2013 Winners & Shortlists

The Brief

Tamanna is a non-profit organization that relies on donations to grant the wishes of critically ill children in Lebanon. They needed to raise awareness of their cause among the general public. And in doing so, raise funds. But many Lebanese believe contributing towards the often lengthy and expensive treatment is the only way to support a child with a critical illness. Our strategy was to make an extraordinary gesture that captures attention by highlighting the impact of granting a wish.

Creative Execution

Tamanna's mission is to "turn tears into laughter". And although many who watched Carmen's wish come true had tears in their eyes, the event allowed them to experience first-hand the positive impact of Tamanna's work. The story was carried as far away as Florida because of its simplicity and humanity. And because of hope. Hope for Carmen and for all the children battling critical illness. And hope for ourselves and everyone around us: that everyone can make a difference, each one of us can "turn tears into laughter".

Describe the creative solution to the brief/objective.

'September Christmas' was a live event in the middle of Downtown Beirut bringing to the public the surprise element of Christmas in September, the movie-like descent of Santa Claus from a helicopter and the innocent joy of a brave 8-year old girl. These elements were intended to create an inspirational experience that moved Lebanon to give. And give they did. Not only those who were there and those who later heard and watched but also every professional involved. 100 people worked pro-bono for one month to make Carmen's wish come true.

Results

In less than 5 weeks, donations to Tamanna increased by 74% and volunteer requests by 112%. These aren’t just numbers. These are wishes fulfilled. The influx of volunteers meant that Tamanna could go to more children to ask for their wish request. And the increase in donations meant more funds to make these requests a reality. Tamanna's average of fulfilling 12 wishes a month became 26 wishes a month. That’s almost 1 wish a day.