For the 140,000 residents of Maré, a complex of 16 favelas in Rio de Janeiro, basic rights are not certainties. Going to school, visiting a clinic, walking to work are things residents describe as dreams, interrupted daily by violent police operations that often violate human rights and claim innocent lives.
Commissioned by NGO Redes da Maré, the campaign "To live, one must be alive" was designed as both a visibility tool and an act of advocacy, reframing security as a human rights issue rather than a war. The campaign added to an ongoing movement of public pressure and contributed to the state releasing a plan to reduce police lethality rates, a measurable policy outcome with lives on the line.
Commissioned by NGO Redes da Maré, the campaign "To live, one must be alive" was designed as both a visibility tool and an act of advocacy, reframing security as a human rights issue rather than a war. The campaign added to an ongoing movement of public pressure and contributed to the state releasing a plan to reduce police lethality rates, a measurable policy outcome with lives on the line.
Indigo Design Award 2022
Silver | Integrated Graphic Design for Social Change
Silver | Integrated Graphic Design for Social Change
Brasil Design Award 2022
Grand Prix | Social Design - Prosperity
Grand Prix | Social Design - Prosperity
Gold | Social Design - Prosperity
Prêmio Bornancini 2022
Silver | Positive Impact - Social
Silver | Positive Impact - Social
iF Social Impact 2022
Shortlist
Shortlist
The campaign's central move was to refuse the language of statistics. Instead of death tolls, we decided to show the residents' faces and dreams, and instead of crime reports, amplify the community's voice.
Bold typography and high-contrast imagery demanded attention both within Maré and in mainstream media, while a door-to-door booklet distributed to approximately 50,000 households translated legal rights into plain, actionable language, explaining what police can and cannot do during operations.
A map-inspired visual asset rooted the campaign in the territory itself, and interactive stickers let residents share their own dreams, turning the community into active participants rather than subjects.
Bold typography and high-contrast imagery demanded attention both within Maré and in mainstream media, while a door-to-door booklet distributed to approximately 50,000 households translated legal rights into plain, actionable language, explaining what police can and cannot do during operations.
A map-inspired visual asset rooted the campaign in the territory itself, and interactive stickers let residents share their own dreams, turning the community into active participants rather than subjects.
The campaign unfolded across every layer of public life: posters spread through the city of Rio de Janeiro, a traveling photo exhibition occupied public spaces across the complex, and a kite festival brought the message to children. It reached live coverage on Globo, Brazil's largest TV channel and one of the biggest online news platform. It was also subsequently presented to the Supreme Federal Court and members of Congress, directly pressuring institutions to act.
Credits
Creative Director: Luciano Braga
Copy: Nicole Mengue, Fernanda Almeida e Manuella Graff
Art Direction: Marcos Oliveira
Design: Kalany Ballardin, Marcos Oliveira, Vitória Melissa, e Ana Porazzi
Project Management: Francine Ramos e Nicole Mengue
Production: Francine Ramos e Nicole Mengue
Redes da Maré: Shyrlei Rosendo e Lidiane Malanquini
Photography: Douglas Lopes, Paulo Barros e Patrick Marinho
Video: Douglas Lopes, Isabela Godoi, Alan Muniz, Carlos Marra, Arthur Viana, Bruna Lacerda, Fabiana Morena e Irone Santiago
Copy: Nicole Mengue, Fernanda Almeida e Manuella Graff
Art Direction: Marcos Oliveira
Design: Kalany Ballardin, Marcos Oliveira, Vitória Melissa, e Ana Porazzi
Project Management: Francine Ramos e Nicole Mengue
Production: Francine Ramos e Nicole Mengue
Redes da Maré: Shyrlei Rosendo e Lidiane Malanquini
Photography: Douglas Lopes, Paulo Barros e Patrick Marinho
Video: Douglas Lopes, Isabela Godoi, Alan Muniz, Carlos Marra, Arthur Viana, Bruna Lacerda, Fabiana Morena e Irone Santiago