MUMBAI: Mindshare, a full service media agency and a part of GroupM, has collaborated with world renowned Swedish automobile manufacturing company Volvo Car India to launch #MakeYourCitySafe, a campaign aimed at empowering women to take a stand for their safety.
Culminated in Mumbai, the campaign had been organised in partnership with CrossBow Miles, with partners such as the National Commission for Women and The Hans Foundation backing the cause. With Volvo Car India acting as the Safety Partner, the campaign took the form of a desperate plea from the city to its female residents, to not give up or lose hope in it, and instead, to take to the streets and make their city safer for themselves. It was started with a thoughtful and poetic brand film which urged women to step out in large numbers and reclaim the streets to make them safer, for women themselves hold the key to the burning issue of women safety.
Volvo Car India managing director Charles Frump says, “Women safety and empowerment are two issues that we feel strongly about. A society can be truly progressive if women get equal opportunities, feel safe and confident. We support Srishti Bakshi in her mission and urge everyone to join us during the Mumbai Night Walk to show solidarity towards the cause.”
Being a progressive, culturally rooted, and socially conscious brand, Volvo Car India not only wishes to make a stand for women’s safety, but follow up on it through a collaboration with others who’re doing something about it, as well. Thus, it has tied up with CrossBow Miles, whose founder Bakshi has just completed a 3800 km nation-wide journey from Kanyakumari to Kashmir on foot to encourage women to come out of their houses and empower themselves.
Mindshare South Asia chief innovation officer Mac Machaiah adds, “Being a highly forward thinking agency, we are eagerly looking forward to this collaboration, and are proud to receive this opportunity to raise awareness about such a burning issue. Together with Srishti Bakshi of Crossbow Miles, Volvo, and the women of Mumbai, we hope to help make the streets, and the city, safer for women.”
As part of the campaign, Volvo, in collaboration with Srishti, called on the women of the city to embark on an iconic walk into the night, and disengage violence with city spaces, de-villainising streets, and reminding men and women both, that these spaces are meant for all. She was joined by other men and women in an action to make their cities safer, challenge norms, break them, and change them, as well.
Volvo was responsible for launching the Volvo XC90, recently bestowed with the title of ‘Safest Car in the World’ by IIHS, and now, it endeavours to make the environment safer too, for women. This association with Mindshare, a brand well known for its hugely successful track record of providing competitive marketing advantages to businesses and their brands, is expected to help unite women and encourage them to reclaim their streets, without letting fear and daily headlines of violence and assault deter them. This is because, the more the number of women on the streets, the safer they become for them. The walk was meant to be a symbolic wake up call for its residents from High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel till Haji Ali, covering a distance of roughly 3 km. From there, Srishti and Volvo continued their walk into various parts of the city.
Bakshi mentions, “CrossBow Miles has been walking for women’s safety and empowerment through the country, covering a distance of 3800 km on-foot, from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. It was a perfect synergy of belief with Volvo’s #MakeYourCitySafe campaign because we have been conducting night walks across the country to encourage women to step out of their homes and realise their true potential.”
