The Problem

90% of Bulgarian citizens have some form of xenophobic sentiments towards the refugees seeking asylum in Bulgaria.

The Task

A national tolerence campaign that will fight Xenophobia.

Show the audiences that these are not just illegal aliens, but human beings wrapped in their own personal tragic stories. Make Bulgarians realise they are running from the horrors of war. Personalise the tragedy; turn it from statistics to an actual story people can relate to.

We interviewed a number of refugees in the camps before choosing Hannah as the perfect role model. We organised a photo session with her and recorded the details of her life. A 3D model of the photograph was rendered. The important events of her life were then arranged around the 3D model as copy. We commissioned an illustrator to draw the stories as a intertwined, complex tapestry depicting her life path. The illustrations were then wrapped over the 3D – as a visual interpretation of Hannah's journey.

We built the campaign around the posters of Hannah's Life. 50 etchings from the illustrations were taken out and printed. We organised a charity exhibition, selling the original artworks and collecting donations for the refugee camps in Bulgaria.

The Situation

Since September 2013, 9350 people have claimed asylum in Bulgaria, over 1500 of which – children. Although the total number of refugees is not big - it is huge for the Bulgarian public, which have almost no experience with dealing and integrating large number of foreigners into the country.