data showed that attention for older missing children’s cases had dropped significantly.

So we created a daily reminder to make sure missing children are never forgotten: 1 million 2 euro coins with the face of a missing child.

Next to the portrait we also showed our website. We used a live database: depending on which country you’re in, the most relevant cases are shown first.

The supporting media campaign asked to spread hope by spending the coins. This across various media: tv, print, radio, social media, posters and ambient media in stores. Many of these chosen specifically to target people while they are handling currency.

We also turned our 1 million coins into countless virtual ones, by asking people to share a picture, using #CoinsofHope. Or, if they didn’t have a Coin of Hope yet, by doing a ‘coin swap’ with any other coin on the campaign website.

First we needed the King’s approval to replace his portrait, but also that of the Royal Mint, the Secretary of Finance and the 19 governments of the Eurozone. We then commissioned the designer of the common side of the Euro, Luc Luyckx, to turn the missing poster of Liam into a 3D design for a coin.

Finally, on International Missing Children’s Day, Child Focus launched the Coins of Hope during a press conference with the secretary of Finance.

To insure a fast spread across the country, the 1 million coins were randomly divided across banks in Belgium.

The supporting campaign encouraged people to quickly spend the coins after sharing a picture with #CoinsofHope. A number of coins were sent to celebrities in advance to get the ball rolling.

The media attention for all missing children resulted in one journalist who even managed to locate one of the children in our campaign: Mansour Safi, who had been missing for almost a year.

€22 million earned media

180 million media impressions

+70 million social reach

+56% share rate of Child Focus posts

+203% engagement on Facebook page

1 permanent medium with infinite impressions

With Coins of Hope we created a new permanent medium with infinite impressions across Europe.

The supporting campaign asked to spread hope by spending the coins as quickly as possible. We used radio, print ads and social media but also specific media planning: targeted TV commercials referred to products in the previous ad, encouraging people to pay for that product with a Coin of Hope.

We also used specific media where people use currency. Through banks and a supermarket chain we spread our message on ATMs and cash registers. In local shops we used cash mats, posters and window stickers.

We wanted to reach all Belgians, and preferably people across borders too as any tip can lead to a breakthrough. Using only standard media this would quickly turn too expensive.

So we created a new and permanent medium with infinite impressions across Europe.

To make sure our Coins of Hope spread as fast as possible we not only used radio, print ads and social media but a specific media plan to get our message across at the right time to the right people.

Targeted TV commercials referred to products in the previous ad, encouraging people to pay for that product with a Coin of Hope.

Specific media was used where people use currency. Through banks and a supermarket chain we spread our message on ATMs and cash registers. In local shops we used cash mats, posters and window stickers.

Online #CoinsofHope turned our 1 million coins into countless digital versions.

In Europe, every two minutes a child is reported missing. Some of them are found quickly, but others remain missing for years. Data showed that attention for older missing children’s cases had dropped significantly. The missing posters and social posts have become old news. Unjustly so, because previous cases have proven that even after years the right information can still provide a breakthrough. Child Focus, the Belgian Center for Missing Children, never gives up hope. They do everything it takes to help the families in their search and to get others involved. The objectives of the campaign were to express Child Focus’ hope for all missing children and to get everyone talking about them again. We wanted to give these children the attention they deserve.