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The Our future is here campaign for IFAD culminated with the #DanceforChange Challenge in partnership with TikTok and featuring afrobeats superstar Mr. Eazi and renowned choreographer Sherrie Silver. It attracted a global audience of millions and inspired tens of thousands of young people to create their own dance videos as a virtual petition calling for more investment in rural youth.
Client
United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
Date
May 2019
Services
Communications Strategy
Campaign Concepting
Digital Design
Branding
Design Systems
Project Management
Team Building
User Research
Frontend Development
Creative Direction
Social Engagement
Video-Motion
We approached rising Afrobeats superstars Mr Eazi, GuiltyBeatz and J Derobie and they kindly composed and performed the original song Freedom for the campaign. (I also designed the album cover).
A music video was shot in Cameroon, featuring world-renowned choreographer Sherrie Silver visiting IFAD-supported projects led by young agri-preneurs. (I recruited the director).
I led cross-agency brainstorming sessions focused on young colleagues and parents with teenagers. The result was the first UN agency partnership with the then rising and now ubiquitous video-sharing mobile-app TikTok.
The concept was crowd-sourced dance choreography videos as a virtual petition for more investment in young agri-preneurs. The campaign culminated in millions of views and significant exposure.
The campaign garnered significant coverage in the global news media, including Thomson Reuters, APF, Global Citizen, and a special feature in the Guardian.
#DanceforChange became the most successful advocacy campaign IFAD has ever had, earning massive exposure for the historically low-profile UN agency.
Make your moves matter! Join @IFAD's #danceforchange challenge to help empower rural youth, alongside @MrEazi and @SherrieSilver. Here's how: https://t.co/5YvHjwQEfP pic.twitter.com/Xix0srl0k5
— United Nations (@UN) June 2, 2019
We know agriculture is an incredibly powerful tool for ending extreme poverty in Africa. But can farming be cool?
— Gates Foundation (@gatesfoundation) June 5, 2019
One of the world’s hottest choreographers has an answer for that. #DanceforChange https://t.co/FZPrZwsdxC
Farming is a business and there is an opportunity for youth to make money and build a better future.
— International Fund for Agricultural Development (@IFAD) September 5, 2019
Thanks @mreazi @sherriesilver @guiltybeatz @jderobie @incrediblezigi for visiting an #IFAD & @DFID_UK funded project and show the 🌍 the need to #investinyouth#OurFutureisHere pic.twitter.com/4s1GUUqvnH
Happy International #DanceDay! 💃🏽🕺⠀
— International Fund for Agricultural Development (@IFAD) April 30, 2020
This is how we started a movement to empower rural youth - dancing with @SherrieSilver to a song🎵by @mreazi#DanceForChange pic.twitter.com/MRUy7jenRZ
The campaign microsite was a riot of animations and vivid colours, with an unconventional layout and surprising interactions resulting in a nonlinear experience meant to capture the rambunctious energy of youth.
I designed it as a single page application modular grid system of squares that could grow with the campaign as content became available during periodic activations. (Note: It has not been maintained since 2019).