This week out of home signs across Australia will profile missing people in a campaign for National Missing Persons Week (NMPW) which runs from Sunday 31 July to Saturday 6 August.
This campaign marks the 14th year in NSW and eighth year nationally of the partnership between the Outdoor Media Association (OMA) with the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the National Missing Persons Coordination Centre (NMPCC).
“This is the longest standing community partnership for our industry. We believe that Outdoor is the perfect canvas to raise awareness about this issue, with our signs reaching 93 per cent of the population every day. While it is our greatest hope that the campaign will lead to finding these missing people, we are also proud to play such a prominent role in raising awareness. Our members have donated more than $12 million of advertising space over a decade,” OMA CEO Charmaine Moldrich said.
“The OMA and its members provide an invaluable contribution to the families and friends of long-term missing people. Their generous donations of space in public areas provides support and hope that information may be uncovered about their loved-ones,” said Acting AFP Assistant Commissioner Jason Kennedy.
The 2022 NMPW campaign focusses on the emotions of those who are left “Hoping,” “Holding on,” “Guessing,” “Asking,” and “Praying” that their family member or friend will be found. There are eight missing people featured in this year’s campaign:
- Elizabeth Herfort – missing 13 June 1980, last seen in Acton, ACT
- Allan Bentley – missing 26 April 2021, last seen in Tea Gardens, NSW
- Li Bing Di – missing 4 February 2001, last seen in Dandenong, VIC
- Susan Goodwin – missing 19 July 2002, last seen in Port Lincoln, SA
- Josephine Jennings – missing 1 April 1997, last seen in Kalgoorlie, WA
- Nathan Brosnan – missing 8 September 2021, last seen in Logan, QLD
- Paul Baker – missing 6 August 2021, last seen in Katherine, NT
- Darlene Geertsema – missing 23 October 1978, last seen in Devonport, TAS
“In 2021, NMPCC recorded over 53,000 missing persons reports. Fortunately, more than 98 per cent of reported missing persons are eventually located. Our work focuses on the two per cent long-term missing persons who are still missing for three months or more,” said Acting AFP Assistant Commissioner Jason Kennedy.
This year, OMA members are donating advertising space for the NMPW campaign valued at approximately $2.5 million. Participating OMA members include: Australian Outdoor Sign Company, BIG Outdoor, Bishopp Outdoor Advertising, Civic Outdoor, goa, GoTransit Media Group, JCDecaux, JOLT, Motio, oOh!media, Outdoor Systems, Paradise Outdoor Advertising, QMS, Shopper, The Media Shop, Tonic Media Network, Total Outdoor Media, and Val Morgan Outdoor.
