2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

Background

The deaf in Lebanon rarely get a chance to speak up and voice their grievances and demands. They have trouble finding employment and cannot even get a driver’s license. But the common grievance shared by the whole community is the inability to make itself understood in public institutions due to the lack of accredited translators and a unified sign language. We were asked by MTV & IRAP( Institut de Reeducation Audio-Phonetique) to raise awareness and highlight the harsh facts facing the deaf. We not only wanted to make them heard but also to achieve a milestone such as a unified dictionary.

Describe the strategy

In order to reach the largest audience possible, MTV dedicated its primetime newscast to the cause of the deaf, who, for years now, have been voiceless, and unable to convey their demands and makes their grievances known. The campaign, #Sem3inkon, led to wide-scale online reaction, and mobilized the deaf community, influencers and bloggers who acted as the voice of the deaf to promote their right to a unified language, support from the state, translators in public institutions, and the right to drive and be treated as equals.

Describe the execution

On the night of April 21, a new anchor appeared on MTV’s screen to deliver the news, surprising the viewers as she started talking in sign language, with the original anchor translating in the small window on the bottom right, which is usually allocated to sign language translators. Throughout a period of one week, this format was applied by other programs on the channel, as well as by influencers who offered their pages to the deaf community and acted as translators in the small window.

List the results

With little to no awareness about the problems encountered by the deaf, MTV’s newscast shed light on the obstacles facing them in their daily lives and preventing their employment. It also shed light on the need for them to have a unified language. MTV was not seeking profit, rather acting as the voice of the unheard. It was seeking AWARENESS! On average, 3 million people watch MTV newscast, which gave the cause of the deaf wide coverage. Also online, the campaign earned one million views and 5 million social media impressions, owing to the prompt mobilization of key influencers. But what mattered the most is that we helped present a bill before the Cabinet for the creation of a unified dictionary for the deaf. Those who cannot hear have a voice, and everyone heard it!