Brand | THE WASTE MANAGEMENT COALITION |
Product/Service | WASTE MANAGEMENT |
Entrant | IMPACT BBDO Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES |
Category | Use of Ambient Media: Large Scale |
Idea Creation
|
IMPACT BBDO Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
|
Media Placement
|
OMD Beirut, LEBANON
|
Production
|
STOKED Beirut, LEBANON
|
Additional Company
|
THE WASTE MANAGEMENT COALITION Beirut, LEBANON
|
Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation?
The Toxic Flag is, at its core, an idea firmly grounded in the brand experience & activation category. By creating an installation out of an experiential design piece we allowed the public to naturally come in contact with the project. We then supported that contact with a series of outdoors that added to that experience by providing an additional layer to the story by introducing the concept of a “danger zone”. That communication then drove the public to a microsite where they could take part in the activation by finding out more information and signing the petition.
Background
For the past 3 years, Lebanon has been crippled by a major garbage crisis.
To make matters worse, the Lebanese Government has deliberately kept the people of Lebanon in the dark, with its intentions to build harmful incinerators, which would further affect the environment, increase pollution drastically and put the lives and wellbeing of the Lebanese people at risk. We needed to take action and make this invisible danger visible to the people of Lebanon.
Describe the creative idea.
We created the Toxic Flag – a 35metre high art installation, that could be seen from across Beirut, that spewed black smoke into the sky. Raised high, the flag gave the people of the city a very real and vivid glimpse of the future that awaited the country, once the incinerators were operational. While the smoke was non-toxic and environmentally friendly, the flag, inspired by John Gerrard’s art, immediately became the symbol of Lebanon’s dark and dire tomorrow. Visible from all areas that would be affected by the incinerators, it immediately sparked the conversation in Lebanese households and highlighted the need for alternate and safer options for garbage disposal.
Describe the strategy.
The people of Lebanon are fiercely patriotic and love their country. This fierce pride is what made us use the flag as a means to communicate our message. We wanted the Lebanese people to view the Toxic Flag as symbol and a grim reminder of what was to become of their country, if the adoption of incinerators went unopposed. It would also shock the country into reacting to an issue that they’ve long grown apathetic towards.
Describe the execution
We created 35metre high flag, and raised it near the site of a planned waste incinerator at Beirut. The flag and its smoke could be seen across Beirut, and immediately generated massive curiosity and interest.
Additionally we created an outdoor campaign that constantly reminded the people of Lebanon about the impact these incinerators would have on the future. The outdoors only showed within the danger zone (the zone in which people would be negatively affected by the incinerators). Messaging drove people to StopTheIncinerators.me, a website to sign the petition to secure a healthier and brighter future for Lebanon.
List the results.
- 200M media impressions
- $1M+ earned media
- 70%+ rise in public awarenessFront page news story for several daily newspapers
- Featured on every major news channels in the country
- Toxic Flag was presented and debated on the floor of parliament
- Plans for three incinerators have been suspended indefinitely.
Credits
Dani Richa |
Impact BBDO Dubai |
Chief Executive Officer |
Paul Shearer |
Impact BBDO Dubai |
Chief Creative Officer |
Logan Allanson |
Impact BBDO Dubai |
Creative Director |
Tres Colacion |
Impact BBDO Dubai |
Creative Director |
Ben Griffiths |
Impact BBDO Dubai |
Associate Creative Director |
Giancarlo Rodas |
Impact BBDO Dubai |
Associate Creative Director |
Marie Claire Maalouf |
Impact BBDO Dubai |
Associate Creative Director |
Sarah Berro, Simone Milani |
Impact BBDO Dubai |
Copywriter |
Bijoy Purayil, Enrico Motti |
Impact BBDO Dubai |
Art Director |
Mohamed Abdelkader |
Impact BBDO Dubai |
Arabic Copywriter |
Ahmed Nawara |
Impact BBDO Dubai |
Graphic Designer |
Noushad P. Pathiyatt |
Impact BBDO Dubai |
Finalizer |
Samantha Stuart - Palmer |
Impact BBDO Dubai |
Managing Director |
Emma Jane Randall |
Impact BBDO Dubai |
Account Executive |
Farid Hobeiche |
Impact BBDO Dubai |
Group Account Director |
Tennyson Torcato |
Impact BBDO |
Creative Services Director |
JOE ABOU-KHALED |
Impact BBDO |
Creative |
John Gerrard |
John Gerrard |
CGI Artist |
Charbel Aouad |
Stoked |
Executive Producer |
Rita El Hachem |
Stoked |
Producer |
Danny Saneh |
Stoked |
Line Producer |
Jack Martinos, Bachar Khattar, Pascal Movsessian |
Stoked |
Cameraman |
Abdo Najjar |
Stoked |
Drone Operator |
Christian Abi Abboud |
Stoked |
Director |
Christian Abi Abboud |
Stoked |
Director |
Christian Abi Abboud |
Stoked |
Director |
Christian Abi Abboud |
Stoked |
Director |
Samer Sweidan |
Stoked |
Location Manager |
Eli Boudjok |
Alleycat |
Digial Art Director |
Rachid J. El Khazen |
OMD |
General Manager |
ELIE ZORBA |
OMD |
Manager |
ELIE ZORBA |
OMD |
Manager |
Links
Website URL