#ClearThePitch to make communities safer from unexploded remnants of war

International Day of Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, Grey for Good, the philanthropic arm of Grey Group Singapore, has teamed up with DanChurchAid (DCA) to drive support for creating safer communities in post-conflict zones around the world – communities free of dangerous remnants of war such as land mines, unexploded ammunition and cluster bombs.

It is a pressing topic often described as one of the most evil problems affecting millions of civilians in over 60 countries around the world. And it takes a mammoth effort to tackle. However, the topic does not feature a lot in the public conversation or the media – other imminent issues get all the coverage.

To change this, the team has developed an integrated campaign that builds an emotional link to one of the world’s biggest sports: football. It’s a universal sport and is played on streets, fields, playgrounds, parking lots and many more places. But due to remnants of war such as land mines, cluster bombs and unexploded ammunition, in large parts of the world playing football on fields can be extremely dangerous – especially for children.

Introducing #ClearThePitch, a campaign which links the global love for football with the aim of creating greater awareness and support for the essential work of making communities in post-conflict zones safer to live. Hopefully taking the topic out of its humanitarian niche back into the popular culture limelight. Driving not just awareness but also donations for an organization that is making a tangible difference in communities around the world.

“The theme of football is everything but random. It allows us to reach and involve a huge group of people: not just millions of fans but also the clubs, players, associations and potentially even the sponsors. With a surprising but actually hard-hitting link: for millions of children playing the sport we all love is extremely dangerous. Our hope is to capture the imagination of the world of football to give the topic and our partner DCA both the visibility and the financial support that are so urgently needed,” said Till Hohmann, Executive Creative Director & Vice President (GSK), Grey Group Singapore. 

Richard MacCormac, DCA Head of Mine Action, “Together with Grey for Good, we look forward to driving an impact on this issue. The goal is not only creating safe ‘football pitches’ for children, but to also provide safe and secure living conditions for families and communities so they can live a ‘normal’ life.”