A film by VML and Burson Australia for Plan International reminds Australia that children are children. Not ready for marriage. Not ready to have their childhood cut short. 12 million girls each year married before their 18th birthday – 1 girl every 3 seconds. Child marriage often results in restricted access to education, increased vulnerability to domestic violence, and a heightened risk of serious health complications. That reality feels far away for most Australians. VML’s challenge was to bring it to the foreground of Australian caring.
The campaign, Not Ready for a Wedding, supports Plan International’s mission to end child marriage and launches in the lead up to the International Day of the Girl on October 11. Central to the campaign is a striking image of a teenage girl holding a bouquet of flower buds. This image symbolises the 12 million girls each year whose childhoods are cut short by early marriage, denying them the chance to realise their full potential. Plan International Ambassador, Phoebe Tonkin, has joined the campaign, lending her voice as a passionate advocate for global equality.
VML executive creative director, Richard Williams, stated, “The challenge with raising awareness of child marriage is it feels like a very distant issue for most Australians. This is the problem that Plan International Australia is facing every day. It was a problem we were convinced could be solved with creativity, so were thrilled to partner with Plan to end this critical global issue.”
Burson deputy market lead AUNZ, Jessie Gogan, added, “Our pride in this campaign lies in igniting change through stories that don’t just inform, but compel Australians to step up and be part of the solution. Strategic communication is our power to transform abstract global challenges into a tangible, local call to action.
“The Not Ready for a Wedding campaign calls on Australians to help dismantle the harmful social norms that allow child marriage to persist,” noted Susanne Legena, CEO, Plan International Australia.
The campaign launched in a high-profile event hosted by new Plan International patron, Her Excellency the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC, Governor-General of Australia and consists of a film, outdoor digital display, social media, Plan ambassador activity and editorial coverage.
