The campaign focuses on Rista Chanthavixay, who was 15 when she went missing in March 2009 in the western suburbs of Sydney. The donated outdoor media includes taxi backs, shopping centre panels and bus shelters in suburbs near where she went missing and bus shelters and free standing panels in the Sydney CBD.

NMPW is an annual event to raise awareness of the issues and impacts associated with missing people. This year the focus is on Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities with the theme ‘When someone goes missing, a day spent waiting is a day lost’. The theme is a reminder to the community that they shouldn’t wait 24 hours to report someone missing if they fear for the safety of that person.

Charmaine Moldrich, EO of the OMA says, “We know that outdoor advertising is a highly visible medium that reaches people in their communities and our hope is that the message is seen by someone who can help provide the information needed to find Rista.”

Each year 35,000 people are reported missing in Australia – one person every 15 minutes. While 95 per cent of missing persons are found within a short period of time, the lasting impact, particularly on families, is devastating.

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