# Don’t bury Bhopal, charity urges US chemical giants

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2017/09/01/dont-bury-bhopal-charity-urges-us-chemical-giants/
- Published: 2017-09-01T16:19:30+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**UK charity The Bhopal Medical Appeal is calling on two major US chemical companies,
as they merge today, not to forget the survivors of the world’s worst industrial
disaster.**

The charity is taking the opportunity of the [$130 billion merger today](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-04/dow-dupont-set-aug-31-for-closing-of-historic-chemical-merger)
to deliver a blunt request to Dow Chemical and DuPont. “Don’t bury Bhopal” it argues.

The campaign uses a simple animated film to combine the corporate logos of Dow Chemical
and DuPont. As the two logos merge together, they grow in size to fill the screen,
forming a new logo that spells the word “DoNT”. The end of the film reveals the 
strapline “Don’t bury Bhopal”. 

## Advertisement

## Bhopal 1984

![Don't bury Bhopal GIF](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.cloud/2017/09/dont-bury-
bhopal-800px.gif)

 

The film and campaign, developed by agency Soul, highlights ongoing and widespread
anger over Dow’s “stonewalling of victims” of the horrific 1984 gas disaster in 
Bhopal.

The charity says that critics argue that, ahead the merger, both Dow and DuPont 
are “deliberately hiding ongoing criminal, civil and environmental liabilities from
shareholders”. 

Controversy has surrounded the treatment of Bhopal survivors ever since Union Carbide’s
pesticide factory released a huge cloud of toxic gas into the heart of the Indian
city. More than half a million were exposed, and an estimated 25,000 people have
died over time. 

Toxic wastes dumped around the abandoned factory have since polluted local drinking
water with poisonous chemicals. Today, the city suffers an epidemic of cancers and
birth defects.

Dow Chemical completed a $9 billion merger with Union Carbide in 2001. European 
regulators cleared its proposed merger with DuPont in May this year.

The campaign is designed to force Dow Chemical and DuPont “to stop disregarding 
Bhopal victims’ health and basic rights”. 

Colin Toogood of the Bhopal Medical Appeal explained: “Dow and DuPont’s merger will
create the world’s largest chemical company, but it could also bury the world’s 
worst chemical disaster beneath a mountain of corporate red tape. New generations
of Bhopalis are sick and dying. If enough people raise their voices together, Dow
and DuPont will no longer be able to ignore their suffering.”

## Soul

The campaign and film were developed by agency Soul. 

Shaun Moran, the founder and creative director of Soul, said: “Our brief was to 
get the message across in a short, quick, and simple fashion. The idea does just
that. We’re using this merger to create the simple message: ‘DoNT bury Bhopal.’”

The team involved were: 

Creative Director: Shaun Moran

Head of Art: Paul Walton

Business Director: Iain Munro

Web Developer and Tech Support: John Richardson

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