2013 Winners & Shortlists

Results and Effectiveness

Tamanna and Carmen became the talk of the town from Beirut to Chicago. September Christmas generated more than $2.7 million worth of free PR coverage. In less than 5 weeks, donations increased 74% and volunteer requests 112%. These aren’t just numbers. These are wishes. Tamanna's average of fulfilling 12 wishes a month became 26. That’s almost 1 wish a day.

Creative Execution

We looked at Tamanna’s wish list and were struck by Carmen, an 8-year-old undergoing chemotherapy, who wished for an iPad at Christmas. This was August. We knew that cancer follows no calendar. So we changed the date of Christmas. The campaign began as a live event in Beirut Souks on September 8, 2012. Immediately, content was supplied to media outlets and PR began its efforts. Video of the event was produced and published online. The very next day, MTV prime-time news carried the story with the supplied content. From then on, we ensured continued, sustained coverage in leading newspapers, radio stations, TV channels and online. The coverage itself was used to maintain buzz by being shared on Facebook and Twitter. Online banners and emailers were utilized. Coordination with the 2 most popular talk shows resulted in co-creating show ideas dedicated to Carmen and Tamanna.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

Tamanna is a non-profit organization that relies on donations to grant the wishes of critically ill children in Lebanon. They fulfilled 3 wishes a week on average but felt this was just a drop in the ocean. The children’s cancer center in Beirut sees over 100 new cases every year. That’s only 1 hospital and in only 1 city. Tamanna needed to raise awareness of their cause among the general public. And in doing so, raise funds. All without ‘wasting’ valuable resources that could instead go to making more wishes come true. But many Lebanese believe contributing towards the often lengthy and expensive treatment is the only way to support a child with a critical illness. So awareness wasn't enough. We needed to make an extraordinary gesture that captured attention by highlighting the positive impact granting a wish has on sick children’s mental and emotional well-being.