The UNHCR has turned 70 years old and its work continues to be crucial to protect millions of people forced to flee from conflict and persecution and seek refuge. Seventy years devoted to defending the lives of millions of refugees and displaced persons in corners all around the globe. It’s inevitable, though, to have the feeling this is an uncomfortable milestone that is hard to celebrate, as the organization’s work is unfortunately more necessary today than ever. 

 Viernes took on the responsibility of telling the story, putting forward various communications actions spotlighting the essence of its mandate, and underpinned by a subtle but resounding concept. Its coverage is broad-based, embracing both the organization’s history and achievements and the stories of refugees themselves.

 The UNHCR now bears 70 years of lives, the lives of millions of people who have been protected and sheltered all these years. 

Our project encompassed the commemoration of the UNHCR’s 70th anniversary and the celebration of World Refugee Day. From the very outset, the proposal took us down an artistic avenue with ideas found in poetry, the perfect vehicle to reach and involve the public in a less marketing-oriented vein.

The commemoration of World Refugee Day (#DíadelRefugiado) was conceived as a poetic event to be held in Madrid’s Casa Árabe. We based our concept on the birth of the word refugee to use it as a thread for an emotional function that put the accent on words through verses and literary references hinging around the meanings of refuge, uprooting, welcoming, and concepts such as those of providing shelter or the right to protection in various cultures and religions.

This approach enabled us to generate a very special, intimate and emotional climax in the event. The environment needed to be able to stir the attendees and politicians who took part. The opportunity of having representatives of institutions and decision makers present had to be seized to shake their consciousness and ensure they went back to their offices having won their hearts and minds.

 Universal Poem is a poetic project with which we work closely and through which the first poem to be written verse by verse by all of humanity is being composed. We decided to add it to our campaign because, conceptually, it fit perfectly and we could avail ourselves for our communication goals of an existing platform for participative action. For 47 days, a mailing list and social media were used for people to write verses whose focal point was the word refugee, in reference to the lives of refugees. The network of collaborating institutions was used for this purpose.

We put forward a graphic campaign full of color showcasing a host of races and celebrating life on a play of images of UNHCR staff and refugees including handmade graphic elements. Life was given to these elements in motion graphic pieces as well.

The campaign is a cry of joy and positivism that aims to shed a bit of light in these dark times when the UNHCR’s work is so important. The exercise also allowed us to be able to touch upon other aspects falling under the organization’s mandate and show the countries where the UNCHR works, the fields where these makes a difference, how the organization provides refuge and is able to help, and highlight important figures reflecting all of this in order to convey it to the public.

Universal Poem is a poetic project with which we work closely and through which the first poem to be written verse by verse by all of humanity is being composed. We decided to add it to our campaign because, conceptually, it fit perfectly and we could avail ourselves for our communication goals of an existing platform for participative action. For 47 days, a mailing list and social media were used for people to write verses whose focal point was the word refugee, in reference to the lives of refugees. The network of collaborating institutions was used for this purpose.

We put forward a graphic campaign full of color showcasing a host of races and celebrating life on a play of images of UNHCR staff and refugees including handmade graphic elements. Life was given to these elements in motion graphic pieces as well.

The campaign is a cry of joy and positivism that aims to shed a bit of light in these dark times when the UNHCR’s work is so important. The exercise also allowed us to be able to touch upon other aspects falling under the organization’s mandate and show the countries where the UNCHR works, the fields where these makes a difference, how the organization provides refuge and is able to help, and highlight important figures reflecting all of this in order to convey it to the public.