2018 Winners & Shortlists

REIMAGINE ZAHRA'S WORLD

BrandUNHCR
Product/ServicePS BATTLE
EntrantOGILVYONE Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
CategoryUse of Social in a PR Campaign
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.

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.

The Situation

UNHCR needed to raise money for its Winter Assistance campaign for refugees, but they had to overcome donor apathy. So we developed an idea to change their perception and behaviour by reframing the portrayal of refugees in the media. Then we collaborated with the eight million-strong online Reddit community. Famous for their Photoshop Battles, we gave them a chance to develop something special with the ultimate Battle For Good. A battle that spoke directly to people around the world, helping them feel empathy again, helping paint refugees in a better light and changing the life of a young six-year-old girl

The Strategy

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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