Last week saw the unveiling of a major new project – the new annual report for the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF).
The IWF lead the global fight against images and videos of child sexual abuse online. They work with the internet industry to remove this material, always remembering that real children suffer repeat victimisation every time an image is viewed, downloaded or shared.
As a not-for-profit they have unique relationships with the world’s principal technology companies including Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft. They are independent of Government and the Police but work closely alongside both.
Their annual report is a key tool in helping them attract more partners and support. They briefed us to develop a more engaging approach to broaden the document’s impact and act as more of a catalyst for fundraising.
We developed an idea that draws upon the storytelling approach of childrens’ books by interspersing a story drawn from one of their case studies within the document. Even though this particular girl was rescued in 2013, IWF analysts still see her rape and sexual torture every day online.
By returning to the story throughout the document, we established an unusual pace for the document that turns from simple, narrative-led illustrated spreads to the statistical detail that the report has to communicate.
With such difficult subject matter we explored many different approaches before developing an evocative, sombre illustration style in-house that allowed us to visualise the challenges that the victims face. This gave us complete control over the imagery – allowing us to adapt it for different requirements – yet increase the emotional intensity when required.
The report was printed layflat with Swiss binding and was launched last week at the House of Lords. It can be viewed online here.