2016 Winners & Shortlists

Brief Explanation

Women's abuse is a real taboo in Saudi Arabia, and is constantly brushed under the carpet. There are no concrete figures as to how many women are abused in the Kingdom as no studies have ever been allowed, but many put the numbers at 92% of married women are abused, mainly by their husbands. So how do we create awareness, change, and impact in a country that is very conservative and culturally sensitive, and give women the protection they need, as there is no current law to protect them. We initiated a proactive campaign that was both controversial, but also paid homage to the culture that exists in Saudi Arabia. A campaign that could only have come from the Kingdom, was a first and herald as ground-breaking. We first approached the ministry who threatened the creators with arrest and closure should the campaign run. We then approached HRH Banderi the Director General at KKF, a non profit organisation in KSA. She gave her total backing to the campaign and so it ran. Within 2 days of the first insertion it went viral globally across social channels, with many international news channels immediately picking it up. CNN and Reuters conducted interviews with HRH and the Riyadh office CD. Until July it was the most shared ad globally with over 8 million media impressions and $75million of earned media.