Theatre for Change

Pacific Solutions is a creative marketing communications and consultancy agency known for innovation-driven campaigns that intersect culture, education, and social change. In 2015, the agency collaborated on a national financial literacy education campaign with a development-focused partners; International Finance for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Italian Government, Ministry of Finance of Ghana on a project named Rural & Agricultural Finance Project (RAFIP) aimed at building a stronger culture of saving, responsible borrowing, investment awareness, and consumer protection across Ghana.

Initial insights/research during the campaign planning phase revealed a pressing need: financial illiteracy was not just confined to rural or underserved populations, but also prevalent among educated, urban-dwelling Ghanaians. Key issues included:
Low savings culture
Irresponsible borrowing and loan misapplication
Limited awareness of consumer protection rights
Low culture of investment.
We were challenged to create a strategy that would overcome literacy, cultural, and psychological barriers—and reach Ghanaians in a way that would inspire real behavior change on financial literacy.

We identified drama and storytelling as effective, culturally resonant tools for awareness creation, learning and engagement—especially in local and rural  Ghanaian agricultural communities. Inspired by traditional forms of entertainment and public storytelling, we developed a “Drama/Theatre Train” campaign concept that would bring live performances directly to the people.
Key features of the execution included:
A mobile drama troupe toured over 50 central market locations across the country.
Each stop featured live theatre performances staged in open-air markets, dramatizing relatable stories about saving, borrowing, investment and consumer rights.
Scripts were crafted to evoke both emotional connection and rational reflection on everyday financial choices.
The entire journey lasted eight months, involving a large team of actors, facilitators, technical crew, data collection staff and logistical support.
Performances were also recorded and broadcast through local public service channels of traditional media of radio and television , increasing reach exponentially.
What began as a single client brief transformed into a passion project embraced by our entire agency. Staff volunteered time, creativity, and resources—turning it into a Pacific Solutions mission.

Direct reach: Over 250,000 people experienced the performances live across the selected locations.
Media amplification: An estimated 1.5 million people were reached indirectly through radio, television and community screenings.
Audience engagement: Roughly 60% of attendees expressed interest in learning more about managing personal finances and making informed borrowing or investment decisions.
Sector-wide impact: Our innovative theatre-based communication approach inspired replication by other agencies and NGOs, particularly in health campaigns addressing malaria prevention and control.
Business outcomes: The campaign yielded strong financial and reputational returns for Pacific Solutions, affirming our position as a leader in behavior change communication.
By moving beyond traditional above- and below-the-line media, this campaign demonstrated how interactive, emotionally-driven experiences can deliver lasting social impact and strategic marketing success.