2015 Winners & Shortlists

VIRGIN RADIO MAKING MUSIC

BrandVIRGIN RADIO
Product/ServiceRADIO
EntrantLEO BURNETT BEIRUT, LEBANON
CategoryPosters
Entrant Company LEO BURNETT BEIRUT, LEBANON
Advertising Agency LEO BURNETT BEIRUT, LEBANON

Brief Explanation

Nearly 95% of music distributed in the Middle East is downloaded illegally. Rampant piracy has not just harmed the industry, but has also put the entire region in the spotlight for the wrong reason. We were challenged to use Virgin Radio’s brand equity and popularity to address online piracy by educating people about the value of great music, what goes into making it, and the importance of respecting the artistic process.

The Brief

Music piracy not only compromises the ability of record labels to continue producing music and unearth new talent. It undermines the efforts of the musicians themselves, and damages the sustainability of a rewarding career within the industry. Virgin Radio tasked us to address this issue by communicating the negative impact of downloading music illegally to music lovers who harm the very music and musicians they love through online piracy.

How the final design was conceived

A format was employed that could communicate our message through a medium that was relevant to our targets: the LP. This format enabled us to explore design and typography styles from the 50’s, 70’s, 80’s and 2000’s, a decade which saw a resurgence of Vinyl after nearly twenty years of Compact Disc ubiquity. Careful consideration was given to the integrity of these styles when developing the campaign, authenticity being crucial to the resonance of our communication.

Indication of how successful the outcome was in the market

Initial results proved favorable, with the importance of accessing music legally becoming an increasingly vocal part of international debate about music, musicians and the industry as a whole.

In a market where piracy is very common, we are addressing the young who are into music to sensibilize them on the harm they can do to their idols when illegally downloading music. Virgin Radio Lebanon has established itself in no time with the concept of 10 hits in a row and its aggressive online presence and is today a respected radio station who has the authority to approach this sensitive matter in the Lebanese market.

Credits

Name Company Role
Bechara Mouzannar Leo Burnett Beirut Chief Creative Officer
Malek Ghorayeb Leo Burnett Beirut Regional Executive Creative Director
Jo Chemali Leo Comm Managing Director Pr Levant
Andre Nassar Leo Burnett Dubai Executive Creative Director
Rafael Augusto Leo Burnett Dubai Creative Director
Zaid Alwan Leo Burnett Dubai Associate Creative Director/Copywriter
Daniel Salles Leo Burnett Dubai Head Of Art
Hana Kawalit Leo Burnett Dubai Art Director