2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

TOXIC FLAG

Creative Effectiveness Lynx

Case Film

Presentation Image

BrandWASTE MANAGEMENT COALITION X GREENPEACE
Product/ServiceENVIRONMENT PROTECTION
EntrantIMPACT BBDO Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
CategoryCreative Effectiveness for Good
Idea Creation IMPACT BBDO Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Media Placement OMD Beirut, LEBANON
Production STOKED Beirut, LEBANON

Summary

For the past 3 years, Lebanon had been crippled by a major garbage crisis. To make matters worse, the Lebanese Government had 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. So 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. 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. 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. The results were astounding: 200M media impressions, $1M+ earned media, 70%+ rise in public awareness. The campaign made the front page news story for several daily newspapers and was featured on every major news channels in the country The Toxic Flag was presented and debated on the floor of parliament, and plans for three incinerators have been suspended indefinitely.

Credits

Name Company Role
Dani Richa Impact BBDO Chief Executive Officer
Paul Shearer Impact BBDO Chief Creative Officer
Tres Colacion Impact BBDO Creative Director
Giancarlos Rodas Impact BBDO Associate Creative Director
Logan Allanson Impact BBDO Creative Director
Ben Griffiths Impact BBDO Associate Creative Director
Noor Hassanein Impact BBDO Strategic Planning Director
Marie Claire Maalouf Impact BBDO Creative Director
Sarah Berro Impact BBDO Associate Creative Director
Simone Milani Impact BBDO Writer
Bijoy Purayil Impact BBDO Art Director
Enrico Motti Impact BBDO Art Director
Joe Abou Khaled Impact BBDO Beirut Executive Creative Director
Emma Jane Randall Impact BBDO Account Executive
Mohammed AbdelKader Impact BBDO Writer
Ahmed Nawara Impact BBDO Designer
Noushaad Phattiyat Impact BBDO Finalizer
Samantha Stuart-Palmer Impact BBDO Managing Director
Farid Hobeiche Impact BBDO Beirut Group Account Director
Tennyson Torcato Impact BBDO Creative Services Director
John Gerrard John Gerrard CGI artist
Charbel Aouad Stoked Films Executive Producer
Rita ElHachem Stoked Films Executive Producer
Danny Saneh Stoked Films Line Producer
Christian Abi Abboud Stoked Films Director
Jack Martinos, Bachar Khattar, Pascal Movsessian Stoked Films Cameraman
Abdo Najjar Stoked Films Drone Operator
Samer Sweidan Stoked Films Location Manager
Eli Boudjok Alleycat Digital Art Director
Rachid J. El Khazen OMD General Manager
Elie Zorba OMD Manager