Giving voices
I led an award-winning Samsung CSR campaign that turned social responsibility into public participation—inviting people to donate their voices to build audio libraries for blind children.
THE CHALLENGE
CSR is rarely short of good intentions, but it’s often long on distance. For Samsung’s Corporate team, the brief was to create a locally relevant social-responsibility programme that stood out, avoided political and cultural sensitivities, and visibly integrated Samsung products into the solution. In a market where foreign-backed initiatives can be misunderstood or quietly shut down, even choosing what to help with was fraught. Environmental causes were sensitive. Specialist NGOs risked distancing the public from the impact. And most CSR efforts—however well run—tend to live in reports, not in people’s hearts. So how could Samsung move beyond quiet “do-gooding” and create something people didn’t just notice, but actively wanted to be part of—without triggering the very sensitivities that often derail such programmes?
“David’s creative ideas resulted in tremendous success in Samsung Corporate Projects. He would turn on his great creative mind right from the start of the brief, and this would continue to the end of the project. He was born to create wonders.”
THE SOLUTION
The unlock came from reframing CSR not as something people observe, but something they contribute to. After meeting with the national blind organisation, we identified a clear surface problem—access to children’s books—but also a deeper, hidden one: blind children were often socially isolated, with fewer opportunities to gather, interact, and grow together. Solving literacy alone wouldn’t be enough.
A custom-built platform that made participation simple, human, and scalable.
Our idea was deceptively simple: build a national audio library for blind children—but power it through public participation. Instead of asking for donations of money, we invited people to donate their voices. “Help them see, with your voice.” Anyone could read a children’s book, record it, and submit it through a custom-built platform for review. This instantly removed the specialist barrier that plagues many CSR initiatives and replaced it with something human, creative, and inclusive.
A simple, tactile invitation—turning everyday book browsing into an opportunity to participate.
To amplify the idea, we partnered with ten well-known cultural figures to record the first 100 audiobooks, seeding credibility and reach while setting a quality benchmark. A national campaign brought the idea to life visually: microphones morphed into iconic book imagery, cables flowed into headphones worn by absorbed children, and in bookstores, microphone-shaped bookmarks quietly invited readers to take part. Billboards, print, PR, and organic sharing did the rest.
Crucially, we didn’t stop at digital access. Seventeen physical audio libraries were established across the country, each equipped with Samsung tablets preloaded with the content. These spaces became social hubs—drawing children together, encouraging interaction, and quietly addressing the deeper issue of social development alongside literacy.
Iconic mythology reimagined through sound—using voice as the hero of the story.
THE RESULTS
The response exceeded expectations. Voice submissions flooded in—far beyond initial capacity—turning the project into a genuine national movement. The campaign earned extensive earned media, industry coverage, and organic advocacy as contributors proudly shared their involvement. Samsung presented the programme at the regional leadership summit in Dubai, where it was recognised with a Best CSR Practice award and explored as a model for other markets.
Audio-book samples were distributed to guardians to introduce the project and encourage visits to the physical audio libraries.
Most importantly, the impact was tangible. With 100 audiobooks and 17 libraries in operation, blind children gained not just access to stories, but access to one another—entering shared spaces that nurtured confidence, curiosity, and connection. By shifting CSR from “supporting a cause” to “giving something of yourself,” Samsung didn’t just demonstrate responsibility—it built participation, pride, and lasting value. The children didn’t just hear stories. They found a world they could enter together.
