As pleasure builds up around the globe 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 true 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 inventive 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 an alternative of that includes footballers, the platform printed the pictures of 33 migrant staff 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 may accommodate 1.5 million guests. Sadly, the preparations for the FIFA match are accountable 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 staff who’ve traveled to the Arab nation — a call 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 staff 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 should be heard. At first look, all the things from the portraits, the shiny floor, and the packaging creates the impression of genuine soccer playing cards. However at a better look, the portraits and tales belong to migrant staff in Qatar, every with an unfiltered story,” continues Schibbye.
The purpose of the undertaking 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 group {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 potential and share it with the world so that everybody is conscious of the worth these folks paid to construct new stadia, accommodations, and a brand new airport amongst others.
The Playing cards of Qatar’s preliminary batch consists of 33 playing cards packed in a hand-crafted field. The design mimics the branding operating throughout the World Cup 2022 to make the objects look as in the event that they have been the official playing cards of the match. Extra tales will likely 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 staff’ organizations are deliberate to be featured as a part of the marketing campaign as nicely.
“Playing cards of Qatar is a solution to each unfold the tales to a big viewers whereas placing extra strain on FIFA and different organizations that set up sporting occasions. That is 2022. Main championships shouldn’t be organized by nations that don’t respect elementary human rights,” feedback Patrik Arnesson, Founding father of Forza Soccer. The group on the soccer app was introduced with this concept two years in the past when Blankspot highlighted how highly effective the journalism-and-soccer mixture may be in talking in regards to the working circumstances migrants must endure in getting ready Qatar for the soccer occasion.
“It has been an honor for all of us to have been a part of this undertaking with Blankspot and Forza Soccer. Hopefully, as many individuals as potential will learn these tales,” conclude Staffan Lamm and Hampus Elfström, creatives at Forsman & Bodenfors.
In addition to serving to the media firm with the idea improvement and the design that may hopefully carry justice to those folks, the company has additionally ready a video to additional assist the initiative. Moreover, a microsite and Instagram and Twitter accounts have 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
