Most of Singapore’s 225,000 domestic workers do not have a weekly day off, despite a law coming into effect in 2013 making it mandatory. TWC2 (Transient Workers Count Too), an NGO that fights for foreign domestic workers rights in Singapore needed to raise awareness on the issue and change employer's behaviour towards their domestic staff

Non-profit organization Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) has spent the last decade campaigning to improve conditions for low-wage migrant workers. With this campaign, TWC2 had a clear objective: make people aware of the magnitude of the problem and inspire conversations that will result in domestic workers having their due day off.

The campaign has far exceeded its objective – to make people aware of the magnitude of the problem and inspire conversations on a social problem that is all too often hidden behind closed doors.

Output/Awareness:

• 4 million+ video views and counting within a few days

• 92 million+ social media impressions

• PR value exceeding US$1 million

• 106 articles in 16+ countries across Asia, North America, South America, Middle East

Knowledge/Consideration:

• Social media sentiment: 67% positive, 9% neutral, 24% negative

Action/Business Impact:

• 305,000+ social media actions (likes, comments, re-tweets)

• 54,000+ pledges on the campaign website.

The Straits Times: “Never has the issue of domestic workers' right to a day off been discussed on this scale.”

Prior campaigns have failed because they speak to the interests of the wrong audience. Employers that do not respect the law are not swayed by arguments about benefits for their worker. Knowing this, our strategy focused on the benefits for EMPLOYERS, because it’s employers that need to change their behaviour.

The strategy focused on tapping into our modern fear of missing out. We showed how parents lose out on their relationship with their children by always requiring their domestic worker to be around. The day off was re-positioned as an opportunity to enhance family bonding, giving employers a direct personal incentive to change their behaviour.

The target audience was parents who employ domestic workers – in Singapore and other countries where domestic workers are employed.

To maximize media and public interest, the launch was strategically timed to coincide with International Worker’s Day (Labour Day) on 1 May.