Hackensack Meridian Health and Prosek Partners Creative Agency Prophecy Conclude Groundbreaking Anti-Human Trafficking Awareness Campaign Around FIFA World Cup 26™

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 15, 2026--

As MetLife Stadium prepares to host the eighth and final game of the FIFA World Cup 26™ on July 19th, Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey’s largest and most comprehensive health network and Prosek Partners creative agency Prophecy will conclude “Stop. Stare. Save a Life.’’, a successful anti-human trafficking awareness campaign built around a first-of-its-kind installation across transit stations.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260715728494/en/

Since the first World Cup game was played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on June 13, more than 1.2 million visitors have passed through the New York/New Jersey region and seen the campaign in high-traffic transit spaces. It features human silhouettes anchoring the installation, while companion digital kiosks depict individuals disappearing from view. Together, they reflect a difficult reality: trafficking victims often become invisible to the world around them, even when they are hiding in plain sight. Additionally, members of the public who suspect someone is being exploited can call the New Jersey Human Trafficking Hotline at 855-363-6548.

“As a survivor of human trafficking, I know what it feels like to be surrounded by people and still feel invisible. Victims are often hiding in plain sight, not because they want to be unseen, but because fear, coercion, trauma, and manipulation keep them silent,” said Gina Cavallo, president of the New Jersey Coalition Against Human Trafficking. “That’s why campaigns like this matter. They encourage people to slow down, recognize the warning signs, and understand that one moment of awareness can change the course of someone’s life.”

"As the world has come to New York and New Jersey, we're committed to ensuring the World Cup leaves a legacy that extends beyond the matches on the field. Hosting an event of this scale comes with a shared responsibility to help keep our communities safe and welcoming,” said Alex Lasry, CEO of the New York New Jersey Host Committee. “By working alongside partners like Hackensack Meridian Health, we're raising awareness of critical issues like human trafficking and reinforcing our commitment to protecting everyone who lives in and visits our region. This campaign is a powerful example of how the World Cup can inspire meaningful action and create a lasting positive impact.”

The transit campaign runs through July 19, 2026, across NJ TRANSIT’s Hoboken and Metropark stations, PATH’s Harrison station, as well as the Nutley FIFA bus shuttle stop, and is part of Hackensack Meridian Health's broader FIFA World Cup 26™ awareness efforts.

"As New Jersey's Official Hometown Hospital of FIFA World Cup 26™ New York, New Jersey Host Committee, we are enjoying the games and embracing the responsibility to help keep people safe," said Hackensack Meridian Health CEO, Robert C. Garrett, FACHE. “For years, we've built the training, screening tools and partnerships needed to help our caregivers identify victims and connect survivors to care. Now, we have extended that work beyond our hospitals, empowering residents and visitors alike to recognize the warning signs because one moment of awareness could change - or even save - a life."

“Human trafficking has no single warning sign, so it takes partners working from every angle to catch it — that’s why this campaign complements the work our Safe Passage initiative and New Jersey Transit Police already do across our system,” said NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kris Kolluri. “With the world coming through New Jersey for FIFA World Cup 26, we’re glad to see Hackensack Meridian Health and Prosek bring their platform to this fight alongside ours.”

Hackensack Meridian Health is a recognized leader in human trafficking prevention, becoming the first U.S. health system to implement system-wide identification and response protocols. Since 2022, Hackensack Meridian Health has screened more than 8 million patients for social-related needs and more than 7,800 individuals specifically for human trafficking in 2025 alone.

“Most awareness campaigns ask people to look. This campaign asks people to stare. The creative was built around a simple human truth: when something makes us uncomfortable, our instinct is often to look away,” said Anne Swan, Chief Creative Officer and Creative Lead at Prophecy. “We wanted to challenge that behavior and create a moment people couldn't ignore. Because when it comes to human trafficking, paying attention can be the difference between someone remaining invisible and getting help."

In addition to the transit activation, the campaign includes a dedicated online resource hub featuring prevention protocols, training materials, awareness assets and survivor stories designed for healthcare providers, first responders, law enforcement, hospitality professionals and community organizations.

“We’re proud to partner with Hackensack Meridian Health on a campaign that uses creativity and visibility to help address an issue that deserves far greater public attention,” said Neil Goklani, Partner at Prosek and Head of Prophecy. “This work demonstrates the impact organizations can have when they use their platforms to drive awareness, inspire action and support meaningful change.”

The campaign was developed with the NYNJ 2026 World Cup Host Committee alongside several partners including CommonSpirit Health, NJ Coalition Against Human Trafficking, NJ TRANSIT, Truckers Against Trafficking, Volunteers of America Delaware Valley and others.

Members of the public who suspect human trafficking are encouraged to contact the New Jersey Human Trafficking Hotline at 855-363-6548. Additional resources, educational materials and survivor stories can be found by clicking here.

About Prophecy

Prophecy is Prosek’s strategic branding, creative and go-to-market agency. We serve clients at the intersection of brand and capital, helping complex businesses navigate moments of transformation, growth, and change. By combining strategy, creative, content, digital, production, media and go-to-market execution, we help organizations uncover what makes them different, turn it into a compelling market position, and bring it to life in ways that create meaningful business impact. As part of Prosek, we have offices in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Washington DC, Fairfield, Palm Beach, London, Dubai and Cape Town.

About Prosek Partners

Prosek Partners builds – and protects – the top brands in business. We are a certified Woman-Owned Business and among the largest independent, integrated communications and marketing firms globally. Specializing in providing a full range of communications solutions to financial and professional services companies, Prosek delivers business impact through an unexpected level of passion, creativity and marketing savvy. Services include media relations, thought leadership, social and digital media, public affairs, investor relations, financial communications, transaction services, crisis communications and issues management, content creation, conference support, publishing, media training and more. Prosek’s strategic branding and integrated marketing arm – Prophecy by Prosek – offers brand strategy, award-winning design, digital and advertising capabilities. Prosek has been named PRWeek’s Best Place to Work, PRovoke Media’s “Global and North American Financial Agency of the Year” and a top five global M&A and shareholder activism agency. For more information, please visit www.prosek.com or follow the firm on LinkedIn.

About Hackensack Meridian Health

Hackensack Meridian Health brings together leading-edge care, research, and medical education to deliver the best outcomes, and care shaped around the unique needs of every patient we serve. By connecting prevention, specialty care, and life-saving discoveries, we improve every aspect of healthcare – from routine visits to the most advanced treatments, close to home and across the globe.

Home to New Jersey’s first and only top 20 hospital in the nation according to U.S. News & World Report 2025-26, we ensure people can count on exceptional care today and benefit from the cures of tomorrow. Our not-for-profit network of 18 hospitals, 500+ care locations, and over 40,000 team members extend the horizon of health for all. And because medicine is never finished, we Keep Getting Better for every patient, family, and community who counts on us. Learn more at HackensackMeridianHealth.org and to donate visit GiveHMH.org.

Hackensack Meridian Health and Prosek Partners Creative Agency Prophecy Conclude Groundbreaking Anti-Human Trafficking Awareness Campaign Around FIFA World Cup 26™

Hackensack Meridian Health and Prosek Partners Creative Agency Prophecy Conclude Groundbreaking Anti-Human Trafficking Awareness Campaign Around FIFA World Cup 26™

Hackensack Meridian Health and Prosek Partners Creative Agency Prophecy Conclude Groundbreaking Anti-Human Trafficking Awareness Campaign Around FIFA World Cup 26™

SYDNEY (AP) — More than 500 people are feared dead after reports that two boats carrying members of Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya minority have capsized in the Bay of Bengal, officials said Thursday.

According to preliminary information, the two boats left Myanmar’s western state of Rakhine in late June carrying mostly Rohingya passengers, including some who had traveled from refugee camps across the border in Bangladesh, according to a statement from the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

One boat, believed to have been carrying around 250 people, lost contact shortly after departure. A second boat, reportedly carrying 280 people, is believed to have sunk off Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady coast on July 8.

″While the incidents and casualty figures have yet to be officially confirmed, UNHCR and IOM are gravely concerned by the potentially devastating loss of life,” the agencies said.

The Rohingya, who have in recent years fled both Myanmar and Bangladesh’s squalid refugee camps by the thousands, typically avoid such boat journeys at this time of year, when monsoons are frequent and conditions at sea are particularly dangerous. The UNHCR and IOM noted this in their statement, saying that recent torrential rain and flooding across the region would have made such journeys especially risky.

Around 1.2 million stateless, predominantly Muslim Rohingya remain trapped in overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh after fleeing waves of violence by Myanmar’s security forces.

The refugees have no way to safely return to Myanmar, where the military that killed thousands of Rohingya in 2017 during what the United States declared a genocide remains in charge of their homeland. The Rohingya still living in Myanmar face severe restrictions and many are confined to internment camps.

Steep cuts to foreign aid by the U.S. and other countries have led to ration cuts in Bangladesh’s refugee camps, while the ruling military and an ethnic armed organization in Rakhine have fought for control of the region.

The unrest has led to an increasing number of Rohingya attempting to make the dangerous ocean crossing to Malaysia on rickety boats. Thousands have died in the process, including babies, children and pregnant women. Local maritime authorities have frequently abandoned the Rohingya at sea, often ignoring reports of boats in distress.

The IOM and UNHCR said on Thursday that the latest potential tragedy at sea underscores the continued lack of sustainable solutions for the Rohingya, and urged the international community to support those trapped in Bangladesh’s camps.

“Stronger regional and international efforts are needed to prevent further loss of life along one of the world’s deadliest maritime routes, including through enhanced search and rescue efforts, access to asylum and protection, and actions against smuggling and trafficking networks,” the agencies said.

More than 6,500 Rohingya fled and nearly 900 were reported dead or missing in 2025, the deadliest year for Rohingya who tried to leave by boat. The figure represents the highest mortality rate of any major route for refugee and migrant sea journeys in the world, the UNHCR said.

FILE - An aerial view of a Rohingya refugee camp, home to over a million of Myanmar's persecuted Rohingya minority, in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, Nov. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu, File)