Publicists donate ads to change society

Lee Seung-jae, left, poses at the Korea Advertising Awards ceremony. / Courtesy of Ideot

By Kang Aa-young

An advertising company has started public information campaigns for free to raise awareness of public safety, human rights and the environment.

"We believe awareness campaigns can change people's lives," marketing agency Ideot's representative Lee Seung-jae told The Korea Times, Tuesday. "We want to change society, rather than merely make money."

Even though the company has won several awards on ads, including the grand prize at last year's Korea Advertising Awards, it still spends 20 percent of its time creating nonprofit public information campaigns.

The company, since its beginning in 2015, has been conducting a series of nonprofit public advertising campaigns on social issues around town.

The company posted alert signs warning people to wear seat belts on buses running in the nation's western port city of Incheon / Courtesy of Ideot

Most recently, they posted alert signs warning people to wear seat belts on buses running in the nation's western port city of Incheon on July. 19, depicting a bus driver in his mid-40s with a message that reads, "I can see you sitting without wearing a seat belt _ now you need to buckle up."

Lee said most of their campaigns get instant feedback.

He said the bus drivers thanked the company for the bus seat belt ad as many passengers have started wearing seat belts.

"We conduct projects because we cannot just walk away from uncomfortable things confronting us in our daily lives," Lee said. "Ads can change people's lives and maybe even the world."

The caption says, "I have lost my finger and am told to get out." /Courtesy of Ideot.

On May 1, Labor Day, they proposed an idea to the Korea Support Center for Foreign Workers to exhibit a poster depicting maimed hands they designed for foreign workers who face difficulties in communication and cultural and institutional differences, as well as infringements on human rights in the workplace.

Lee said he becomes motivated in some cases where migrant factory workers are exposed to dangerous conditions due to their illegal immigration status.

Campaigns such as these are related closely to their advertising philosophy.

The company said they designed the poster based on a real event in which a foreign worker lost fingers in an industrial accident and eventually lost his job without compensation.

"I saw one case where a migrant worker lost fingers and was kicked out of the country without compensation," he said.

"There are so many cases like this. We teamed up with the center to make this exhibit to let people know the reality foreign workers face."

The company partnered with Mapo-gu in western Seoul to reduce litter through small stickers of cleaning workers. Stickers alerting passersby to the location of garbage cans / Courtesy of Ideot

In April, the company partnered with Mapo-gu in western Seoul to reduce litter through small stickers of cleaning workers.

Stickers showing a man in his mid-40s dressed in a bright green work uniform pointing in a direction booming with people, such as a subway exit at Hongik University Station.

Mostly the area is packed with people and that means the streets become filled with discarded cans, cups, bottles and plastic cups.

This 25cm tall 'mini cleaning worker' sticker includes a message reading, "This place is not a trash can. Please throw garbage in the wastebasket."

The stickers alerting passersby of the location of garbage cans were put up at six locations, including exit 9 of Hongik University Station and exits 2 and 3 of Hapjeong Station.

The stickers were posted at bus stops and on subway exit handrails and in areas where heavy foot traffic results in large amounts of litter.

The company first came up with the idea and then proposed the sticker campaign idea to Mapo-gu Office.

"We feel a sense of accomplishment when the project is reaching a goal," Lee said. "When it changes the behavior of people, it's worthwhile"

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