The ongoing refugee crisis in Berlin remains largely unseen and misunderstood, with many refugees facing isolation and a lack of support. Public awareness is limited, and community involvement is crucial to help address their struggles and facilitate their integration into society.
To tackle this, the Map of Loss: Berlin's Unseen Struggle campaign was launched as a social impact initiative aimed at raising awareness about the refugee crisis through the innovative use of familiar digital platforms. The campaign transforms Google Maps into a communication channel, utilizing features like "Explore," "Want to Go," and "Things to Do" to convey a sense of community. In everyday life, people rely on Google Maps to navigate, so when users open the app and encounter red dots scattered across Berlin, it grabs their attention. These red dots simulate the number of refugees living in the city, offering a striking visual representation of the scale of the crisis without revealing individual identities.
By repurposing a tool people use daily, the campaign makes the refugee crisis impossible to ignore, transforming a practical app into a platform for empathy and awareness.
Beyond raising awareness, the campaign actively encourages public involvement. Along with donations, people are invited to offer direct support through jobs or housing for refugees, helping them rebuild their lives in a more sustainable and tangible way.
Complementing the map, digital billboards around Berlin showcase powerful visuals juxtaposing conflict zones with the current struggles refugees face, while an immersive VR experience allows users to experience the devastation of war first-hand. These elements drive home the message Still There, Still Struggling, reminding the public that the refugee crisis doesn’t end with their arrival in Berlin.
The campaign successfully encouraged community involvement, leading to a 30% increase in donations and over 100 offers of housing and job placements for refugees.