Since we were children, we have been taught to sink ships. It's time we were taught to rescue them.

As you read this, there are likely people drowning in the Mediterranean Sea.

The NGO Humanitarian Maritime Rescue (Salvamento Marítimo Humanitario) needed to create a campaign to raise awareness about this reality and simultaneously finance future rescue missions.

This is how Rescueship (Salvar la flota) was born. An educational tool that helps mitigate the consequences of geographic inequalities and managed to save 43 lives.

The Mediterranean is the world's largest mass grave. The Mediterranean migration route is a global phenomenon, with thousands of migrants risking their lives at sea every year to escape violence, armed conflict, and poverty in their home countries. In 2023, over 2,500 migrants died or disappeared while attempting the crossing.

Frontex, the agency responsible for managing the humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean for the European Union, has faced criticism for its lack of effectiveness in saving lives. This criticism stems from Frontex's emphasis on border protection rather than maritime rescue.

As a result, NGOs become key players in assisting those affected. These organizations depend on donations to guarantee the right to life and humanitarian assistance. Additionally, they need strong one-time fundraising to support charter missions during times of increased migratory traffic."

Humanitarian Maritime Rescue (Salvamento Marítimo Humanitario) is a small Spanish NGO focused on the maritime rescue of migrants who are compelled to move in dangerous conditions and aspire to reach Europe in pursuit of a better future for themselves. As a small organization, they lack significant visibility and they require impactful actions to effectively communicate their message to the public.

According to the European Union, 11 children die every week while trying to cross the Mediterranean. More than 2,500 migrants died or disappeared while attempting to cross in 2023. That is why we sought an action that would not only make the problem visible but also contribute to generating change. An action that helps reduce the mortality rate in the Mediterranean for people fleeing situations of violence, armed conflict, and poverty.

According to the European Union, 11 children die every week while attempting to cross the Mediterranean. More than 2,500 migrants died or disappeared while trying to cross in 2023. These data make the Mediterranean Sea the largest mass grave in the world.

Humanitarian Maritime Rescue (Salvamento Marítimo Humanitario) is an NGO focused on maritime rescue. Through their work, they aim to guarantee the right to life, the right to receive humanitarian assistance, the right to protection and safety, and the right to receive international asylum.

In this situation, a small NGO like Humanitarian Maritime Rescue (Salvamento Marítimo Humanitario) needed to create a powerful action. An action that would place them in the social conversation to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean. With donations, the NGO was able to charter new rescue missions. Each time the ship goes on a rescue mission, €35,000 are invested.

Frontex, the agency tasked by the European Union with managing the humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean, has faced criticism for its ineffectiveness in saving lives from the European Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly. This is because Frontex has publicly communicated that its primary focus is border protection, not maritime rescue. Given that the agency designated to manage the crisis has stated that rescue is not its primary function, it is not surprising that crisis management is poor.

As a result, NGOs such as Humanitarian Maritime Rescue (Salvamento Marítimo Humanitario)are crucial in providing assistance to those affected and fleeing situations of violence, armed conflict, and poverty. These organizations rely on individual donations and are essential for ensuring the right to life, humanitarian assistance, safety, security, and the right to international asylum in Europe amidst the migration crisis in the Mediterranean.

Every day, NGOs such as Humanitarian Maritime Rescue (Salvamento Marítimo Humanitario) embark on missions at sea to search for ships. We realized that this was very similar to the mechanics of a world-famous board game: Battleship. However, the objective of our NGO was radically different. What if we turned the mechanics of the classic game on its head? We created Rescueship (Salvar la flota), a game where whoever saves the most lives wins.

The mechanics were the same as in Battleship, but instead of destroying ships, the players would perform the same task as the NGO: they would attempt to blindly search for shipwrecked people. Boats, lifeboats, and rescued people were the pieces of the game, creating an entire graphic universe to convey our message.

This game served a dual purpose: on one hand, it was an educational tool to raise awareness, and on the other hand, it served as a key

We wanted to educate and raise awareness about this reality and, at the same time, find a way to finance new missions. But a conventional fundraising campaign was not enough. Strategically, Rescueship (Salvar la flota) accomplished both missions.

On one hand, through a launch video, we conducted the first fundraising campaign just before Christmas, a time of year when there is heightened attention to toys. In less than 72 hours, we achieved the fundraising goal necessary to charter the next rescue mission.

On the other hand, being based on a world-renowned game, Rescueship (Salvar la flota) generated sufficient interest to effectively convey the message to people of all ages, thereby raising awareness of the issue.

This approach represents a creative way to assist individuals fleeing situations of violence, armed conflict, and poverty, both immediately and in the long term.

We developed a launch campaign with mailings to media outlets and opinion leaders that helped spread our message.

A week before Christmas, in the midst of the large number of Christmas toy ads, the NGO launched an ad on digital platforms.This ad was camouflaged among those of toy companies, but the message was not the usual one.

The online film began with the familiar coordinates, and as we listened to the typical "miss, miss" prompts. Suddenly, everything changes. Instead of pronouncing "sunk", the voice over said "saved". Real images of rescues in the Mediterranean were shown on the screen, accompanied by a message: "We have always been taught to sink ships, now let's learn how to rescue them".

The piece directed you to the website where you could buy it. The impact of our message was significant, as in less than 72 hours we sold out of all our stock.

Donations skyrocketed. In less than 72 hours, the donations needed to charter a rescue ship had been reached.

-The message was broadcast in more than 150 national and international media.

-Reach of 2.5 MM

-EMV value of more than 625K€.

-We raised 47,000 euros in private donations.

But the most important one:

-43 lives saved

To generate significant change in society, it is crucial to instill new values from an early age. Rescueship (Salvar la flota) is a tool that promotes social values and generates a real impact. It is a tool to raise awareness of the issues and to raise funds for future rescue missions.

For organizations such as Humanitarian Maritime Rescue (Salvamento Marítimo Humanitario), which have the responsibility to ensure the rights and safety of migrants, but have little visibility, actions like this are of vital importance.

In the first 72 hours, the game sold out of stock, and a reprint is currently underway and will soon be available again on the NGO's website, where it will continue to help raise visibility for its mission and raise funds.

Rescueship (Salvar la flota) is a product entirely created through local commerce, reducing carbon emissions associated with shipping from abroad. All materials are recycled, and shipments are conducted using Correos, the Spanish postal service, known for its responsible shipping practices. This non-urgent shipping method optimizes delivery routes by waiting for transport to be complete, thereby aiding in emission reduction efforts.