“THE SLAVERY CUP” DEMANDS ATTENTION
HOW TO BE FAMOUS
by Maggie Gaynor
A deep dive into Mojo Supermarket’s Campaign targeting FIFA over Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers.
In the first step of How to be Famous, we urge agencies to make things forwardable. Creative is the single biggest driver of agency PR and a good indicator of success is to ask yourself, “Would you share this if you weren’t getting paid to do it?”
If you’re not familiar with the campaign, “The Slavery Cup” targeted FIFA and the United Nations for allowing host country Qatar to commit human rights violations by using slave labor to build the stadiums where the 2022 World Cup is being played. In addition to the projections, the agency distributed passports outside of both buildings featuring the stories of eleven enslaved migrant workers who died building the stadiums.
Kudos to Mojo Supermarket's campaign for taking a stand against Qatar and being true.
This is the type of campaign that gets talked about. It was eye-catching and unexpected, and it didn’t mince words. From its social justice-driven message to its unlikely medium, this bold campaign was not only interesting enough to secure the coveted earned media coverage of a Gen-Z Instagram story, it was also featured in top-tier advertising publications including Adweek and AdAge.
It’s no secret that people are less tolerant of ads than ever before. Since the invention of DVR brought us the power to fast-forward through commercials, the advertising industry has been fighting an uphill battle to keep viewers engaged.
Gen Z viewers are especially hard to impress with traditional advertisements. As a Gen-Zer myself I can confirm that every TikTok, YouTube or Hulu ad is met with an eye roll. Since it’s a challenge on its own to get us to watch an ad, it's an especially difficult feat to get us to re-share something we not only watched in its entirety, but liked.
Brands can learn a lot from The Slavery Cup campaign. The technique was innovative, but grounded in humanity. While the message was loudly broadcasted, the passports offered a human element that reminded those watching that the purpose was not just to make noise, but to implore change. This was a lesson to be intentional with your stories and when you find one worth telling, don’t bury it in a commercial – bring it to life.