The statistics are alarming: every three seconds, a child becomes a bride, according to UNICEF Child Protection, robbed of a decent future and the chance to be in relationship with someone she loves. 

The Vow For Girls campaign — "Every Girl Deserves Happily Ever After" — hopes to raise awareness of this critical issue and end child marriage. For them, marriage is not a choice; it's a sentence.

And the global crisis affects 12 million girls each year.

The Fancy ad agency produced the creative, which mimics romance book covers, with a searing twist. Titles include: "The Bride Was Nine," "Given Away" and "Happily Never After."

Garnering support from political activist Stacey Abrams, romance authors and bookstores, the campaign is spread via social media, organic content (bookmarks, postcards, posters) and in-person events.

VOW believes in celebrating love and supporting couples who use their weddings to drive change. Now, it extends this invitation to the romance fiction community. VOW supports local programs expanding girls' access to education, leadership opportunities and a future free of child marriage.

Fancy's chief creative officer Katie Keating said: “This campaign takes the world of romance fiction where love conquers all and uses it to spotlight the reality that, for too many girls, marriage is not a dream, it’s a nightmare. By flipping beloved themes, we make people stop, think and act. Because we know that when women are motivated, we can change the world.”