The UNESCO campaign "Read the Sources," launched in France in December 2021 by DDB Paris, underscores the brand’s longstanding commitment to press freedom and access to reliable information. Amid rising global concerns about disinformation, the campaign emphasizes the critical value of transparency and investigative journalism as foundations of informed public discourse and democratic integrity. By making over 170 primary source documents—from images and audio recordings to interviews and PDFs—freely accessible, UNESCO positions itself as a facilitator of deeper understanding and media literacy, advocating for audiences to engage directly with factual evidence rather than secondhand narratives.
Strategically, the campaign leverages the growing public awareness of misinformation’s harmful effects, particularly highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, to create urgency around media consumption habits. The choice to collaborate with a reputable news outlet, The Globe and Mail, reinforces credibility and invites audiences to explore the investigative process behind news stories. The creative approach, rooted in a documentary and social experiment genre, aims to educate and empower individuals to critically evaluate information sources, fostering informed citizenship. Targeting a digitally engaged, socially conscious audience, the campaign uses an integrated media approach with a dedicated online platform to facilitate transparent access to original journalistic materials. This not only enhances user engagement but also directly addresses the challenges posed by false and hateful expressions to identity and democratic systems, aligning closely with UNESCO’s mission to protect democratic values through access to quality information.
FORMAT#1 DEMONSTRATION — Directly shows how a product works and highlights its benefits.
This campaign fits the Demonstration format because the central creative device is the invitation to “discover the life force of investigative journalism” by directly accessing and reading the 170+ primary source documents that underlie a Globe and Mail article. Rather than relying on metaphor or storytelling, the campaign transparently shows the process and value of investigative journalism by allowing the public to experience the materials themselves. The core message—press freedom and access to credible sources—comes alive not through analogy or dramatic plot, but through hands-on exposure and participation, illustrating the benefit of quality information. This aligns directly with the Demonstration format, as the campaign’s power is in practically revealing how transparency combats disinformation.
1. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) – RSF positions itself as a global watchdog for press freedom, focusing on exposing violations against journalists and media censorship. Their strategic angle is on frontline advocacy, real-time crisis monitoring, and providing protection to journalists in conflict zones, emphasizing transparency and freedom of expression globally.
2. International Press Institute (IPI) – IPI differentiates itself by offering a network-driven approach connecting editors and journalists worldwide. Their positioning stresses fostering independent journalism through training, investigative support, and policy influence, with a strong commitment to media pluralism and combating censorship.
3. Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) – CPJ focuses on defending journalists’ rights through direct intervention, emergency assistance, and detailed documentation of abuses. Their strategic angle is a data-driven advocacy model that highlights impunity and pressures governments to uphold press freedom and safety globally.
4. Freedom House – Freedom House positions itself as a broader democracy promotion organization that includes press freedom as a fundamental pillar. Its strategy revolves around publishing authoritative indices and reports on media freedom, leveraging research and advocacy to influence policy and public awareness worldwide.
5. Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF) – MDIF differentiates by providing financial and strategic support to independent media outlets in challenging environments. Their market position is investment-focused, helping sustain media viability and innovation to ensure access to credible information in fragile democracies and conflict regions.
Q: What is Read the sources about?
A: Read the sources is a 2021 integrated campaign created by DDB Paris for UNESCO, launched in France to champion press freedom and access to quality information. The campaign responds to the global rise of disinformation by inviting the public to explore the investigative process behind journalism. In partnership with The Globe and Mail, it provides open access to over 170 primary source documents—including images, audio, interviews, and PDFs—underpinning a major news article. This initiative positions UNESCO as a facilitator of transparency and media literacy, reinforcing its long-standing advocacy for reliable information in the public interest sector.
Q: What creative device does Read the sources use?
A: Read the sources employs the Demonstration format, as classified by Clapboard’s 12-format taxonomy. The campaign’s central creative device is a direct invitation for audiences to engage with the actual source materials behind investigative journalism, offering hands-on access to more than 170 original documents. Rather than relying on metaphor or narrative, the campaign transparently shows the process and value of investigative reporting, allowing the public to experience the rigor and credibility of quality journalism firsthand. This practical exposure exemplifies the Demonstration format by illustrating how transparency is a powerful tool against disinformation.
Q: What is the campaign proposition for Read the sources?
A: The campaign proposition for Read the sources positions UNESCO as a champion of press freedom and reliable information, targeting a digitally engaged and socially conscious audience. By making the underlying evidence behind journalism openly accessible, UNESCO advocates for transparency and critical engagement with news sources, arguing that informed public discourse is essential to democratic integrity. The campaign is a strategic response to the urgent threat of misinformation, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and aims to foster media literacy and resilience against false or hateful content in the public service market.
Q: How does Read the sources rank in Clapboard's archive?
A: Read the sources holds a Clapboard Campaign Score of 69/100 in Clapboard’s global ad archive. This score reflects the campaign’s creative ambition, execution quality, and cultural relevance as assessed by Clapboard’s curatorial standards.
Q: Who are the competitors in UNESCO's category?
A: In UNESCO’s public service category, key competitors include Reporters Without Borders, which acts as a global watchdog for press freedom and journalist protection; the International Press Institute, which connects journalists worldwide to foster independent reporting and media pluralism; the Committee to Protect Journalists, which defends journalists’ rights through direct intervention and advocacy; Freedom House, which promotes democracy with a focus on media freedom through research and policy influence; and the Media Development Investment Fund, which supports independent media sustainability and innovation in challenging environments. Each organization addresses press freedom from distinct strategic angles within the global advocacy landscape.
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