Our direct target was the media and opinion leaders, in whose agendas the issue of evictions was appearing less and less. It was vital that they covered our campaign. Our second target was citizens, who were paying less and less attention to the problem and had forgotten about Stop Desahucios’ campaigns, those which should have made us more aware. Indirectly we reached the Government (which was ignoring the Stop Desahucios platform and its demands). All three targets were impacted by the campaign and the response was greater than we could have hoped, converting the campaign into a singular social movement.

The entire campaign began with a direct mail dispatch to more than 200 opinion leaders and the most important media in Spain. The mail-out consisted of a rubber stamp and inkpad to be used to stamp under the bridges present on every euro bill as a protest against the critical situation with respect to evictions in Spain. Additionally, every citizen could support the campaign by requesting a rubber stamp through the website www.nomasdesahucios.org. The 20,000 available stamps ran out in 24 hours and the social networks were inundated with photographs of stamped euro bills. From one little stamp a social movement was generated that forced a change in Spanish law.

We started with a universal insight. Where do people go when they are left without a home? Colloquially speaking it is said they go and live ‘under a bridge’. We subsequently realised that every single euro bill has a bridge printed on it. How can you place an evicted family under a bridge directly and symbolically? By creating a rubber stamp on which that family was symbolically drawn and asking people to stamp it under the bridges on every euro bill.

Our appeal was made through the hashtag #NoMasDesahucios and moved on social networks, from dispatches to opinion leaders and a web site. In less than 24 hours a social movement had been created in the streets, on social networks and in the media. Currently the movement continues advancing organically.

Total production and dispatch cost of rubber stamps: 23,500€. A ridiculously low cost for the impact generated:

- ROI 1,217,220 €

- An estimated audience of 80.1 million

- 20,000 rubber stamps ran out in 24 hours

- More than 120 media appearances including on the highest rating TV programs

- More than 100,000 tweets

- Thousands of euro bills stamped

- When stocks of stamps ran out, many people ‘drew’ our stamp on euro bills

- In addition to being a social action we received a great deal of collaboration with respect to production that reduced the final cost considerably

The media gave the problem centre stage in newspapers, TV programs, blogs and Twitter. Citizens joined the cause by stamping thousands of euro bills and by sharing images on social medias. And finally, the Government heard our demands and announced a law to end this injustice.

The situation was critical. In 2014 more than 20,000 families in Spain had lost their homes because they couldn't pay their mortgage and despite being evicted remained in debt to the bank. Spain is the only country in the world where this occurs. The media was giving this issue increasingly less coverage. There wasn't any sort of social conscience concerning evictions or any intention from the Government to change the situation despite a petition to the Parliament containing almost 1,500,000 signatures. We found an opportunity in the most direct of ‘media’, putting our campaign directly into everyone’s hands… euro bills.