BRIEF: The Traveller Community in Ireland remain a marginalised group within society. Despite being officially recognised by the state as a distinct ethnic group, many Irish people still hold prejudice against them. A campaign is required to convince Irish people, that Travellers should be accepted by society in the same way that the numerous other ethnic groups are in this country, without prejudice.
INSIGHT: People wouldn’t dare use most racial slurs. If they hear others use racial slurs they’re horrified, and yet, so many people are comfortable saying “knacker” casually and publicly. They think it’s acceptable, they think it’s deserved and they’re rarely reprimanded for it. People aren’t REALLY aware of the lasting damage caused by discrimination and stereotyping of this community.
How can we get people to rethink the way the speak about travellers?
IDEA: This OOH and social media campaign shows people how inescapable stereotyping language is when you grow up within the traveller community and how their words effect EVERY member of the community. Even children. It forces people consider how this will effect an impressionable child’s view of themselves and impact their future.
Let’s put faces to the names people are calling them…
OOH ads feature the portraits of the children. They will be accompanied by a real comment they’ve eperienced just for being a traveller — only the comments will be turned into first person, to demonstrate just how damaging stereotyping language can be to a child’s view of themselves.
SOCIAL: Social media ads will feature short videos of the same children, again in their home environment. They will say the negative remarks aloud to the camera in first person. As they do, they words appear across the image.
Child: I’m a waste of space…
Your words effect every member of the travelling community… so watch your language… Words travel.
Child: I’m a dirty tinker. I’ve got no place here…
Your words effect every member of the travelling community... so watch your language… Words travel.