Background

Communication barriers have caused the deaf community to suffer from inequality, preventing them from accessing proper education, jobs, and even public services. One way to promote communication equality is by encouraging more hearing people to learn BISINDO (Indonesian Sign Language).

Telkomsel, as a leading digital telecommunications provider in Indonesia, strives to offer the best services to all its customers, including those who are deaf or hearing impaired. It provides Signing Customer Service (CS with BISINDO training) in 19 locations across Indonesia, and is continually expanding this service. Unfortunately, deaf rights are still not a social priority for many Indonesians. So, how could we raise awareness about this issue and highlight how Telkomsel is the only telco company that genuinely cares?

Idea

We decided to tap into International Day of Sign Languages, an event very special to the deaf community, and turn it into something that the hearing population would take notice of. On this day, we created a reverse experience for people to get them realize the ordeal that deaf people experience on a daily basis and intrigue them to learn about sign language.

For 24 hours, we changed all Telkomsel video content across all social platforms into silent videos with no subtitles, only BISINDO. People were shocked to see how silent the timelines were, they felt confused as they didn’t understand the meaning of the videos, just as we’d planned. Most of the audience was perplexed, but the deaf community, however, felt seen. They were excited to finally see a language they understood brought to light by one of the biggest telecommunication brands in Indonesia.

Result

The silence from Telkomsel’s social media platforms created a lot of loud noise. The company not only created a buzz but also highlighted the importance of inclusivity. The campaign went viral, increasing interest in BISINDO 500 times and reaching over 7.8 million people in just three days. The campaign hashtag even became a trending topic on International Day of Sign Languages.

The campaign resulted in IDR 471 million in PR value, gaining 100% positive sentiment across all of Telkomsel’s social media platforms. Telkomsel’s creative approach made waves and put a spotlight on the deaf community like never before.