As pleasure builds up world wide and all through many soccer followers on the thought that the World Cup will begin fairly quickly, investigative journalism platform Blankspot has launched a brand new marketing campaign, utilizing the times which are left till the competitors begins to discuss the actual prices behind this hotly anticipated occasion. You may consider it as a countdown, one throughout which the platform plans to publish a card a day till the FIFA competitors kicks off.
Designed in collaboration with the soccer app Forza Soccer and the artistic company Forsman & Bodenfors, the media outlet’s “Playing cards of Qatar” resemble the standard soccer playing cards that current information in regards to the gamers. Solely, as a substitute of that includes footballers, the platform printed the pictures of 33 migrant employees from Nepal, Bangladesh, and India who misplaced their lives whereas constructing the World Cup infrastructure in Qatar.
Ever since Qatar has been introduced to host the occasion, the nation has labored on growing the infrastructure — one that will accommodate 1.5 million guests. Sadly, the preparations for the FIFA event are chargeable for taking the lives and injuring many laborers who got here from South Asia within the hope of a greater life. Greater than 6,500 employees who’ve traveled to the Arab nation — a choice they’ve taken due to the poor monetary state of affairs that they had again at residence — have died in Qatar since December 2010.
“These employees will not be simply statistics,” says Martin Schibbye, Chief Editor and Co-founder of Blankspot. They’re human beings, every with their very own household and life experiences. “Their tales must be heard. At first look, every little thing from the portraits, the shiny floor, and the packaging creates the impression of genuine soccer playing cards. However at a more in-depth look, the portraits and tales belong to migrant employees in Qatar, every with an unfiltered story,” continues Schibbye.
The intention of the venture is to transcend the statistics and inform their tales, narrated by the migrants’ personal households. However so as to take action, Blankspot labored carefully with a crew {of professional} journalists in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Collectively, they began to gather the migrants’ tales, interviewing the employees’ family members. The plan is to assemble as a lot content material as attainable and share it with the world so that everybody is conscious of the worth these folks paid to construct new stadia, inns, and a brand new airport amongst others.
The Playing cards of Qatar’s preliminary batch contains 33 playing cards packed in a home made field. The design mimics the branding working throughout the World Cup 2022 to make the gadgets look as in the event that they had been the official playing cards of the event. Extra tales shall be added, the journal saying that it’ll reveal a brand new story a day up till the occasion begins. Lengthy-form articles and interviews with the gamers, politicians, and employees’ organizations are deliberate to be featured as a part of the marketing campaign as nicely.
“Playing cards of Qatar is a strategy to each unfold the tales to a big viewers whereas placing extra strain on FIFA and different organizations that manage sporting occasions. That is 2022. Main championships shouldn’t be organized by international locations that don’t respect basic human rights,” feedback Patrik Arnesson, Founding father of Forza Soccer. The crew on the soccer app was offered with this concept two years in the past when Blankspot highlighted how highly effective the journalism-and-soccer mixture might be in talking in regards to the working circumstances migrants must endure in making ready Qatar for the soccer occasion.
“It has been an honor for all of us to have been a part of this venture with Blankspot and Forza Soccer. Hopefully, as many individuals as attainable will learn these tales,” conclude Staffan Lamm and Hampus Elfström, creatives at Forsman & Bodenfors.
Apart from serving to the media firm with the idea growth and the design that can hopefully deliver justice to those folks, the company has additionally ready a video to additional assist the initiative. Moreover, a microsite and Instagram and Twitter accounts had been created, offering web customers with extra content material in regards to the individuals who sought employment overseas.
Credit:
Consumer: Blankspot // Forza Soccer
Company: Forsman & Bodenfors
