2014 Winners & Shortlists

Results and Effectiveness

In less than a week, it gathered a half a million views and became the most viewed local TVC ever. The powerful message of hope was shared and debated by millions of Lebanese, generating thousands of dollars in free media and triggering extensive PR. Beirut was named as one of the top 20 touristic destinations worldwide and Byblos was crowned best touristic city in the Arab World. The Ministry of Tourism managed to overcome the negative perceptions inflicted by the media, by registering over 1 million incoming tourists in a year where hope was lost for any touristic activity.

Creative Execution

On July 2nd 2013 the Ministry of Tourism aired a film on TV and online to reach both local and foreign audiences, intentionally entitled "DON'T GO TO LEBANON". For the first time in years, the angle had to be different from the traditional valorization of national landmarks and monuments to an approach that was more emotional, more relevant to the context. Hence the paradox of promoting what is usually regarded as not recommended, by showing the real emotional value that stems from certain activities that are typical to the Lebanese DNA. By adequately allocating the influence of renowned Lebanese stars, the TVC shows a very warm image of the true Lebanon, beautified by Wadih el Safi's iconic music from the song "Rah Halfak" amplifying the authentic Lebanese cachet, and a tone of voice that depicts the beauty in contradiction, entitled "Don't go to Lebanon".

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

Tourism is Lebanon's most vital industry and constitutes to this day the country's major source of revenue. Due to the ongoing political turmoil, and as the awaited tourist season was just about to begin in Lebanon, neighboring countries, alongside international authorities made it quite clear that Lebanon should not be considered as a tourist destination due to the many events, heavily shared on various media platforms. This made any comeback somehow impossible for the Ministry of Tourism, which found itself crippled at this crucial time of the tourist year. The Ministry of Tourism needed to face that gloomy reality with a relevant yet unconventional approach, by creating a campaign that would somehow be tailored to this particular turn of events; a campaign that would trigger an emotional response from the potential tourists and Lebanese expatriates, despite the regional upset that was crippling the country.