La Fuerza De La Tierra - Public Awareness Campaign
Campesino – Latin American Farm Laborer
La Fuerza de la Tierra - The Strength of the Land
How do you design a revolution? This was the question I asked myself over the course of 10 weeks as I brought to life a public awareness campaign centered on the lives of “campesinos” - Latin American land laborers. Campesinos often face discrimination from, live in poverty, are subject to violence and forced migration, and are looked down upon in society. These people are more than agriculturalists, they are resilient, resourceful, and help feed the world. Social mobility and access education are the goals of their grassroots movements, and efforts often overlap with Indigenous solidarity.
As a daughter of Colombian immigrants and inspired by my family’s campesino history, I wanted to create something that honors these people, and brings attention and respect to this often-overlooked community. This campaign seeks to educate the American public about the issues surrounding campesinos, and inspire them to make a difference.
The
Logo
Inspired by revolutionary imagery and combined with the stories of my dad using machetes to farm,
I created a logo that would be impactful, recognizable and easily applied to different places.
Vibrant colors are often used to express anger, urgency, and demand attention, as is the case here.
Posters with a
Message
Each poster focuses on some of the greatest struggles that affect their lives - the need to migrate, feeling the brunt of corruption, and being on the receiving end of violence. Using illustrations is a way to reference pain and suffering, without showing it directly. Each poster has a QR code that links to a website for more information, as there is only so much that can be said from a single image. The Wiphala flag is the checkered rainbow flag, and it represents the native peoples of Latin America. Many campesinos are Indigenous, and adding this flag is a nod to Indigenous solidarity.
Dress the
Revolution
Fashion is a way that people express themselves personally, creatively, and politically, and creating wearable messages was necessary for the movement to become a part of everyday life. After researching popular accessories and clothing that could be used both in protests and in every day life, I decided using the logo could be a good conversation starter into the movement.
Social, Virtual,
Active
Oftentimes, people utilize a “shock factor” to catch the audience’s attention. Showing violence is a common tactic some parties use within social movements, however it easily leads to sensitization. With this campaign, the intention was to not use aggressive or painful imagery to respect the humanity of the campesinos. The social media is vibrant and colorful as an homage to this Latin American community, and utilizes bold text and colorful imagery of campesinos doing their work.
Online
Presence
There needed to be a way where people could be provided with more information, seeing that so much of the movement aboard is made up of rural grassroots efforts. The QR code at the bottom of each poster takes the audience directly to this website to learn more. The site allows people to learn more about campesinos, the movement, its impact, and provides places where they can directly donate, no middlemen involved.