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.

Describe how the promotion developed from concept to implementation

We began by looking at Tamanna’s wish list. We were struck by Carmen, an 8-year-old undergoing chemotherapy, who wished for an iPad at Christmas. This was August. We wanted very much to give her an iPad. And we knew that critical illnesses follow their own timeline. So we moved December 25 to September 8 and surprised Carmen with an iPad. And with Christmas. The event was held in Beirut Souks to bring to the public the surprise element of Christmas in September, the movie-like descent of Santa from a helicopter and the innocent joy of a brave little girl.

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

Tamanna and Carmen became the talk of the town: from prime-time news coverage to Twitter to the coffee shops. Talk shows invited Carmen, the agency and Tamanna for interviews and panels. Psychologists spoke publicly of the tremendously positive impact of granting wishes. The impact wasn’t only in Lebanon but touched people around the world. In less than 5 weeks, donations to Tamanna increased 74% and volunteer requests 112%. These aren’t just numbers, they're wishes. Tamanna's average of fulfilling 12 wishes a month became 26 wishes a month. That’s almost 1 wish a day.

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

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 we really can make a difference, each one of us can "turn tears into laughter".