Thousands of websites use a captcha tool, a cognitive test used to block spam by telling computers and humans apart. Normally, distorted words and numbers are displayed to the Internet user as a way to confirm that he or she is not a robot and thus can proceed to gain access the website. What if, instead of meaningless words, it were possible to give it a social purpose?
With optimizing this space in mind, Leo Burnett Tailor Made in São Paulo, Brazil, created the “Missing Captcha” for the NGO Mothers of Sé, which consists of replacing the random words with the names and dates of disappearance of missing persons. “The person’s photo appears along with the name and date of disappearance. We also created a shortcut for Internet users to send messages to the NGO should they have seen or have any information on that person in the picture,” explained Marcio Juniot, creative director for Leo Burnett Tailor Made.
To the portals that would like to join the campaign can simply visit the website of the Missing Captcha and incorporate the code into their HTML, at no cost. The security tool will display pictures, names and dates of missing persons, giving families’ greater hope.
The expectation is that the portals will mobilize to support the cause. After all, the more people who see these pictures and names, the greater the chances of these missing persons being found. According to Mothers of Sé, it is very difficult to give a precise figure on the number of people who go missing in the country every year, but estimates place the number close to 40,000 cases annually.
Mothers of Sé is a non-profit organization incorporated in 1996 by Ivanise Esperidão da Silva. After her daughter went missing just 120 meters from her home, Ivanise, feeling helpless and disorientated, began meeting with other mothers on the steps of the Sé Cathedral (in downtown São Paulo) holding up signs with pictures of their missing children, in protest. Today Ivanise is the president of the association that is engaged in the search for missing children. They today tend to the family and friends of missing persons–regardless of age–throughout the country and also provide them with psychological assistance.
Client Mothers of Sé/Mães da Sé Agency Leo Burnett Tailor Made, São Paulo, Brazil Marcelo Reis, co-president and general creative director; Marcio Juniot, Pedro Utzeri, Marcelo Bruzzesi, creative directors; Vitor Menezes, Pedro Furtado, Fred Corazza, creatives; Celso Groba, Maria Fernanda Moura and Dudi Ciampolini Bourroul, producers; Christian Balzano, motion designer Digital Production Iwwa Digital Sound Production Casa da Arvore Pedro Penna, Fernando Ianni, audio producers.
Top Spot of the Week: EHRAC, Animation Studio NOMINT Depict Life “In Limbo” As Families Search For Loved Ones
This animated film titled In Limbo depicts the journey of a heroic woman protagonist representing the countless families in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe (where Chechnya is situated) searching for their forcibly disappeared loved ones. Utilizing theatrical elements, the film highlights the unnatural disruption caused by enforced disappearances and delves into the profound trauma these families endure. It emphasizes their long battles with the domestic authorities as they seek answers. The film also underscores the vital role of community support in helping these families cope and continue their fight for answers, serving as a compelling call to action for justice and human rights.
Through intimate storytelling, In Limbo raises awareness of the ongoing uncertainty that leaves families in a perpetual state of limbo, unable to find closure.
Directed by Afterman--the animation duo consisting of Tsvetelina Zdraveva and Jerred North--and created and produced by London-based animation studio NOMINT, In Limbo was commissioned by the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre (EHRAC).
In a joint statement, Zdraveva and North shared, “Our film takes place on a theater stage, highlighting how such tragedies are far removed from ordinary life,” they continued. “The stage is circular, resembling an artificial, perpetually spinning obstacle course, with a target—the red tail lights—just within sight yet never within reach, symbolizing the family’s never-ending quest for justice.”
“We used a limited primary color palette to contrast the two worlds all families are pulled between. Minimalist compositions of starkly silhouetted characters and environments create the ominous atmosphere of a deeply painful and... Read More