The world definitely needs a breather. The India chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) has rolled out a campaign through which it’s appealing to advertisers along with advertising and media agencies to take a ‘deep breath’ and show empathy during this hour of crisis due to the pandemic.

Megha Tata, President, IAA India, said in a statement, “Yes, we are passing through an unprecedented crisis. There is pain and grief all around us. But as they say, extraordinary times need extraordinary responses. Corporates have responded with alacrity and fortitude to the call of the nation. Money and material are being raised to help those in need. Communication is being used and will be used, to strike a chord of positivity.

“This time around, as a responsible industry association with a unique mix of members including leaders from the world of marketing advertising and the media, we are appealing to all stakeholders in our industry to deal with one another with a degree of sensitivity, understanding, empathy, and kindness. It’s as simple as that. And as important.”

Nandini Dias, Chairperson, IAA Leadership Awards Committee, said that for three years now, IAA, through a well-managed campaign, has been urging industry leaders to save lives by adopting flexi-timings and which evoked a “very positive response”. This time the challenges were different.

“We need to rebuild lives and livelihoods, irrespective of where we work from or whether we belong to a local or global organisation. Our industry members at every level of the corporate ladder are facing unique challenges. And we believe this is the time to introspect, look within, and dip into the reserves of goodness that exist in all of us and create strong foundations for long-term renewal. Our campaign seeks to do just that. And of course, as we always maintain, communication should be a force for good,” Das added.

The campaign has been conceptualised by Madison BMB and is presently being spread across digital and print medium with attempts being made to rope in radio broadcasters.