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.
 

Credits

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.

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