2016 Winners & Shortlists

Brief Explanation

There are many blue-collar labourers in Dubai, building the dreams of the city and its people. Brick by brick, nail by nail, they also silently carrying the burden of their own dreams of giving their children a better education and hence, a better life. But even though some labourers hammer in over 200,000 nails a month, their monthly salaries (as low as $200-300) may never be enough for their dreams. SmartLife (an NGO for Dubai's blue-collar labourers, affiliated with the Community Development Authority of Dubai) wanted to help build their dreams. So, we used the same nails the labourers hammer daily, and created SAPNA (which in Hindi and Urdu languages means "Dream") - a Wall of Dreams on a prominent street in Dubai during the holiday shopping season. We invited people across the country to buy a nail for a minimum of 10 AED (~$2.7) and hammer it onto designated markers on the wall. This little act of labour gave people the chance to feel a fraction of the labourers’ efforts - and give back to the labourers, one nail at a time. The wall became a centre of attention in the heart of Dubai as it received organic participation and endorsement from popular Arab celebrities and local influencers, as well as leading print (Khaleej times, 7 Days), radio (Radio Mirchi, Virgin Radio) and TV (Dubai One, Studio One) channels.* People's shared photos generated over 250,000 free social ads for SmartLife.* And as nails filled up the wall, the dream came to life, with all the nails forming the image of a child being handed a graduation hat. In just 9 days, all 17,793 nails were hammered in the wall. The money raised will help provide a first-class education to 100 children right up until graduation.* Over $730,000 were generated in earned media.* And the idea also won top international awards: • 2 Golds at Dubai Lynx • Grand Prix and 3 Golds at the Effies • Gold at the Warc Prize for Innovation • EACA Care Award by Members of the European Parliament • Branded Content & Entertainment Lions and Outdoor Lions at Cannes. *(Source for Earned Media, Social Media Buzz and Endorsements: Google – PROJECT SAPNA, #sapnadubai, DMI, Gulf News, Khaleej Times, Virgin Radio, SmartLife Foundation media and social monitoring reports in conjunction with the Eye Media and CDA, Dubai)