Shining A Light On Modern Day Slavery

Project Mission

LMD was tasked with developing a national campaign to raise awareness of human trafficking among the US public, particularly among vulnerable populations; educate the public on the signs and symptoms; and inform citizens of what they can do to help end the heinous crime of human trafficking.

Activities & Deliverables

• Primary and secondary research
• Audience segmentation
• Marketing, outreach, and partnership strategy and materials
• Media planning, placement, optimization, and reporting
• Creative development and testing
• Digital, radio, TV, and out-of-home advertising in English and Spanish
• Script writing, talent selection, and broadcast production
• Infographics

Building a Better Understanding of Human Trafficking

LMD conducted an extensive research initiative to better understand the scope and scale of human trafficking in the U.S. Our efforts included a deep dive into published reports from credible, expert sources--including academia, government, and NGOs--to provide context, understand the root causes of the problem, identify vulnerable populations, and determine messages that may be effective in educating the public. We also conducted more than 40 interviews with subject matter experts, social workers, law enforcement officials, and human trafficking survivors.

Opening Eyes to Save Lives

Our research findings helped us develop a targeted campaign strategy, effective messaging, and relevant, culturally sensitive creative. For example, we learned that it was critical for vulnerable populations to identify personally with the images used in the creative. We conducted a custom photo shoot and selected talent that accurately represented each vulnerable population, including African American, Latino, Asian, Native American, and LGBTQ.

Additionally, our research confirmed that human trafficking is truly a crime that occurs “in plain sight” in every community, and as a result is frequently underreported. Campaign messages served to educate the public on the indicators of human trafficking and the importance of reporting suspected trafficking activity to law enforcement.

Stopping Human Trafficking Where Victims Are Targeted

LMD’s campaign strategy included national media placements in regions and markets with high levels of human trafficking activity. Gas pump toppers and out-of-home advertisements were placed in truck stops along the Interstate 95 corridor in the mid-Atlantic region, as our research pointed to this area as a human trafficking hotspot. Dioramas in major airports across the country also raised public awareness of air travel as a means of trafficking victims. And because vulnerable populations--especially youth--are frequently targeted by online predators via social media, our outreach strategy maximized the campaign’s digital and online presence.

Constructing Content to Captivate and Educate

LMD simplified the complicated topic of human trafficking with a visually engaging infographic. This educational, shareworthy graphic defines the who, what, where, when, and why of human trafficking, as well as how we can all help end this heinous crime. This infographic was also converted into a video to further increase engagement.