Give NOMA a face - Vaincre Noma | Clapboard Ad Archive

Give NOMA a face is a 2018 digital campaign from French public interest brand Vaincre Noma created by agency WNP that confronts the harrowing reality of NOMA, a devastating and little-known disease that destroys the faces of children and claims lives, by leveraging the cultural moment of Halloween to reframe the concept of monsters. What Clapboard’s taxonomy would classify as FORMAT#3—Symbolize the Problem, the campaign transforms the familiar imagery of Halloween’s fictional monsters—skeletons, vampires, ghosts—into a metaphor for this real-life horror, positioning NOMA as the most terrifying monster of all. Eschewing graphic or censored depictions of the disease, the campaign instead partners with Snapchat and NKI studio to develop an interactive lens that enables users to see their own faces affected by NOMA, turning the playful, ephemeral nature of typical Snapchat filters into a powerful and unsettling educational experience. This strategic use of digital technology and social media capitalizes on the viral and emotionally charged environment of Halloween to expose an invisible epidemic, humanizing those affected by the disease and disrupting the audience’s comfort with fantasy scares by introducing a true and urgent menace. By symbolizing NOMA through culturally resonant Halloween motifs and allowing personal engagement via augmented reality, the campaign balances sensitivity and impact, delivering a message that is as difficult to ignore as it is hard to confront. Clapboard rates this 71/100 in its global creative archive. Give NOMA a face matters to the industry because it demonstrates how public service campaigns can harness popular cultural moments and emerging digital platforms to elevate awareness of neglected health crises without resorting to shock tactics, thereby setting a precedent for empathetic storytelling that engages audiences on a personal level.