On 25 May, the International Day of Missing Children, VML Belgium and Child Focus joined forces for a striking activation in the heart of Brussels. On the Mont des Arts, five front doors appeared, each topped with an emergency exit sign — a powerful symbol of an alarming reality: every day, an average of five children run away from home or from the care home where they live.
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Not an adventure. Not a choice.
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\u200bChildren and young people who run away rarely do so for the thrill of it. They do it because they see no other way out. The reasons vary widely: family conflict, bullying at school, mental health issues or domestic violence can all play a role. With the Runaway Signs installation, Child Focus and VML made their silent cry for help visible. The five doors symbolised those five children a day who see their own front door as an emergency exit.
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\u200bBehind each door was a real-life testimony from someone who had lived through it. Visitors could listen to these accounts on site. The stories remain accessible via runawaysigns.be, the campaign website offering parents, young people and professionals concrete guidance, and one clear message: running away cannot be the only way out.
Starting the conversation
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\u200bThe installation opened up the conversation. On the day of the activation itself, the topic was picked up by virtually all mainstream Belgian media. The campaign was also discussed at length on De Tafel van Gert on Play, with Jef Neve as a guest.
Over the coming two weeks, the message will be further amplified through social media, online advertising and digital out-of-home. Child Focus hopes to encourage everyone who works with or cares for young people to stay attuned to their needs and to start the conversation, before running away becomes their only way out.
\n"Young people don't just run away; they look for a way out. It is also, and above all, a signal that they need help. They no longer see any other option and are usually in an extremely vulnerable situation. That is why we are reframing running away for what it truly is: an emergency exit."\n runawaysigns.be\n
\u200bNel Broothaerts, CEO Child Focus
CREDITS
Client: Child Focus
\u200bClient Contact: Stéphanie Leyn, Selyna Ayuso Ferrandiz, Tom Moons
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\u200bAgency: VML Belgium
\u200bExecutive Creative Directors: Kasper Janssens & Arjen Tarras
\u200bCreation: Noa Luiten, Fleur Delanghe
\u200bCopywriters: Sarah Huysmans, Tomas Van Loon, Yves Donceel
\u200bArt Director: Jasper Verleije
\u200bAccount Team: Pieter Van Schil, Renée Baeten, Lotte Munnik, Marieke Meersschaert
\u200bStrategy: Jef Pelkmans, Nina Mihailovic
\u200bDesign: Gilles Valkenborg, Joris Hechtermans
\u200bDevelopment: Bram Verdyck, Sam Serrien
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\u200bProduction Company: VML Production
\u200bAgency Producer: Thomas Antoni
\u200bEditor: Andreas De Ridder
\u200bSound Engineer: Menno Van Riet
\u200bDirector/DOP: Bas Van Hoof
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