2018 Winners & Shortlists

Brief Explanation

THE PROBLEM: The refugee crisis in the Middle East has displaced many children and the food aid sent to the affected areas is often of poor quality or inadequately packaged, and due to inefficiencies and politics, the food often doesn’t reach the children, leading to The World Food Programme saying it is seriously under-funded and now has to make life or death decisions about who to feed and who to cut off. THE IDEA: People in Dubai wanted to help, but being miles away, didn’t know how to, so we co-developed a food relief initiative with the Government of Dubai, used NASA’s packaging technology, created high-quality meal-packs and then, helped people deliver food to the children, creating "A PRICELESS DELIVERY". THE EXECUTION: An interactive wall was designed, and placed in the heart of a popular mall in the heart of the UAE, that helped people feel as well as see the direct impact of their contributions. They bought a meal for AED 10 (~2.7 USD) and metaphorically delivered it to the children through interactive walls, and the idea was then scaled across government events, public transport, supermarkets, shopping malls, and restaurants. THE IMPACT: 1.1 million meals donated and distributed across Palestine, Syria, Jordan and Yemen, 109,000 people participated across 53 different nationalities, 120,000 free social ads, 530+ articles, $1.3 million earned media value, +22% brand respect while competition declined. WHY IT WORKED: An effective platform for a global financial brand, earning an additive role in culture: • Gained brand respect, by giving more than taking. • Collaborative partnerships gave scalability, capability and capital investment. • Ensured dignity for recipients. Poorly packaged food wasn’t thrown from helicopters or out of trucks. High-quality meals were delivered into their hands. Participants didn’t look down at the children; were at the same level. • A global best-in-class, at Mastercard, for using technology with a purpose. • One of Mastercard’s most awarded ideas; Grand Midas for The World’s Best Financial Advertising along with 9 Golds, Experiential Effectiveness Gold (Reggies), Warc Prize for Innovation, MENA Effies and many more.