This ad was the first in a series of three which we worked on with Avaaz.org in conjunction with the G8 meetings in Japan in July of 2008. The opening of the meetings coincided with the beginning of the Tanabata festival, "when people in Japan write their wishes for the year ahead and tie them to bamboo trees." A number of other groups also partnered on this ad (Oxfam, Save the Children, ONE, and GCAP), and they had been collecting virtual "wishes" from their constituents. This ad was both a presentation of those wishes to the leaders of the G8 and a plea that they not cut those wishes down.
We based the illustration on traditional Japanese woodblock prints by Hiroshige and Yoshitoshi. [Originals here and here.] See below for the final text of the ad.
G8 LEADERS:
THE WORLD'S WISHES ARE IN FRONT OF YOU
DON’T CUT THEM DOWN
Today, the G8 summit begins – and so does the Tanabata festival, when people in Japan write their wishes for the year ahead and tie them to bamboo trees. In the last month, more than 1,000,000 citizens from around the world have sent virtual Tanabata wishes to the G8 leaders:
It is time to honour the world's wishes. Don't let us down!
