In the light of the pandemic that shook the world last year, millions of people were affected by the unprecedented upheaval. In India, small and unorganised business owners were one of the larger groups impacted. These people form an informal network so there was no formal fall back for them to protect their livelihoods.

India has a very rich culture of artisanal crafts and those who still protect those skills by working to preserve the national traditions. Not only are these dying arts, but also sometimes obscure. With a culmination of all these facets, the creative idea emerged to help small artisanal businesses try to feel a sense of normalcy by encouraging their art and their business. With our platform providing the perfect support to share their skill with the world.

Using an example of one local craftsman, we made an inspiring film about a mask maker for a traditional martial arts dance in rural India called Chauu. To further engage audience with this story, we also built a filter so that people could interact with the art form in a new and unique way.

For a consumer entering the internet today in India with a multitude of apps to choose from - Facebook has to compete with newer apps that are singular in purpose, simple to use, and provide tangible value with instant gratification. In this environment, even though the awareness of Facebook is high, its value is obscured, and we are not top of mind when it comes to actual usage.

With the launch of this campaign, our goal was to: Get new-to-Facebook users to recognise the value of Facebook, and increase engagement on app by demonstrating that Facebook is bringing the world closer together.

The idea was conceptualised by the team to help drive engagement during the key lockdown time in India in support of small business owners and local artisans.

The AR mask was created over a period of 10 days and rolled out nationally on the Facebook App as on-platform ads.

See confidential field below.