2013 Winners & Shortlists

The Brief

For their 10th anniversary CCCL asked us to increase awareness, over and above their traditional fundraising programs (Gala dinner/telethon), on the necessity for donations to cover the 50,000 USD treatment cost per child. People’s engagement with NGO’s was at an all time low, we decided to create a new way for donating on the spot: Street performances. ‘Children can’t perform miracles without your help’ became the main campaign message. We contacted 55 street artists to dress and animate the streets of Lebanon, spreading the campaign’s message, and remind people that no child should fight cancer alone.

Describe how the promotion developed from concept to implementation

In a country still alien to street artistry, the artists took the idea from its concept to the real life. Musicians performed concerts on sidewalks, mime and acrobats transformed the streets into ambulant circus stages and street artists dressed the walls of the city with their visions of hope (tags, graffiti and mural paintings popped up everywhere). The activation took place all over the capital; it was then expanded nationwide through the introduction of the bus of hope. The bus journeyed from north to south with celebrities accompanied by the center’s children, engaging local populations on the fight against cancer.

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

The movement resulted in a massive media coverage ranging from online news channels, the blogger community, to local and international news segments. The artists and CCCL staff were hosted on 11 radio stations and the top 8 Lebanese talk shows. 1,2 million USD in free media earned, reaching 87% of the population. Over 1,3 million USD in free PR value achieved. The campaign managed to captivate the nation’s attention but most of all it was the symbolic penny-by-penny donation by thousands that truly made a difference.

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

In a country where the number of NGOs grew exponentially, where an ocean of donation requests are all made through the same traditional mediums, we noticed that the population engagement was at an all time low. We needed to explore untried mediums for donations and engage people in a way they won’t soon forget. We noticed that the concept of street artistry was inexistent in Lebanon, it turned out as the perfect opportunity to not only raise awareness in an engaging way but also have people donate on the spot for a cause while being entertained through unconventional means.