2011 Winners & Shortlists

The Brief

2010 was a difficult year for Lebanon. The threat of armed militias taking over the country was imminent, but a force that was dormant for years emerged to maintain security: the Lebanese Army. Gaining the admiration of the people, the Army wanted to assure them that no matter the political climate they would truly guard the nation come what may. The Army wanted to go beyond the normal Independence Day celebrations, and develop a campaign that would reflect their image as the guardians of the nation.

Describe how the promotion developed from concept to implementation

The logistics behind this activation was no small feat. To surprise the Lebanese population with a truly spectacular act, thousands of special parachutes where shipped in from abroad for the campaign. Attaching a rose to each parachute and a special message to go with it, military helicopters were loaded with rows upon rows of these parachutes. And on Independence Day, Nov. 22, helicopters flew over the city of Beirut, parachuting thousands upon thousands of roses across the busy walkways of Beirut. On these roses was a simple message: Today we celebrate what brings us together. Happy Independence Day.

Describe the success of the promotion with both client and consumer including some quantifiable results

People of all ages chased after the parachutes in joyous celebration. With soldiers directly engaging people, an instant bond was created. The following results were obtained: • PR exposure: Over $250,000 in PR value • Newspaper & Magazine Reach: Over 1,000,000 Readers • TV Reach: 400,000 Viewers …in only 2 days • Online Reach: 200,000 viewers within the first week • Total Media Budget? $0 As a special thank you for the campaign, we also received a letter of praise from His Excellency, Mr. Michel Suleiman, the president of the republic of Lebanon.

Explain why the method of promotion was most relevant to the product or service

We wanted the military to directly engage people using an unconventional approach. Using helicopters to drop parachutes of roses we engaged our target in a disruptive manner. As roses floated to the ground, everyone started collecting the parachutes as souvenirs, and the army was successfully able to reflect their image as the true protectors of the nation.