2013 Winners & Shortlists

CONVERSATIONS

Bronze
BrandALSERKAL AVENUE/AL MANZIL SCHOOL
Product/ServiceAL MANZIL SCHOOL
EntrantDDB DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Entrant Company DDB DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Advertising Agency DDB DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

The Campaign

Children with special needs find it difficult to communicate like the way we do. The children with special needs at the Al Manzil had expressed themselves through beautiful works of art. With every piece the child was trying to say something in order to reach out to the world. Now if only the world could reach out at them in return, a CONVERSATION would get underway. What these children needed was an audience to know how they think, feel, and then respond back. Children with special needs live in a world that is muted to the one we live in. To bridge this gap, ‘CONVERSATIONS’ was born - an exhibition that enabled the children to establish a dialogue with the world , while giving the world an opportunity to peep into theirs.

Success of the Campaign

The event garnered interest not just within art circles but also across the media, driving organizations to come forward in support. In the end all the paintings were sold, raising over 200,000 dirhams. But the real reward went to the children who were made to hear and read those invaluable words of encouragement. Conversations is now a permanent platform that will showcase the artistic talents of these children, making them feel EXCEPTIONAL rather than an exception.

Describe how the campaign/entry was launched and executed across each channel in the order of implementation.

We needed an interesting way to take these messages to the people while focusing on the children's abilities rather than their disabilities. Even more important was that we needed a platform that could continue forever rather than creating a one-off event theme. Conversations facilitated a dialogue between these children and the world, thus bringing the worlds together. Conversations came to life at the venue through a simple device placed next to each painting. People could listen to what the child had to say and then record their response for the child to hear, thus completing the conversation. People could also use the Conversation cards placed next to each painting to write and leave their personal messages. The theme lent itself easily into other persuasive mediums such as the catalogue, invites, e-invites, ATM screen messages and web banners that led to awareness and getting people to the exhibition.

Credits

Name Company Role
Kartik Aiyar DDB Dubai Creative Director
Makarand Patil DDB Dubai Creative Director
Kartik Aiyar DDB Dubai Copywriter
Makarand Patil DDB Dubai Art Director
Kapil Mayekar DDB Dubai Art Director
Zahir Mirza DDB Dubai Creative Director
Katrina Petrenko DDB Dubai Copywriter
Ashish Varghese DDB Dubai Production Manager
Jithesh Narayanan DDB Dubai Photographer
Weera Saad DDB Dubai Vice President - Planning
Lester Wilfred DDB Dubai Head Of Planning
Kapil Mayekar DDB Dubai Designer
Dejavu Studioz Dejavu Studioz Producer
Zahir Mirza DDB Dubai Copywriter
Vilma Jurkute Alserkal Avenue Communications Director
Ali Mohammad, Khaled Amairy, Mohammad Kader DDB Dubai Arabic Team
Mangojam Mangojam Sound Studio