As child marriages continue to be a problem in India further led by the Covid-19 pandemic, NGO Akshara Centre, in collaboration with the Government of India’s Ministry of Women and Child Development, have commissioned a powerful ad film, #JustAChild. The campaign aims to prompt immediate action from a vigilant society.
Conceptualised by 82.5 Communications, the ad features what seems like a normal wedding at first glance. Curiously, though, the bride’s wedding finery and even her bindi are being removed. At the end, we realise that the bride is actually an under-age girl and she is being rescued. The ad signs off by urging viewers to be on the alert for possible child marriages happening around them and to call 1098 to report such cases. Because every call can help rescue an underage girl being forcibly married off.
“Amid the many crises of the pandemic, child marriage is one serious problem that was not getting enough attention. Our attempt is to correct that. Director Pradeep Sarkar and singer Ila Arun have helped us create a film with a strong impact. We hope it will be seen widely and its message is taken to heart,” Sumanto Chattopadhyay, chairman and CCO, 82.5 Communications-India, said on the launch of the new campaign.
“The attempt is to use unmissable storytelling to make the message of ending child marriage unmissable,” Mayur Varma, executive creative director and creative head, Mumbai and Kolkata, 82.5 Communications added.
The film is part of a larger campaign, #JustAChild, that aims at raising awareness about the issue across India. The official #JustAChild film was released by minister Yashomati Thakur in a national event organised by MAVIM and UN Women India.
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