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Entrant: VML Belgium, Antwerp
Brand: Belgian Center for Missing and Sexually Exploited Children
Title: "Call Glenn"
Corporate Name of Client: Child Focus
Client Company: Child Focus, Brussels
Client President: Stephan Smets/Stephanie Leyn
Agency: VML Belgium, Antwerp
Global Chief Creative Officer: Debbi Vandeven
Chief Creative Officers: Bas Korsten/Jaime Mandelbaum/Klaartje Galle
Executive Creative Directors: Kasper Janssens/Arjen Tarras
Creatives: Tomas Van Loon/Patrick Vermeylen
Senior Copywriters: Joeri Quinet/Tom de Block/Yves Donceel
Agency Graphic Designers: Davy Dooms/Jorg Meyer/Sofie Luyckx/Jeffrey Uten
Agency Producers: Ingeborg Van Hoof/Amélie Van Campen/Thomas Anthoni
Agency Motion Designers: Mikael Naudet/Andreas De Ridder, Karel Van Gucht
Agency Strategic Planners: Jef Pelkmans, Gaëlle Maes/Alexander Kolenberg
Agency Account Team: Pieter Van Schil/Mieke Moortgat/Molly Waeytens
Production Company: AKA De Mensen
Directors: Jasper Declercq/Lieven Bulckens
Executive Producer: Eline Rousseau
Producer: Rana Cools
Directors of Photography: Geert Verstraete/Lieven Bulckens
Production Assistant: Astrid Janssen
Additional Effects By: Kene Ilegems/Lieven Bulckens
Editor: Lieven Bulckens
Sound Designer: Menno Van Riet
Photographer: Greg Smolders
Casting Companies Research: Bram Vandendriessche/Thomas Horman
Casting Company I-DEA - Location Hunter: Davy Vinckens
Voice-Over: Griet De Wolf/Béatrice Marlier

Description:
In 2023, Child Focus, the Belgian centre for missing and sexually exploited children, opened 151 reports on transgressive sexting and exposing. This means, the private and intimate photos of minors were shared online without their consent.

Often, these photos end up in so-called expose groups where the victims are identified, resulting in verbal abuse, threats and even harassment. Probably a very underestimated number as most victims remain silent as they feel ashamed or are too scared to speak up.

At the same time, three Belgian universities conducted a big survey and found out that from 1 in 4 children, aged between 15 and 25, a nude has been shared without their consent.

November 18th is The European Day on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse. On this day, Child Focus wanted to launch a campaign to raise awareness on this issue and initiate real change.

We created a unique and audio-centric idea that did both, at once.

We started from Glenn’s story. When he was 15 years old, he made one nude with his phone. But when this photo ended up online, Glenn took his own life. Child Focus reactivated the same phone that once destroyed his life to protect other minors against transgressive sexting and exposing. The same phone, the same number, but a different voicemail message.

Together with Glenn’s provider, OrangeÔ, we turned his voicemail into a message for change. It started with Glenn saying his own name, like typical voicemail messages in Belgium. Instead of saying he is not available, the official voicemail voice said he is no longer available, before explaining what happened to him.

Then, the voicemail invited people to leave their name after the tone and sign a petition for a better online protection of minors. The audio petition was a first in its kind as people were asked to “sign” it with their voice, instead of their signature.

Six years after his death, Glenn’s mom was the first person to call him again and sign the petition. An integrated campaign called upon the rest of the nation to do the same. And the nation responded. In just one day, more than 25,000 people left their name on Glenn’s voicemail, already surpassing the required number to be heard in Belgian parliament.

As Glenn’s phone kept ringing, also the media heard our call and online safety of minors became the country’s number one topic. It even got the Prime Minister’s attention as he invited Glenn’s mom and Child Focus to his office. During their visit, they showed him Glenn’s phone and its 37,758 missed calls.

And he got the message. Just one week later, this led to a new resolution where all four demands of Child Focus were proposed. A resolution that was later approved in parliament. Unanimously. This resulted in Belgium’s first commissioner dedicated to children’s online safety.