THE CALL: 911

CONTEXT / CULTURE

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), The Dominican Republic, ranks first on the list of countries with the highest rate of traffic-related mortality in the world, with 64.6 deaths per one hundred thousand inhabitants per year. Over the past five years, there has been a significant increase in the number of accidents during Holy Week, with a total of 96 deaths.

To address this concerning situation, the #PreventionHolyWeek campaign was launched at a crucial moment to raise awareness and educate during this period, thus maximizing its impact and relevance.
This initiative arises from the recognition that Dominicans tend to be spectators and stay informed of what occurs during accidents. We capitalized on this unspoken cultural truth for the campaign, observed during accident or incident situations in crowded places throughout the country, such as streets, avenues, and beaches.

In such situations, people tend to record with their cell phones, becoming digital reporters, thus neglecting to aid the affected in emergency situations, which increases mortality in traffic accidents during Easter week.

Our goal is to highlight this situation and incentivize the population to call 911 to report these incidents as the highest priority, and teach them what to do in each case. "No scoop is worth a life. Help first, call 911," is the slogan that arises from this reality.

We determined that a change was necessary, which should begin on an important date for Dominicans and be propelled by a newspaper also relevant to them during Easter week. With this campaign the newspaper, Diario Libre successfully sensitized the population about the importance of acting with solidarity and speed in emergency situations, prioritizing the lives and safety of citizens. By utilizing the same newspaper as a medium, we were able to convey the message that saving a life is more important than any journalistic scoop, with messages and visuals that communicate this idea in an easy and honest manner.