2014 Winners & Shortlists

RAASUK DIVERSION

Gold
BrandMASHROU' LEILA
Product/ServiceMUSIC
EntrantLEO BURNETT BEIRUT, LEBANON
CategoryBest Use or Integration of Music
Entrant Company LEO BURNETT BEIRUT, LEBANON
Contributing Company LEO BURNETT BEIRUT, LEBANON
Production Company CLANDESTINO FILMS Beirut, LEBANON

The Campaign

In a time of turmoil in the Middle East, the voice of the youth is overshadowed by mainstream occupations, namely Arabic music which acts as a diversion rather than an expression. Meanwhile, Mashrou’ Leila, an independent Lebanese Band, asked us to promote their third album Raasuk (They made you dance). We selected a political track titled Lil Watan (For the Country) that discusses how we are distracted from changing the country by the mainstream conversation, and we created a video that is in itself a diversion from the lyrics, focusing on a sensual dancer.

Results

Although music videos are the exemplary form of branded content, we made sure to engage people across the Middle East with a conversation that would spark ongoing debates about what the video represented to them. We released the video on YouTube exclusively since social media was at the very heart of the audience we wanted to reach. First we released the video on YouTube exclusively since social media was at the very heart of the audience we wanted to reach. Then we launched the conversation online, which led to a passionate debate about the quality of the video and its provocative message. We even got the dancer to make a surprise appearance at one of the band’s concerts in Beirut and perform the same choreography, putting our diversion live and taking our message a step further.

The audience were engaged on multiple social media channels, taking the content of the video and each debating it to their understanding, and subscribing to passionate and heated opinions.

Almost a month after its release the video earned over 100,000 views. It has also scored 4,310 likes across YouTube and Facebook, 725 comments and over 280 shares to this date. But our reach was not limited to social media; the campaign has received an outstanding $740,000 in earned media across local and international media. Among the notable international sources are The BBC, Vanity Fair, The Guardian, and Têtu. The biggest achievement of the campaign is not just quantitative: the campaign acted as an alarm, awakening the apathetic Middle Eastern youth that is saturated by the mainstream and disappointed by an aborted Arab Spring.

Credits

Name Company Role
Bechara Mouzannar Leo Burnett Beirut Chief Creative Officer
Malek Ghorayeb Leo Burnett Beirut Regional Executive Creative Director
Areej Mahmoud Leo Burnett Beirut Creative Director
Charbel Sawan Leo Burnett Beirut Art Director
Emma Mouradian Leo Burnett Beirut Art Director
Wissam Debss Leo Burnett Beirut Digital Art Digital
Nada Abi Saleh Leo Burnett Beirut Managing Director
May Chaker Leo Burnett Beirut Account Executive
Yasmina Raffoul Clandestino Producer
Ray Barakat Clandestino Production Director
Chadi Younes Clandestino Film Director