Every year, more than 3000 children go missing in Pakistan, a large number of whom are trafficked quickly to various parts of the country, with countless cases of abuse and mutilation. There are few mechanisms to aid in the recovery of children, including the fact that traditional media to raise awareness does not penetrate into remote regions.

Our brief was to come up with an exceptional idea that would not only connect directly with audiences in raising awareness about missing children, but would also directly help in recovering them.

"Truck Art" is a distinctively Pakistani cultural icon: transport and goods trucks traveling across the country are customarily painted and decorated with elaborate floral patterns, animals, icons, portraits and calligraphy. These brilliantly painted works of art often include portraits of famous personalities - actors, sportspersons, military chiefs, politicians. The trucks also travel far and wide within the country.

The idea was simple: in place of famous personalities, portraits of missing children were showcased on these trucks. The work was done in collaboration with conceptual artist / anthropologist Samar Minallah Khan and her team of truck artists, who painted these portraits in the style of truck art with a helpline number.

Using paints supplied by Berger Paints, the artists replicated the last photograph of the missing child and painted the backs of these trucks with the portrait, a helpline number and information about the child.

Trucks were selected to ensure the routes would be covered in every direction possible, starting from the original location where the child went missing; the vehicles drove through both urban and rural areas.

The campaign was highly effective: so far, seven children have been recovered and reunited with their parents due to callers calling the number on the trucks. More than 3,000 calls were received on the helpline from 39 different cities in all parts of Pakistan, of which 500+ were leads for missing children.

Besides finding children, the trucks have made hundreds of thousands Pakistanis aware of the steps to take when children go missing.

Local police have acknowledged the efficacy of, are now collaborating in implementing, this new form of what has been called the "Pakistani version of the milk carton". The Governer of the largest state in the country is going to launch the second phase.