Overview

In 2005, the global advocacy campaign to eradicate poverty, the “White Band Project,” was launched in Japan.

The sensational message that “a child dies every three seconds due to poverty” moved many people, and the “white bands” sold as items to show solidarity sold approximately 4 million units, becoming a major phenomenon.

The purpose of the activities in Japan was to deliver citizens’ messages regarding poverty eradication to world leaders gathered at the G8 Summit held on July 6, 2005, and to urge them to seriously consider solutions to this problem. Prior to the G8 Summit, at the “LIVE8” simultaneous concerts held in 10 locations around the world, people wore white cloths (white bands) on their wrists as a sign of their determination to eradicate poverty and sent out messages.

In addition, famous artists and athletes appeared free of charge in commercials called “Clicking Films,” which became an explosive topic. However, after that, negative opinions were expressed by some due to insufficient explanation of the project’s “advocacy activities” and the fact that sales of the white bands were not donated. On the other hand, at the G8, an increase in ODA was promised, and at the UN World Summit held in September, Prime Minister Koizumi (then) promised to double ODA to Africa over the next three years. The White Band Project was evaluated as having influenced these policy decisions.

Activities

This project started in mid-May 2005, after being impressed by the activities of White Band in the UK.

Although it was known that there was an NGO developing the same activities in Japan, it became clear that it was uncertain whether white bands could be prepared for the Japanese venue of “LIVE8,” which is the main part of the project. SUNNY SIDE UP was shocked by the fact that “a child dies every three seconds due to poverty,” and believed that it could create a positive movement in society by utilizing the know-how it had cultivated to solve the problem, and decided to fully participate in this project. At the same time as carrying out the production, distribution, and management of the “white band,” which is the core item for expressing the intention to eradicate poverty, SUNNY SIDE UP planned and implemented all communication, including public relations activities such as production and exposure adjustment of the Japanese version of Clicking Films, holding live events, and PR events.