2018 Winners & Shortlists

REIMAGINE ZAHRA'S WORLD

BrandUNHCR
Product/ServicePS BATTLE
EntrantOGILVYONE Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
CategoryUse of Social Platforms
Idea Creation OGILVYONE Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

The Campaign

We decided to reframe the portrayal of refugees in the media, with an innovative campaign on Reddit - A Photoshop Battle for Good that made people care about refugees again.

Creative Execution

We shared an original image of Zahra, a six year old refugee, and asked Reddit to re-imagine what Zahra’s winter, and broader life, might be like if she wasn't a refugee.

The picture of Zahra travelled around the world and 705 691 felt compelled to re-imagine Zahra’s world. On social media the re-created images struck a chord, motivating people to donate and turn the images into reality for Zahra. The campaign was a great success, with the UNHCR actually managing to raise enough money to buy Zahra and her family a new home.

UNHCR needed to raise money for its Winter Assistance campaign, but they had to overcome donor apathy. So we developed an innovative social media idea to reframe the portrayal of refugees in the media. Then we collaborated with the 8 million strong online Reddit community. Famous for their Photoshop Battles, we gave them the chance to develop the ultimate Battle For Good. The battle that spread across the world on social media and helped paint refugees in a better light. Teaching people to empathise again, it actually changed the life of a young 6 year old girl and her family.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

We approached Reddit, the famous online community where 8 million computer geeks use their creativity and Photoshop skills to change the context of an original image with dramatic re-creations. This time, we asked the community to embark on a one-of-a-kind battle for good.

Credits

Name Company Role
Paul Shearer Memac Ogilvy Dubai Chief Creative Officer
Logan Allanson Ogilvy One Dubai Creative Director
Prajakta More Memac Ogilvy Dubai Copywriter
Ben Griffiths Ogilvy One Dubai Head of Art
Tamer Samy Leap Studios Designer
Karim Mahmou Leap Studios Designer
Saleh Adly Leap Studios Designer
Omer Elnaiem, Aya El Hibri, Siham Salim Elnajmi, Raefah Makki UNHCR UNHCR Team
Muhammad Umair, Mouna Ghadban, Ahmed Elsherif, Ricardo Lins Memac Ogilvy Dubai Project support
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