Name: How Christmas lights helped guerrillas put down their guns
Uploaded: 2014-12-08T16:28:37Z
Duration: 14 min 12 s
Description: "In my lifetime, I have never lived one day of peace in my country," says Jose Miguel Sokoloff. This ad executive from Colombia saw a chance to help guerrilla fighters choose to come home -- with smart marketing. He shares how some creative, welcoming messages have helped thousands of guerrillas decide to put down their weapons -- and the key insights behind these surprising tactics.

"In my lifetime, I have never lived one day of peace in my country," says Jose Miguel Sokoloff. This ad executive from Colombia saw a chance to help guerrilla fighters choose to come home -- with smart marketing. He shares how some creative, welcoming messages have helped thousands of guerrillas decide to put down their weapons -- and the key insights behind these surprising tactics.

How Christmas lights helped guerrillas put down their guns

Creative campaigns transformed Colombia’s conflict by reaching guerrillas not as soldiers, but as people longing for connection and home. At Christmas, illuminated jungle trees and thousands of floating messages inspired hundreds to lay down arms, including 331 in a single season. The approach drew on family bonds and national unity, tapping into powerful emotions rather than fear or politics. Over eight years, these efforts helped 17,000 fighters imagine a life beyond war.