The Copy on These Clever Finnish Billboards Is Gibberish

Education is crucial for helping a person reach their full potential, but for socioeconomic reasons not everyone has the chance to learn to read, leaving those who miss out at a lifelong disadvantage. If you're reading this article, then you are one of the lucky ones. But have you ever wondered what it feels like not to be able to read words? The charity World Vision Finland and agency TBWA\Helsinki developed a clever way to help people understand. The nonprofit, which campaigns for child education worldwide, convinced brands to run real billboard ads with a fake, made up language that nobody could understand. More than 700 million people around the world do not have access to education, with the pandemic only deepening the education divide, World Vision Finland and TBWA\Helsinki said in a statement. The agency convinced dozens of real brands and influencers to take part in the stunt. Can't read the text? It's not just you. World Vision Finland also enlisted influencers to share social media posts with the unintelligible text. The campaign ran online and on billboards throughout Finland over the Easter weekend, sparking confusion from passersby and on social media about whether the ads were deliberate, or made in error. World Vision Enlisted celebrities, including Finnish author and presenter Laura Friman to post gibberish on their social channels. Influencers, including Finnish YouTuber Maiju Voutilainen took part in the campaign. The basic right of every child Sini Tiensuu, marketing manager of World Vision Finland said in a statement: “Education, learning and literacy are basic rights of every child and that is why we decided to take it upon ourselves to raise awareness on this issue." "Advertising campaigns [for] nonprofits often focus on fundraising, but this time we wanted to do something different. By bringing the experience of illiteracy to advertising, we were able to raise awareness and.. discussion around the issue," she said. Paula Sonne, head of communications TBWA\Helsinki, added in a statement: "The best campaigns often break the rules and the barriers between different aspects of marketing. By combining elements from advertising, influencer marketing and communications, we were able to create a phenomena around the topic that deserves to be heard." CREDITS:Advertising Agency: TBWA\HelsinkiChief Creative Officer: Jyrki PoutanenHead of Communications: Paula SonneAccount Director: Annika WiksténProject Manager: Jenni KarstenCreatives: Iida Korhonen, Riina Uljala, Katariina OllariPR Specialist: Saana SimanderJunior Communications Specialist: Ellen LindbomPR & Insights Trainee: Erika RajaharjuProject Management Trainee: Sofia HeinonenClient: World Vision FinlandCommunications Manager: Anna PollariMarketing Manager: Sini TiensuuOOH spaces: Clear ChannelSales Director: Ville Bergman Iceland Wants to Collect Your Screams and Release Them Into Its Remote Wilderness

PSAs: Public Service Announcement Campaigns

These Clever Finnish Billboards Are Written in Gibberish for One Important Reason

A new illiteracy PSA has TBWA\Helsinki enlisting brands and influencers to run ads in a made up language

Sara Spary

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Sara Spary