December 7, 2013 was the first day in Australian history that same-sex couples could marry. But only five days later the Federal Government overturned the ruling in the High Court - and 31 marriages were made invalid. GLAAD wanted to bring attention to this injustice and fuel the conversation around marriage equality.

People around the world were encouraged to use the hashtag #5daysofequality, and this simple mechanic allowed us to build a week’s program that promoted marriage equality. A launch video, along with organic PR, drove people to action. Throughout the 5-day period, a team of volunteers transcribed the most moving messages onto custom paper cards. At the end of the week, the couples were invited to a party in their hometown of Canberra, were they could read the messages of support from around the world. The video documentation of this event allowed for further PR and engagement.

A historic window of time that would have been forgotten became International news. From Buzzfeed to traditional publications like The Australian, this global show of support made headlines. And with no paid support whatsoever, the messages of congratulation were seen over 35 million times on social media platforms.