2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

ART GAP

Short List
BrandSTANDARD CHARTERED BANK
Product/ServiceINSTITUTIONAL
EntrantTBWA\RAAD Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Idea Creation TBWA\RAAD Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Media Placement CARAT Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Production BOLT Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Why is this work relevant for Integrated?

Standard Chartered wanted to raise awareness for gender pay equality, by highlighting a shocking gap in the world of art - 47.6% as per the University of Oxford study. Going beyond traditional CSR, we created an immersive new media: Art Gap - a four-day exhibition where female artists left their paintings 47.6% incomplete. Held at the largest art fair regionally, the paintings became an innovative channel as the world saw our message through media, influencers and artists. We promoted the exhibition through online and direct mail to key clients. This resulted in exceptional figures in awareness, engagement and sales.

Background

Standard Chartered Bank is ‘Here For Good’. A brand’s promise to improve the communities it operates in. And they walk the talk: In 2017, they instituted the Fair Pay Charter, pledging to pay men and women equally. In 2019, they were recognized on the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index for the fourth year. Beyond supporting female empowerment initiatives within the bank, they wanted to raise awareness for gender pay equality among CEOs and CFOs in the UAE. One alarming fact surfaced: A global study led by the University of Oxford - Saïd Business School highlighted that works by women artists sell for 47.6% less than those by men. The press reported it. Then the world moved on. The bank felt that this was not good enough. It was time for action, not words.

Describe the creative idea

On 8 March 2019 - International Women’s Day, companies showcased their women staff. SCB announced the Art Gap Exhibition. If women are going to be paid 47.6% less, they will paint 47.6% less. SCB brought together a collective of 19 Emirati and expat women artists from 11 nationalities to add their voices to the global gender parity conversation. They showcased their best art pieces 47.6% incomplete, matching the exact percentage of their pay gap. People forget statistics. But the blank space on the canvas highlighted what the world would miss if it didn’t treat women and men equally. The sum of 19 incomplete paintings created a powerful visual statement to raise awareness for gender pay inequality across industries. The Art Gap Exhibition was an action taken by bold women, creatively leveraging scientific research to bring about change.

Describe the strategy

Gender pay equality stories are always about percentages, never human interest. There were more than 175K mentions of #PayGap on twitter alone in the past three years. Google #fempowerment and smartly-crafted CSR campaigns appear. All this talk has resulted in more talk. But attitudes need to change. Key message: Women need to be paid fairly, not just in art but across industries. Target audience: Government leaders, CEOs, women influencers, artists, general public. Our aim was to change biased mindsets, worldwide. The World Art Dubai exhibition would be visited by key dignitaries, influencers and HNWIs from C-suite who invest in art. The media would be there to cover this annual event and our unexpected presence would allow us to own the spotlight and extend the conversation from art to gender pay equality. Artists would keep 100% of all proceeds as this was a non-profit initiative, but not a charity.

Describe the execution

World Art Dubai is the Middle East’s largest affordable art fair (3-6 April 2019) with 18,000 visitors at Dubai World Trade Centre. The choice to make Art Gap part of a bigger exhibition was strategic - drive footfall, reach the art industry and attract visiting media. One woman inspires another. That’s why the artist Batool Jafri, winner of Emirates Woman of the Year 2018 in the ‘Art & Culture’ category, was the curator for Art Gap. To ensure credibility for artist statements and videos, an independent Instagram account was created after special dispensation. Our VIP invitees spoke at the opening seminar of World Art Dubai. The bank’s top 50 clients came to meet the artists. Visitors signed the Pledge Book for equal pay. Young artists were given incomplete canvases to add their voices. A coffee-table book was mailed to Priority Clients and the exhibition lives online at art-gap.com.

List the results

+10,000 visitors attended, including dignitaries like Director-General of the Dubai Department of Information, Deputy CEO of the Securities & Commodities Authority, senior representatives from UN Women, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office and UK Trade Commission. +7,500 pledges for equal pay. USD 20,000 for 19 artworks, although sales wasn’t an objective. USD 1.4million in earned media, including BBC Arabic, Thomson Reuters, VICE Arabia, Design TAXI, Toronto Sun Times, Thrive Global, Branding News, Zee TV, Al Hurra TV, China Arab TV, Gulf News. +20 million social media impressions. On invitation, the exhibition moved to the prestigious Dubai International Financial Centre (24 April - 8 May). Art Gap is now a movement, with exhibitions planned at Oxford University and key markets to bring each country’s pay gap to the heart of the conversation: South Korea 34.6%; India 29%; Pakistan 48.4%; Kenya 65%, Indonesia 40.6%.

Credits

Name Company Role
Walid Kanaan TBWA\RAAD Chief Creative Officer
Jennifer Fischer TBWA\RAAD Chief Innovation Officer
Joe Lahham TBWA\RAAD General Manager/MD
Manuel Borde TBWA\RAAD Executive Creative Director
Bruno Bomediano TBWA\RAAD Executive Creative Director
Sandeep Fernandes TBWA\RAAD Creative Director/Copywriter
Monisha Mirchandani TBWA\RAAD Regional Account Director
Remie Abdo TBWA\RAAD Head of Strategy
Sumanth Wilkins TBWA\RAAD Senior Art Director
Mahesh Powar TBWA\RAAD Senior Digital Art Director
Rijin Kunnath TBWA\RAAD Senior Designer/Typographer
Doug Mackay TBWA\RAAD Senior Copywriter
Balu Puthalath TBWA\RAAD Art Director
Lucas Pimenta TBWA\RAAD Motion Designer
Ashleigh Morgan TBWA\RAAD Account Manager
Christine Dias TBWA\RAAD Account Executive
Adnan Ahmed TBWA\RAAD Social Media Executive
Romy Abdelnour TBWA\RAAD Corporate Communications Director
Rouba Asmar TBWA\RAAD Production
Gloria Abou Diwan BOLT Production
Martin Velkov BOLT Production
Bashar Najjar BOLT Production
Mohamed Treka BOLT Motion Graphics
Sandeep Sharma TBWA\RAAD PR
Pradheep Nair TBWA\RAAD Developer
Girish Sapalya TBWA\RAAD Retoucher
Links
Website URL