2019 Winners & Shortlists

#SHAMEONWHO

Short List
BrandABAAD
Product/ServiceGENDER EQUALITY NGO
EntrantLEO BURNETT BEIRUT, LEBANON
CategorySocial Video
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 creative idea.

#ShameOnWho? (#Min el felten) – 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 el felten (#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 collaborated with an actress – Manal Issa – who played the role of our rape victim walking down the streets of Beirut. For better credibility, Manal’s role, acting and initial script were inspired by the interviews we had conducted with real rape survivors. Through the help of our producers/seeds on-ground, and through hidden cameras placed on top of neighboring buildings and in cars across the street, we were able to capture the real reactions of people. The exercise required several rounds of pre-testing and the supervision of two directors – one that lead on the emotional flow of the film, and another that orchestrated the experiment from a technical standpoint. The experiment took place in 3 different areas in Lebanon. Our aim was to expose a patriarchal mentality and not stigmatize the inhabitants of a specific area.

List the results.

Our campaign, mainly the social experiment film, lead to a widely unprecedented conversation on rape and sparked a massive local and international resonance pushing 238 rape survivors to come forward and speak up. VIEWS & ENGAGEMENT - 4 Billion+ online impressions - 13.9 Million+ views - $12.2 Million+ earned media value - 240+ publications (Digital+offline) CASES REPORTING - 238 cases of sexual assault reported to Abaad during the campaign versus 13 cases 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 AND SUPPORT - Prominent politicians, celebrities and public figures tweeted/posted their support. - Local/regional TV coverage through news bulletin, and international coverage through big platforms such as CNN International, BBC, France 24, AJ+, Brut India etc. - Huge debate sparked in the Lebanese American University around the #ShameOnWho question.

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
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