Human Rights Watch: Burma Installation
Human Rights Watch needed to raise global awareness and pressure for the release of 2,100 political prisoners in Burma following the 2010 elections. They aimed to engage the public and world leaders, generating signatures and media attention to secure their freedom.
Creative Idea
Pens as prison bars allowed people to symbolically free prisoners and sign petitions.
An interactive installation at Grand Central Station used pens as prison bars, allowing passersby to symbolically free Burma's political prisoners by removing a pen and then using it to sign a petition, transforming passive observation into active, tangible advocacy for human rights.
Turning Prison Bars Into Tools For Change
A Single Day In Vanderbilt Hall
The installation was a logistical feat that achieved global impact in just eleven hours. On June 22, 2010, from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM, commuters in Grand Central Terminal encountered a miniature prison complex featuring 200 individual cells. The "bars" of these cells were actually 2,000 ballpoint pens. By physically removing a pen, participants symbolically "freed" a prisoner and immediately used that same tool to sign a petition. This tactile metaphor transformed the pen - an instrument often used to sign repressive laws - into a weapon for liberation.
Global Reach And Political Pressure
The campaign successfully engaged citizens from over 86 countries. The physical petition books were not merely symbolic; they were delivered directly to the United Nations Secretary-General and various world leaders. While the installation began in New York, its influence spread through a digital extension developed by JWT, allowing a global audience to "remove the bars" virtually. This momentum continued with "shadow" installations at the European Parliament in Brussels and in Prague to maintain pressure on EU leadership.
Shaping Events Through Craft
The project is credited with pioneering the ADC Designism Award, a category established because judges felt the work transcended traditional advertising. Creative Director Mason Hedgecoth noted that the project proved the power of craft to shape world events. The timing was critical, occurring during Burma's first elections in two decades. In the months following the peak of the advocacy efforts, more than 150 political prisoners, including Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, were released from detention. Production was supported by a coalition of partners including Cigar Box Studios Inc. and Graphic Technology.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
Human Rights Watch leveraged its advocacy mission and credibility to create a powerful, public statement for human rights.
Category
Traditional human rights campaigns often relied on distant imagery or abstract calls, but this campaign offered direct, symbolic interaction.
Customer
The public felt disconnected from distant injustices but desired a tangible way to contribute and make a real difference.
Culture
Grand Central Station provided a high-traffic, iconic public forum, amplifying the message and attracting significant media attention.
Company
Human Rights Watch leveraged its advocacy mission and credibility to create a powerful, public statement for human rights.
Category
Traditional human rights campaigns often relied on distant imagery or abstract calls, but this campaign offered direct, symbolic interaction.
Strategy:
Transform abstract injustice into a tangible, interactive call to action, empowering individuals to make a difference.
Customer
The public felt disconnected from distant injustices but desired a tangible way to contribute and make a real difference.
Culture
Grand Central Station provided a high-traffic, iconic public forum, amplifying the message and attracting significant media attention.
Strategy:
Transform abstract injustice into a tangible, interactive call to action, empowering individuals to make a difference.
Results
Thousands of signatures of people from 86 countries were collected. The event attracted media from around the globe. More than 150 political prisoners have since been released, including opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The petition book was sent to the United Nations Secretary-General and leaders of countries that maintain close ties with Burma.
Thousands
signatures collected
86
countries represented in signatures
+150
political prisoners released
Strategy Technique
Make the Invisible Visible
It brought the unseen suffering of Burma's political prisoners into a prominent public space. The installation made their confinement tangible and actionable, allowing passersby to directly engage with the issue.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Install it
The campaign created a large, interactive installation in a public space. This allowed direct physical engagement, transforming abstract advocacy into a tangible, memorable experience for participants.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
This campaign's craft is exceptional in its experiential design, transforming a complex political issue into a tangible, interactive, and deeply moving public experience. The synergy between physical interaction, digital storytelling, and powerful messaging elevates it significantly.
The campaign brilliantly creates an interactive installation that allows the public to physically engage with the abstract concept of political imprisonment, making the act of 'freeing' a prisoner tangible and emotionally resonant.
The meticulous design and construction of the large-scale grid installation, functioning as a wall of 'prison cells' with integrated screens and removable 'bars' (pens), is crucial to the campaign's impact.
The powerful tagline 'THE POWER TO FREE BURMA'S POLITICAL PRISONERS IS IN YOUR HANDS.' engraved on the pens directly empowers participants and succinctly summarizes the campaign's core message.
The stark, black-and-white, often selective-color video footage of the political prisoners presented in their 'cells' is visually compelling and effectively conveys the harshness of their confinement.
The campaign's magic lies in the powerful synergy between the physical act of removing a pen (a symbolic 'bar'), the immediate visual feedback of a prisoner being 'freed' on screen, and the collective action of signing a petition, all framed within a public space and amplified by poignant sound design.
