We design and execute comprehensive campaigns that seamlessly integrate public service messaging with radio and TV programming, press advertisements, editorial content, and outdoor promotional materials to maximize outreach and impact.

USAID Pakistan | Digital Engagement Campaigns

Between 2020 and 2023, Black Box Sounds effectively managed and boosted the social media presence of USAID Pakistan, implementing a series of strategic initiatives aimed at increasing user engagement and visibility. Our efforts included the creation and execution of signature products such as the USAID Bulletin, USAID Live, and the Hall of Fame series. These initiatives provided a unique platform for USAID representatives to interact directly with a diverse audience, facilitating real-time updates and in-depth discussions on ongoing projects and assistance efforts within Pakistan. By integrating engaging content with dynamic interaction opportunities, we significantly enhanced audience participation and strengthened USAID's digital presence.

Our work with USAID also included innovative campaigns that leveraged quizzes and citizen journalism to boost interaction and user-generated content. These quizzes were designed not only to educate the public about USAID’s initiatives but also to embed key developmental messages in an interactive format, thereby increasing retention and sharing rates. Promoting citizen journalism encouraged the local community to share their experiences and success stories related to USAID's projects, thereby fostering a sense of community and co-ownership. This strategy significantly increased organic reach and engagement, as content shared by individuals was seen as more authentic and credible.

Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) | #JawabDijiye | Empowering Women in Politics

From 2023 to 2024, Black Box Sounds, in collaboration with the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) and the WE'RE Leaders initiative, spearheaded the transformative "JawabDijiye" multimedia campaign. This initiative was strategically designed to address and overcome the challenges surrounding female representation in elections and politics in Pakistan. Through deep research and a nuanced understanding of the sociopolitical landscape, our campaign set out to empower and mobilize women, catalyzing a significant shift in their perception of and participation in the political arena.

To maximize reach and impact, the campaign utilized a variety of content forms, including infomercials, celebrity testimonials, engaging infographics, and interactive quiz competitions focused on women's electoral participation. These elements were crucial in educating the audience and promoting active engagement with the campaign's themes. Our innovative approach in multimedia content creation and distribution played a pivotal role in enhancing the visibility and effectiveness of the campaign's message.

On social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, the "JawabDijiye" campaign achieved remarkable engagement and outreach. It orchestrated two trending topics on Twitter, both securing positions within the top three national trends and collectively reaching an impressive audience of 22 million people across Pakistan. The strategic use of the hashtag #JawabDijiye spurred extensive interaction, generating over 30,000 tweets that contributed to a robust discourse surrounding women's roles in politics. This dynamic and multifaceted initiative not only heightened awareness but also empowered women to envision and embrace their roles in shaping the political landscape, setting a precedent for future campaigns aimed at enhancing female political engagement and representation.

National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) Campaign | Countering Violent Extremism Through Media

In 2022, Black Box Sounds partnered with the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) on a significant six-month initiative aimed at countering violent extremism (CVE) in Pakistan. This comprehensive campaign involved developing targeted messages across multiple media, including TV, radio, and social media platforms, with content such as videos, Public Service Messages (PSMs), and infographics. Our collaboration with NACTA included a series of consultative meetings to ensure content accuracy, impact, and alignment with CVE objectives.

To maximize reach and engagement, the campaign leveraged the influence of prominent celebrities and influencers, who delivered messages in unique, relatable styles, ensuring authenticity and deeper audience connection. This strategy, combined with a robust digital presence and targeted social media boosting, significantly extended the campaign's reach and impact. The content was strategically disseminated across various platforms, achieving comprehensive coverage and engaging a diverse audience across Pakistan. This campaign not only highlights Black Box Sounds' expertise in managing complex social issues through multimedia strategies but also showcases our ability to integrate extensive social media boosting to enhance campaign effectiveness.

UN Women | Social Cohesion Campaign

Black Box Sounds executed a significant campaign for UN Women focused on promoting social cohesion through effective women’s leadership, which harnessed the extensive reach and influence of social media boosting to maximize its impact. This campaign adeptly utilized the powerful voices of key influencers and celebrities to amplify its themes of tolerance, diversity, and peaceful coexistence, strategically positioning women at the forefront as champions of peace and social cohesion in Pakistan. The campaign integrated personal testimonials and stories shared on social media, addressing critical societal issues such as rising intolerance, hate speech, and stereotypes that affect gender, ethnicity, religion, and more.

The campaign celebrated diversity by illustrating how various cultural, artistic, and social practices could unite people across different backgrounds. Through strategic boosting of content that highlighted activities such as sports, music, and arts as universal languages that transcend societal differences, we fostered unity and respect among diverse groups. The authenticity of these messages was maintained by allowing influencers the creative freedom to express the campaign themes in ways that were true to their individual styles and voices, ensuring the content remained genuine and impactful. This comprehensive and strategically boosted social media approach significantly enhanced the campaign’s engagement and reach, providing a robust model for leveraging digital platforms to foster social cohesion and inspire leadership in challenging societal norms.

NDRMF Podcast

The National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF) podcast series, produced by Black Box Sounds, delves into Pakistan’s evolving approach to disaster management. It examines the country’s shift from reactive measures to a proactive strategy, made possible through the establishment of NDRMF in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank. Key episodes focus on:

1. Youth Engagement: The vital role of Pakistan’s youth in driving change, implementing policies, and shaping the nation’s future.

2. COP28/29 Contributions: Showcasing Pakistan’s climate challenges and innovations, emphasizing agriculture, energy, and infrastructure resilience.

3. The NATCAT Model: A groundbreaking big-data tool for disaster risk assessment, integrating crucial information to improve preparedness and resilience.

4. Climate Leadership: Highlighting Pakistan’s commitment to combating climate issues through strategic initiatives and international collaboration.

This podcast series highlights NDRMF’s critical role in fostering resilience and innovation while positioning Pakistan as a global leader in climate action.

NourishMaa Campaign

Black Box Sounds played a pivotal role in the development and execution of the NourishMaa campaign, a collaborative initiative by Nutrition International and the Government of Pakistan aimed at enhancing maternal nutrition across the country. Leveraging their expertise in communication for change, Black Box Sounds crafted a comprehensive strategy that combined innovation and creativity to effectively engage diverse audiences.

The campaign’s strategy focused on building the capacities of healthcare providers (HCPs) and frontline health workers (FHWs) in six districts with poor maternal nutrition indicators. This involved developing targeted training programs and educational materials to enhance the knowledge and skills of HCPs and FHWs, enabling them to deliver improved maternal nutrition services. Additionally, the campaign sought to raise awareness among individuals, families, communities, and policymakers about the critical importance of maternal nutrition. By fostering a collective responsibility approach, the NourishMaa campaign aimed to create a supportive environment for maternal health, ultimately contributing to better health outcomes for mothers and children in Pakistan.

Through strategic communication efforts, including engaging multimedia content and community outreach, Black Box Sounds ensured that the campaign’s messages resonated with the target audiences, leading to increased awareness and positive behavioral changes regarding maternal nutrition.

The world bank | Dissemination campaigns

Black Box Sounds collaborated with the World Bank to develop and implement an education dissemination campaign aimed at enhancing learning outcomes in Pakistan. The strategy involved organizing a series of learning workshops across six major cities, in partnership with NADRA, to facilitate knowledge sharing and gather insights from beneficiaries. These workshops were designed to inform future educational strategies and policies. Black Box Sounds moderated the sessions and generated comprehensive reports after each event, ensuring that the insights gathered were effectively communicated to stakeholders. 

In addition to the workshops, the campaign utilized a multifaceted approach that included the dissemination of SMS and voice messages, as well as transit media, to reach a broader audience. This combination of direct engagement and mass communication ensured that educational messages were accessible to diverse populations, thereby amplifying the campaign’s impact. 

Through this comprehensive strategy, Black Box Sounds effectively contributed to the World Bank’s mission of promoting inclusive and equitable quality education in Pakistan.

Think Safe | Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Ministry of Commerce, Textile, Industry & Production and Investment (MoC) of Pakistan

BBS executed another successful project, a social and behavior change campaign called "Think Safe". The campaign was produced in collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Ministry of Commerce, Textile, Industry & Production and Investment (MoC) of Pakistan. The aim of the campaign is to reduce accidents and damages at the workplace, as well as to initiate and sustain positive attitudes, practices, and behaviors.

The campaign was launched at a "Strategic Dialogue on the Promotion of Sustainable Textiles" in Islamabad, Pakistan. The event was attended by representatives from the government, the private sector, and civil society. The campaign was well-received by the audience, and it is expected to have a positive impact on the safety of workers in the textile. Black Box Sounds is continuing to produce high-quality content that is making a positive impact on the world.

Dil Say Pakistan

The Pakistani youth has been in a quest for dignity, recognition, identity and respect, not only for themselves, but also for their community and culture.

Pakistan’s first Transmedia campaign, Dil Say Pakistan came into being in response to this quest.

The campaign encompassed all communication media including print, radio, television and the internet. The aim was to instill pride in being a Pakistani, to instigate healthy social interaction using story-telling and community mobilization exercises, and to reclaim public narratives from the erstwhile negative messaging.

It was a 16-episode TV Travelogue named ‘Dil Se Pakistan’

COUNTERING VIOLENT EXTREMISM

Violent Extremist Organizations (VEOs) in Pakistan in general and in South Punjab in particular have effectively used a blend of media tools to spread their dangerous message among communities.

DAI and Black Box Sounds partnered on a Radio and TV campaign supporting the state’s initiatives for countering messaging by VEOs, encouraging communities to come together to fight violent extremism, and providing them with a counter narrative for promoting peace and tolerance.

Program goals and objectives devised by BBS were:

Objective 1 (Output): To broadcast TV talk shows focused around countering extremist narratives.

Objective 2 (Outcome): To increase the acceptance of positive narratives amongst the targeted community.

Objective 3 (Impact):To develop and empower a diverse network of individuals, organizations, and government leaders that can advocate and implement initiatives to counter violent extremism in Punjab.

The campaign was extremely successful, and lauded internationally.

IRC Podcast

Black Box Sounds presents #Podspective, a series of podcasts that sheds light upon the development challenges in Pakistan and how the International Rescue Committee is working for a resilient and inclusive Pakistan.

In our first episode, we are in conversation with Shabnam Baloch who heads International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Pakistan. In this episode we will learn about the journey of IRC in Pakistan which spans over the last 4 decades and has legacy of helping communities across Pakistan.

In our 2nd episode, we are in conversation with Shabnam Baloch who heads International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Pakistan and Lubna Javaid Deputy Director Programs at the IRC.

In our 3rd episode, we are in conversation with Shabnam Baloch who heads International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Pakistan and Dr Bisma Imran Health Coordinator. The conversation in this podcast is focused on the looming malnutrition crisis in Pakistan and what strategies IRC is employing for ensuring a brighter, healthier, and more prosperous future for its children and communities.

In our 4th episode, we are in conversation with Bilal Anwar who is the CEO of National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF) and Shabnam Baloch who heads International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Pakistan.

Think Twice Pakistan

The Think Twice Pakistan (TTP) Campaign was designed with an aim to provide a counterpoint against religious extremism and violence. Also to inspire Pakistanis to channel their energies towards positive pursuits.

The campaign was widely successful. It gave a voice to the victims of terrorism, shifting the focus from the terrorists to the targets.

It also made Pakistan’s people realize the potential they held. The campaign brought into light the great work a lot of them were doing, making a difference in their own lives and the lives of their communities. It sang for the unsung heroes.

1. Karwa Sach (The Bitter Truth) – 15 Documentaries

A series of 15 true stories, interviewing families of victims of those who had died as a result of suicide/terrorist attacks. The idea was to give names and faces to the figures shown on TV after every suicide attack and thus create space for the voice of the victim.

2. DHAMAK (Blinding Glow) – 13 episode TV and Radio Drama

With the aim of creating a space where the voice of the victim could be heard, BBS produced a series of TV and Radio Dramas, featuring true stories of suicide attack victims and their families.

3. Agli Rut Ki Dastak (Towards the Next Blossom) – 10 Documentaries

This was a series of 10 documentaries featuring outstanding women from across Pakistan who had dared to defy the norms of society and achieved something by following their dreams.

4. Main Hoon Pakistan (I Am Pakistan) – 10 Documentaries

Main Hoon Pakistan was a series of 10 documentaries, each featuring the unsung heroes of Pakistan; Pakistanis who were committed to making big difference in their small worlds by paying service to fellow Pakistanis.

5. Zindagi Toh Tum Bhi Ho (You Are Life Too) – 10 Documentaries

This was a series of 10 documentaries, each interviewing a renounced terrorist; who or what had pulled them into the acts of terrorism, their regrets, and their plea to the youth of Pakistan to not get pulled into such acts of terror.

6. KAHO (Speak Out) – 32 episode Interactive Talk Show (TV and Radio)

Speaking directly to the youth of Pakistan, experts were invited to speak to students from across the country on bold and thought provoking issues such as religion, identity, fundamentalism etc. These were then recorded and aired on TV and radio across Pakistan.

7. Za Pakhtun Yum (I Am Pakhtun) – Pashto Drama (TV and Radio)

A 13 episode TV drama, whose success could not be defined. It has to be seen for one to realize how powerful it was and the impact it had. The drama very boldly condemned terrorism and received huge responses from the Pashtoon, and even non-pashto-speaking audience from across the globe.

8. KAHO Mind Mapping Sessions – On ground Youth Engagement

BBS decided to take the KAHO speaker’s recorded sessions to Universities across Pakistan and reach out to students so as to gauge their mindsets and leave them with questions to ponder upon. These were so successful that some Universities have asked BBS to make this a regular exercise.

Aman au Mina (Peace and Love)

Aman au Mina (Peace and Love) was a campaign designed to capture the work done by Search for Common Ground (SFCG) for conflict resolution through dialogue and mediation in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. 

It featured stories of ‘Peace Promoters' who, after training received by SFCG worked in their communities for conflict resolution and peace.

The campaign featured a song, documentaries on each of the seven Peace Promoters, and audio shows inviting guests to participate in a discussion about the need for conflict resolution and the role of each individual towards it.

Uss Raah Par (On that Path) | illegal migration awareness

Uss Raah Par (March 2017 to August 2017) aimed at raising awareness on the risks and dangers associated with illegal migration, and educating people on ways to migrate safely and legally.

The campaign was designed to draw on multiple primary and secondary data sources about the dynamics of illegal migration. It engaged and informed potential migrants and their families on both cognitive and emotional levels.

It featured stories of migrants who had taken the dangerous and life-threatening journey of ‘Dunkey Lagana’ (migrate illegally), and their families who had been left behind, oblivious of their whereabouts, dead or alive.

These stories and other content were disseminated through Radio, Posters and Community sessions. A mix of on-line social media, off-line broadcast media, and on-ground activities maximized the reach of this content on to the target audiences’ daily lives.

FATA Visibility Campaign
(FATA Secretariat, IOM, 2015)

The FATA Visibility Campaign Khushaal FATA, Khushaal Pakistan was launched during the war-struck times of the region.

It was to draw the attention of the rest of the country to FATA, create an empathy for their population, and to convey a sentiment of solidarity for the people of FATA.

The campaign included documentaries, Public Service Messages, Public Service Announcements, Radio Magazine Shows and community sessions.

Videos Highlighting Projects
(PAS Department, U.S. Consulate General Peshawar, 2016)

BBS produced a series of seven videos for the Public Affairs Section (PAS) of he U.S. Consulate General in Peshawar, to highlight U.S. Government (USG)-funded projects in Northwest Pakistan.

A key goal of PAS Peshawar was to better inform and promote the range of U.S. Assistance, projects, initiatives and support in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (KP/FATA).

Social media was used to reach the audiences, with the videos being featured on Mission Pakistan’s official website, Facebook and Twitter pages of the PAS Peshawar. 

Saaf Sehat Mand Pakistan

The campaign was launched in December 2016 to promote healthy living in Pakistan. It was aimed at empowering members of the society with knowledge to change harmful practices linked with water, sanitation, and hygiene.

This campaign was led by WaterAid Pakistan. It was aimed at breaking the myth that the hazards of poor sanitation and bad hygiene practices were restricted to individual physical health. It was to convey the fact that children suffering from continuous bouts of diarrhea or other infections resulting from poor water and sanitation were more likely to fall behind in their school or drop out altogether, limiting their ability to grow as educated and accomplished adults.

The campaign was launched by the Federal Minister for Climate Change. Black Box Sounds organized the entire launching event.

The media products made by BBS included Public Service Messages (TV), Public Service Announcements (Radio), the Clap Song (TV/Radio), and an info-graphic video upon policy advocacy.

Empower Women – Mass Media Awareness CampaigN
(Aurat Foundation through USAID Supported Gender Equity Program, GEP)

The objective of this campaign was to increase women empowerment by expanding knowledge of their rights and opportunities for exercising their rights in the workplace, community and home.

The campaign encompassed:

• Pre-and-post campaign survey including 250 visual interviews and 500 survey forms.

• Production and nationwide airing of 9 TV PSMs in Urdu and 20 PSMs, 5 each in Sindhi, Pashto, Balochi and Seraiki.

• Production and nationwide airing of 9 radio PSAs in Urdu and 20 PSMs, 5 each in Sindhi, Pashto, Balochi and Seraiki.

• Documentaries

• Press Ads and articles

URAAN (Flight)
(Cultural Department, U.S. Embassy Islamabad, 2015)

The theme of this project was to show a cultural connection between Pakistan and the U.S.

BBS produced 3 minutes short documentaries for US embassy featuring students who went to America via an exchange program so they could meet their counterparts in the U.S to provide an opportunity to learn from, and of their respective cultures.

The idea was to show the change that program brought in their lives and personalities after this experience. 

Stop Stunting Campaign
(UNICEF, 2006)

Nearly half of all children in Pakistan are at serious risk due to chronic, severe nutritional deficiencies which is known as stunting.

There is substantial evidence that, through its permanent effects on mental development, a stunted child will have more difficulties learning, will have lower educational attainment and lifetime lower earnings/productivity. Stunting can and will affect the entire GDP of a country.

This video was produced to raise awareness on the fact that stunting can be prevented or reversed but only in very young children under two years of age.

Everyone Campaign

Black Box Sounds partnered with Save the Children to launch the Everyone Campaign in 2012-14. Everyone campaign was a global campaign by ‘Save the Children’ to tackle preventable child deaths, and to protect mothers and children during childbirth. It comprised of TV Ads, Radio Ads, TV talk shows, a documentary, photo exhibition and media briefings.

The campaign and its message were very close to our heart and the partnership proved extremely successful as changes were observed at the grass-root as well as legislative levels. The campaign included print and electronic messages, city branding, events and social media campaigning.

Communication Strategy - AAWAZ Program/DFID

Developed the DFID funded AAWAZ program’s strategy paper. The document presented in detail the AAWAZ communication strategy, with the aim to facilitating and strengthening the programme’s objectives:

Output 1: women better able to participate safely in politics and in public spaces at federal, provincial levels in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab

Output 2: citizens and communities better able to resolve disputes peacefully and work together for a common solution in KP and Punjab

Output 3: women and other excluded groups better able to demand improved delivery of services in KP and Punjab

This strategy recommended communication and outreach tools aimed at behavior change of those who influence the policies and service delivery of AAWAZ primary target group, the women and men across the selected 45 districts (approximately 9 million citizens of Pakistan). The suggested media campaign; including electronic press and outdoor media as well as relevant events were to bring this issue into national notice.

Communication Strategy – Concern Worldwide/DFID

Provided consultancy services for developing Communication Strategy and Action Plan for DFID funded Community Based Disaster Risk Management component of Building Disaster Resilience Programme in Pakistan being implemented by Concern and its consortium partners. The strategy and work plan aimed to guide and enable behavior change and adoption of the risk mitigation measures by the households and communities directly impacted by natural disasters through context specific and locally appropriate means. BBS provided suitable approaches to advocacy, message promotion, and other communications methods to encourage the action of local stakeholders as well as district level institutions to engage in and realize resilience approaches which are resistant to recurring disasters, environmental impacts, and climate change.

Behavior Change Strategy – Nutrition International

Developed the behavior Change Intervention Strategy for BMNHN-MI Pakistan to improve maternal and newborn care in Punjab, Sindh and KP. The consultancy involved the review and analysis of all available formative research and other qualitative and quantitative evidence to help guide interventions for behavior change with a special focus to the socio-cultural context. Following the research, BBS developed a BCI strategy and implementation plan through a participatory process and with inputs from key stakeholders at the federal and provincial levels.

CVE in South Punjab – DAI

AeP/DAI and BBS partnered on a campaign supporting the state’s initiatives for countering messaging by VEOs, encouraging communities to come together to fight violent extremism, and providing them with a counter narrative that promotes peace and tolerance. BBS provided consultancy on Research & Monitoring to support the campaign, and maintained close coordination with AeP/DAI during development, recording, and testing phases. A testing framework was developed to take place at different stages of the campaign. Focus Group Discussions were carried out at various stages for evaluation.

Everyone Campaign – Save the Children

Provided media consultancy to Save the Children for the Everyone Campaign since the inception in 2012. Every One campaign was the global campaign of Save the Children that worked in countries all over the world to tackle preventable child deaths, and to protect mothers and children during childbirth. BBS presented a detailed strategy of two years to Save the Children, with tools intended for both policy change and awareness raising, and were both very effective, for instance in the passing of several legislations regarding Mother and Child Health.

WASH Campaign Strategy – UNICEF, WaterAid, Plan Pakistan

BBS developed the communication and implementation strategy for the WASH campaign by implementing partners UNICEF, WaterAid, Plan Pakistan and Black Box Sounds. WASH is a 5 years long nationwide Behavior Change Campaign on WASH. The campaign aims to reach out to the masses with health and hygiene messages using interactive mass and social media channels for improved hygiene behavior, and for policy change regarding the WASH situation in Pakistan.

Think Twice Pakistan – U.S. Embassy Islamabad

BBS designed the Think Twice Pakistan (TTP) Campaign with a two- pronged strategy with an aim to provide a counterpoint against religious extremism and violence through the communication media.

Firstly, to give a voice to the victims of terrorism. Ironically, the voice of terrorists could be heard everywhere: inside our homes, on the news in the form of bomb blasts, suicide attacks and target killings, but there was no voice loud enough to counter it; that of the victims.

Secondly, Pakistan’s people needed to realize the potential they held, the great work a lot of them were doing, making a difference in their own lives and the lives of their communities in whatever way they could; the unsung heroes. The idea was to inspire Pakistanis to channel their energies towards positive outlets.

Voter Registration Campaign Strategy - IFES

Provided consultancy services to IFES for motivating young voters to register their names for the upcoming elections. BBS provided complete communications work plan that included production and dissemination of communication products for effective outreach to the youth.

Political Finance Advocacy – IFES

Provided consultancy to raise awareness among all stakeholders and to create demand for reforming and implementing the political finance related regulatory framework. A documentary was produced showcasing different advocacy initiatives of different political parties and introducing the concept of political financing and the legal framework related to it. It contained representation from different political parties, whose members spoke about political finance and their party’s policy of political finance before and during elections.