Be Your Own Hero for National Youth Council, Singapore
"Sometimes the people you cannot live without, can live without you."
This was one of the two of the projects that I produced for my final year projects for my diploma in 2014. This project is a manifestation of the word "Void" which was chosen as a theme by the school. Through this theme, I have chosen to address the topic of bullying, specifically on the concept of social alienation and create an awareness of the effects of bullying.
This campaign encourages people who have been bullied to stand up against their bullies and be their own hero. This is to allow themselves to realise that the only hero you need is yourself. The objective of this campaign is to create awareness of the wide spectrum of bullying abuse.
This project was inspired by watching many of my own personal friends being subjected to different degrees of bullying. As there is no explicit requirement for teachers in Singapore to intervene to such acts in class, many people have suffered its effects of mental and physical abuse.
Campaign identity & Posters
These are the posters that would be displayed in schools, public places and areas with high density of students during the weekdays such as homeland malls.
These posters can posted on the social media sites to create some conversation between the target audience
Each of the posters are highlight the commonly heard phrases a person would hear from their bully. Despite the lack of explicit language, these phrases also show that words can be a powerful tool as it could hurt and affect someone with the right choice of words.
Awareness
As part of the campaign, a mobile event would be set up both in a public space and in schools all around Singapore. The aim of this event is to create awareness for the mass public to understand how social alienation can affect the young and also the lasting psychological impacts it can have on adults.
At this event, a photo book written in the perspective of a bullied person which narrates their own struggles and journey of acceptance that they might go through would be given out to the attendees of the event. This book is used for people to emphasise the victims while hopefully understand the power of their words and actions towards other people. On the other hand, the book aims to give a glimmer of hope of those who are suffering in silence or are too scared to stand up for themselves.
The book covers topics including loneliness, self harming, depressive emotions, hope, family love and support.
Paper Planes
Apart from giving out books during these events, attendees are encouraged to take part in a special activity which would include paper planes which aims to create a sense of liberation.
Paper aeroplanes is one of the key visuals of this campaign as it represent an icon of nostalgia as one would most likely learn how to fold one as a child. It is very recognisable but also it represents a kind of liberation as one is throwing a plane.
This activity would take place in the event and would invite participants to reflect on themselves or maybe think of a way to be their own hero and throwing the plane out to the sky. This activity is a symbolic action of one taking control of their life and letting go of all their negativity.
These paper planes would then be collected to create an installation that would be displayed in the youth centre in Singapore.
