Kompas' MANTRA of Hope: a whispered mantra turns a phone into court-ready evidence

In Indonesia, 9 out of 10 sexual assault cases remain unresolved because survivors cannot prove non-consent, and complainants can even face defamation charges. Harian Kompas and dentsu Indonesia wanted to help survivors seek justice instead of just raising awareness.

Give survivors an invisible recorder: saying her mantra silently starts an audio capture with uneditable metadata, creating the evidence the law demands.

Dentsu and Kompas built MANTRA of Hope, an app triggered by a personalised phrase of refusal chosen by the survivor. Speaking it secretly activates recording in the phone's backend, capturing audio plus unedited date, time and location metadata. The campaign rolled out through podcasts, digital news and social media with lawyers, activists and survivors advocating for the tool.

The initiative generated more than IDR 31 billion in earned media value and 42+ million impressions, with over 1,000 app downloads in the early phase. It took Gold (Mobile Lotus) and Silver (Technology) at ADFEST 2025, Silvers and Bronzes at Citra Pariwara 2024, and shortlists at Spikes Asia.

In Indonesia, 9 out of 10 sexual assault cases remain unresolved because survivors cannot prove non-consent; even physical evidence can expose complainants to defamation complaints, and victim-blaming pushes many to stay silent. Dentsu Indonesia and Harian Kompas - one of the country's largest media groups - set out to remove the barrier between survivors and justice.

Their answer was MANTRA of Hope, an app built with audio technologists. A survivor first records a personalised mantra, her own chosen words of rejection. If she later speaks that phrase during an incident, the app silently starts capturing audio through the phone's backend and attaches unedited metadata - date, time and location - strengthening her testimony if she chooses to report.

The rollout used podcasts, digital news and social media, enlisting legal experts, activists and survivors to advocate for the app. The campaign earned more than IDR 31 billion in media value and 42+ million impressions, with over 1,000 downloads in its early phase. The work won Gold in the Mobile Lotus and Silver in Technology at ADFEST 2025, multiple Silvers and Bronzes at Citra Pariwara 2024, and was shortlisted at Spikes Asia.

It solved the actual reason cases die - missing evidence of non-consent - rather than adding another awareness plea.

It was designed for the moment of danger: no visible buttons or prompts, just a mantra that quietly starts a secure recording.

The insight came from the client's own asset, Harian Kompas's journalistic archives, plus work with criminal lawyers, so the tool was built backward from what courts need.

It turned a newspaper brand into a practical safety product, giving the campaign credibility, reach and a reason to exist beyond the launch.

Find the point where cases actually fail, not where awareness is low. A discreet tool that captures admissible proof turns a media brand into a lifeline.

MANTRA of Hope gave Indonesian survivors a legally minded way to document an incident and was endorsed in coverage by legal experts who said such evidence strengthens testimony in court. For Kompas Gramedia it demonstrated how a media group can ship a civic-tech product, and for dentsu Indonesia it became a flagship case carried through ADFEST 2025, Citra Pariwara 2024 and Spikes Asia recognition.