In Turkey, over 400,000 children have been forced into marriage in last 10 years. During Turkish weddings there is a tradition of tying a red ribbon around the waists of brides. We took these ribbons and used them to deliver a message to people who can change the future: the next generation of university graduates.

To help the children of tomorrow, we listened to yesterday’s child brides.

We collected their messages and ribbons and delivered them to people with the power to change the future: university graduates. We tied the diplomas with the child brides’ ribbons, each with a unique message from the women to the different faculties.

Newly graduated university students are our strategic target group, because they have the power to make a difference around our cause when they start their professional careers. They will be the influencers and role models of tomorrow, but we need to find the most effective and relevant medium within the students’ life to deliver our message. What we found was the graduation ceremony and the students’ most important document; the graduation certificate is the right time and place to deliver it. Creating awareness in an unforgettable moment.

Each diploma was tied with the ribbon of a former child bride and was attached with a unique message for each faculty. Alongside this the top graduating student also delivered a motivational speech explaining the meaning behind the ribbons and message. Combining these factors, we were able to reach thousands of people both live at the event and millions more on social media.

With zero budget, we had a media reach of over 10 million. Becoming one of the biggest campaigns for the cause of child brides in Turkey. And most importantly, many of the graduates gave their promise to make a change for the children of tomorrow.