2019 Winners & Shortlists

#SHAMEONWHO

Short List
BrandABAAD
Product/ServiceGENDER EQUALITY NGO
EntrantLEO BURNETT BEIRUT, LEBANON
CategoryGlass
Idea Creation LEO BURNETT BEIRUT, LEBANON
Media Placement LEO BURNETT BEIRUT, LEBANON
PR LEO BURNETT BEIRUT, LEBANON
PR 2 MSL BEIRUT, LEBANON
Production ROAD 2 FILM Beirut, LEBANON

Background

The Lebanese society is deeply rooted in patriarchy to the point of shaming and blaming women who are victims of rape. Victim blaming is the main reason women do not report rape cases in Lebanon fearing scandal and stigma. Abaad, a Lebanese NGO, wants to shift the blame from the victim to the rapist, and empower women to speak up.

Describe the cultural/social/political climate in your region and the significance of your campaign within this context

The Lebanese society celebrates masculinity in its core, with a patriarchal system that is built on sectarian values and archaic laws instead of civil human rights that guarantee gender equality. Gender norms are imposed on women daily, dictating the way they act, talk and dress, otherwise they are judged, shamed and even abused. This environment nurtured gender-based violence and discouraged women to report rape cases, as they do not trust the judiciary system and fear that society will deem them as damaged goods. In fact, 1in4 Lebanese women is subjected to sexual assault and only 38% of rape cases are reported. Moreover, 80% of Lebanese women believe that social/cultural beliefs justify sexual assault. Thus, our campaign aims to break the social stigma around rape survivors, and encourage them to speak-up and report their cases. This is the first stepping stone in a longer-term strategy of legal reforms, to lobby for tougher sanctions and accelerating trials against rapists. Breaking the rape taboo and shaking patriarchy from its core isn’t an easy mission in a country that practices censorship to protect political/religious agendas – a limitation we had to work around to ensure our campaign doesn’t get banned from going live.

Describe the creative idea

#ShameOnWho? (#MineElFelten) – Judge the rapist not the victim In the Lebanese patriarchal society, people tend to blame the woman who was victim of sexual abuse as if she was “Looking for it”. They criticize the way she dresses, the way she looks, her actions, etc… Victims of rape are accused of being at fault and called names. A very common Lebanese word is used when “accusing” a rape victim is “Feltene” which means someone who is morally loose. This is why we asked the rhetorical question #Min_ElFelten (#shameOnWho?) to highlight that the woman is not to blame, but the rapist is. He is the one to be blamed for his lack of humanity and loose morals. The shame needed to be shifted from the victim so that people could finally judge the rapist not the victim.

Describe the strategy

Our audience was the Lebanese society, including public figures, influencers and the public at large. It was crucial for our campaign to portray reality to the fullest so our insights stemmed from the experiences and testimonials of 6 rape survivors who shared their stories on how their families’ and society’s shaming forced them not to speak up and report their rape cases. Entrenched in the survivors’ testimonials, this reality was at the core of our campaign. To expose the Lebanese patriarchy for what it truly is, we conducted a social experiment in the popular streets of the capital to show how people reacted to the cries of a rape victim. While her part was scripted, their reactions were real. As expected, their shameful reactions sparked popular outrage as well as some negative reactions of shaming thus pushing the rape taboo out in the open.

Describe the execution

We launch with an unbranded teaser SMS asking #ShameOnWho, instantly fueling the social conversation. We then reveal a social experiment where we document people’s real reactions to a rape victim. The film sparks national outrage and we trigger our influencer program to fuel the debate which is picked up by local and international media and public figures. This encourages rape survivors to publicly face their rapists as we graffiti their facial composites on the city walls and put the shame on them. An iconic image is captured of a survivor facing her rapist. We then hijack the Beirut Marathon, where rape survivors refuse to run and face their rapist. The stunt headlines local/international news. To further push the rape taboo from behind closed doors, we create an immersive play where people relive the stories of the survivors who came forward. Finally, we begin to put the blame where it belongs.

Describe the results/impact

Unprecedented conversation on rape and massive local/international resonance pushing 238 rape survivors to speak up. VIEWS+ENGAGEMENT - 4 Billion+ impressions - 13.9 Million+ views - $12.23 Million+ earned media - 226,000+ engagements - 497 publications (34 countries-Digital+offline) CASES REPORTING - 238 cases of sexual assault reported to Abaad during the month of the campaign versus 13 in previous year - ULAP–Major Lebanese international influencer, came forward as a rape survivor following the campaign and is met with unprecedented support and praise. COVERAGE+SUPPORT - Prominent politicians, celebrities and public figures tweeted/posted their support. - Local/regional TV coverage (news bulletin)+international coverage including CNN International, BBC, France 24, AJ+, Brut India etc. - #ShameOnWho recognized as the prime #MeToo campaign of Lebanon. - Huge debate sparked in the Lebanese American University around #ShameOnWho. - Instagram artist Audrey Ghoussoub created #ShameOnWho comic series. - Irish movement #ThisIsNotConsent joined the #ShameOnWho campaign

Credits

Name Company Role
Bechara Mouzannar Leo Burnett Beirut Chief Creative Officer
Malek Ghorayeb Leo Burnett Beirut Executive Creative Director
Nada Abi Saleh Leo Burnett Beirut Managing Director
Jo Chemaly MSL Beirut Managing Director
Rana Khoury Leo Burnett Beirut Creative Director
Christina Salibi Leo Burnett Beirut Associate Creative Director
Lea Salibi Leo Burnett Beirut Creative Director
May Chaker Leo Burnett Beirut Communication Supervisor
Samer Chamata Leo Burnett Beirut Communication Manager
Farah El Beaini Leo Burnett Beirut Senior Communication Executive
Lama Bawadi Leo Burnett Beirut Senior Copywriter
Sara Egavian Leo Burnett Beirut Art Director
Christopher Nehme Leo Burnett Beirut Communication Manager
Zeina Mokdad Leo Burnett Beirut AV Production Manager
Elias Achkar Leo Burnett Beirut AV Producer
Philippe Araman Leo Burnett Beirut Regional Digital Director
Jennyfer Harb Leo Burnett Beirut Digital Palnner
Annie-Rita Kassarjian MSL Beirut Junior Communication Executive
Mariam Shour Leo Burnett Beirut Junior English Copywriter
Lama Assaf Leo Burnett Beirut Art Director
Rania Waked Leo Burnett Beirut Digital Director
Layla Gaussin MSL Beirut Junior Communication Executive
Maia Sahyoun MSL Beirut PR Executive
Roy Khachan MSL Beirut PR & Communication Executive
Links
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