Mumbai: Mindshare, India’s largest full service media agency and a part of GroupM, has recently collaborated with world renowned Swedish automobile manufacturing company Volvo Car India, to launch #MakeYourCitySafe, a campaign aimed at empowering women to make a stand for their safety. Culminating in Mumbai, the campaign has been organised in partnership with CrossBow Miles, with credible 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 takes 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.
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 Srishti 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. As part of the campaign, Volvo, in collaboration with Srishti, is calling on the women of the city to embark on an iconic walk into the night, and disengage violence with city spaces, de-villainizing streets, and reminding men and women both, that these spaces are meant for all. She will be joined by other men and women in an action to make their cities safer, challenge norms, break them, and change them, as well.
The event will begin with a musical performance, followed by a poetry recitation by feminist poet Aranya Johar, and an address by Srishti. Several noted personalities, associated with the cause, such as Sushmita Sen, Dia Mirza, will be present at the event to show their support. Celebrated singer Rekha Bharwaj will light the evening with her melodies to kick off a march into the night. The intent behind the initiative is to create a positive, practical, and sincere solution to the lack of women’s safety in the city’s streets, through this walk of solidarity, urging more and more women to take a stand and reclaim their city.
Commenting on the initiative, Charles Frump, Managing Director, Volvo Car India, said, “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.”
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 is meant to be a symbolic wake up call for its residents, and is set to commence from High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel, at 9:00 pm, on May 19th, and continue till Haji Ali, covering a distance of roughly 3 kms. From there, Srishti and Volvo will continue their walk into various parts of the city.
Mac Machaiah, Chief Innovation Officer, Mindshare South Asia said, “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.”
Srishti Bakshi, Founder, CrossBow Miles commented, “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 realize their true potential.”
