2016 Winners & Shortlists

The Campaign

Lebanon has absorbed more than 2 million Syrian refugees. More than half are children, drastically increasing the number of children begging on the streets. The country lacks the social infrastructure and governance capabilities to meet the needs of its own citizens. As a result, there are no formal channels to help the refugee population. Thus, as a leading brand since 1935, Bou Khalil supermarkets felt compelled to step in on ground. While the majority of street children beg to survive, gangs exploit others and use the money handed to the street children to buy illicit items and substances. Unsure of where their money was going, the Lebanese public stopped giving to children on the streets. This left the majority, who are unaffiliated with gangs, without basic necessities. As the public’s primary inhibition to giving money to street children is the fact it can buy anything, we created a new Bou Khalil branded currency to be handed out to street children that can only buy good things. The Good Note, a piece of branded content issued by Bou Khalil supermarkets, can only be spent on good things. The Good Note costs approximately $1 and is worth the same amount at all Bou Khalil supermarkets and its affiliated pharmacy. A cross-platform communication campaign caught local and international attention and partners began pouring in. Less than a month into the campaign, there are more 25 million Lebanese pounds worth of Good Notes circulating around the country and we are ready for a reprint, putting a piece of Bou Khalil branded content into the hands of thousands of Lebanese and refugees.

The initiative resonated across Lebanon and the world. The Good Note was covered by local media and international media including Voice of America, Sky News Arabia, Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, Shots magazine, Yahoo News and Arabic Economic forum. In less than one month, public interest generated $4.2 million in earned media and PR and reached an estimated 20 million social media users. This buzz led local businesses to the pour in to partner with initiative. The Good Note is now on sale at cafes, restaurants, chocolatiers, baby shops, bookstores and even renowned jewelers across Lebanon, allowing the Bou Khalil brand to penetrate new customer bases and shops. One month into the initiative, there are more than 25 million Lebanese pounds worth of Good Notes circulating across Lebanon and we are ready for a reprint, putting innovatively branded Bou Khalil content into the hands, homes and hearts of thousands of Lebanese and refugees.