2015 Winners & Shortlists

The Campaign

This is the story of how we got Lebanese men to stand up for their women! In today’s day and age, it’s almost unthinkable to consider gender inequality as a persisting issue even when it comes to health topics. Despite decades of breast awareness campaigns inciting women to get tested, women in rural places were still not showing interest towards the campaign’s messaging and the necessity of getting a yearly mammography. This situation was mainly because men in rural areas are still the decision makers, their words are heard by the women in their lives and their women depend on them financially, even when it comes to health decisions …so basically women couldn’t get a mammography if it wasn’t approved by her men (husband, father or brother). So we decided in this year’s campaign to break the rules, break all the taboos and address Lebanese Men. The time had come for men to reciprocate by being responsible by simply reminding women in their lives to do their yearly breast cancer checkup. The communication shift triggered a national PR storm driving men to join the fight against breast cancer. Through an integrated PR approach and impactful messaging in our campaign, we transformed Lebanese men into ambassadors, reminder women in their lives to get the yearly mammography because early detection will save their lives.

The Brief

A research in targeted rural places guided our strategy to find a common insight to reach women in villages and incite them to Get Tested. The insight was amazingly surprising: In most villages, Men are still decision makers, their words are heard by the women in their lives who depend on them financially, even when it comes to health decisions … On another note, we learned that part of the Lebanese culture was a common consideration in every woman’s nature to care for the men of her life by reminding them constantly of almost everything in his life.

Results

Our breast cancer awareness campaign made Lebanese Men and the entire Lebanese population involved, more aware and willing to join the fight against breast cancer increasing the yearly mammography by a staggering 32% over 2013! We dominated the media scene through News reports, TV shows and prime time talk shows reaching up to more than 5,947,076 people. Social Media allowed direct engagement and interaction with a total reach of 3,002,977 people! Campaign total reach 8,950,053 people The advertising campaign touched and reached 85% of our target enforcing the message and call for action. The campaign generated more than 70 reports and interviews across top tier print, broadcast and online mediums leading to a National interest hence increasing reach and number of screening. MOPR was able to grow the facebook community from 5,000 to 21,000 likers in one month (+40%).

Execution

We partnered with the Ministry of Public Health and invited the Minister to encourage Men to remind the woman in their lives to get tested. We got the Prime Minister’s wife endorsement as she opened the Grand Serail -Government monuments- for the first time to launch a nationwide campaign. A TV spot, light and drama-free, enforced the emotional connection between both genders and helped spread our message. We engaged with the campaign’s stakeholders: Order of Physicians, Pharmacists, Nurses, hospitals, Patient Groups to reach the wider audience through workshops and seminars in municipalities. On the media forefront, we reached to opinion leaders starting a different conversation on all channels. TV anchors wore the pink ribbon and special reports tackled the importance of early detection and mammography. An interactive conversation was initiated on the social portals using #b7ebzakrik (I wish to remind you) creating engagement with bloggers and overall target.

The Situation

A decade after the first launch, breast cancer is no longer a taboo topic in Lebanon and awareness about importance of early detection has increased dramatically. A recent study conducted by the Lebanese Breast Cancer National Committee on the ‘characteristics of women attending the National mammography breast cancer campaign’ showed that there is a tendency of “better empowered” and “more privileged women” to participate in the breast cancer awareness campaign. Hence, clearly drawing on the need toreach and involve the ‘less privileged’ women, in order to improve the effectiveness of these campaigns and enhance social justice at the national level.

The Strategy

We decided for the first time in Lebanon and after 12 years of Breast Cancer awareness campaigns addressing only Women to break the rules, break the taboos and address Lebanese Men and give them a responsibility. The time had come for men to reciprocate by simply reminding women in their lives to do their annual breast cancer checkup, to have the yearly mammography: “She reminds you of everything, remind her of the mammography!”