Ogilvy & Mather Shanghai Helps Spread Some Peace

Millions of people around the world participated in the International Day of Peace yesterday (21 September), an annual 24 hours calling for non-violence and a global cease fire.

Last year, 470 million people across 200 countries participated in the event through the efforts of non-profit organisation Peace One Day. But awareness in China remains low, so Ogilvy & Mather Shanghai decided get involved in spreading the word of amity through its new campaign, Shoot Goals, Not Guns.

To draw people into conversations about the significance of the date, figurines on a foosball table were replaced with 22 handcrafted replicas of powerful leaders. Well known faces like Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel, Aung San Suu Kyi and Barack Obama were all seen together, symbolically playing on a single pitch.

The creation was toted around Shanghai’s public places: from the iconic Bund to quieter cafeteria corners. Passers-by from all walks of life were encouraged to join in and whack the ball around, creating a memorable moment that got the public talking about Peace One Day and gained momentum through websites, blogs and China’s active online community.

“The International Day of Peace is about stopping violence on all scales, from common schoolyard bullying to the grand scale tragedies ruining lives of millions,” says Graham Fink, chief creative officer of Ogilvy & Mather China.

“Shoot Goals, Not Guns is our small way to spark dialogues in China about universal peace and hopefully sow seeds for greater, positive change.”