Grey helps Australia make missing people unmissable

Missing people are unmissable to someone. Grey Australia is using Australia’s best storytellers and artists to make them unmissable to those who can help them to be found.

The campaign, for Missing Persons Advocacy Network (MPAN), aims to match artists and authors with the families of a long term missing people, to create for each a piece of art that highlights the missing person as an individual – beyond their vital statistics.

The campaign follows 2016’s Too short stories campaign. More than 38,000 Australians are reported missing every year, and many remaining missing long term.

Grey Melbourne’s Too Short Stories reimagine the missing persons poster

Loren O’Keeffe, founder and director of MPAN, commented, “The Unmissables is very important work that I’m immensely proud of. It’s the perfect vehicle to make these often forgotten faces, unmissable.”

To launch the 2017 campaign, author, Benjamin Law, and Melbourne street artist, Heesco, were paired with the parents of missing Burwood East man, Tej Chitnis. A public mural for Tej at the Queen Victoria Market marks the first anniversary of his disappearance.

The campaign’s focal point is an online hub developed in partnership with WPP partner, The White Agency – which features a series of beautifully reimagined missing persons posters. Cold statistics are replaced with stories, and grainy photographs are replaced with works of art. The campaign calls for new contributors to donate their talents and a ‘call for walls’ request for gallery or building owners to donate their walls to feature the artworks.

Claudia McInerney, managing director, Grey Melbourne commented, “This next campaign for MPAN is the culmination of a lot of dedicated people pouring all their talents and efforts into a worthy cause that’s underpinned by a fantastic creative idea. We’re proud to have played a part in helping Loren raise awareness of these long term missing Australians on behalf of the families that are so deeply affected.”

Anthony Moss, executive creative director, Grey Melbourne, added, “Collaborating with other creative communities on a project so important, has been a pleasure and a real labour of love. And while usually we want campaign results to feature in the millions, just one new lead that comes as a result of this work will make it all worthwhile.”

Credits:

Agency: Grey Australia

Associate creative director & writer: Sally Richmond

Associate creative director & art director: Lauren Doolan

Executive creative director, Melbourne: Anthony Moss

Chief creative officer: Michael Knox

Managing director, Melbourne: Claudia McInerney

National planning director: Danish Chan

Account director: Catherine David

Account manager: Casey Nguyen

Agency producer: Katie Wellbelove