2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

Why is this work relevant for PR?

This is a successful example of how a PR strategy resulted in a simple printed newspaper edition turning into a national movement. Utilising elements of guerrilla placements, influencer content, and seeding, we managed to get our message to practically every Lebanese citizen.

Background

When the Lebanese government failed to find solutions to the looming economic crisis, stagnant economy and unemployment, the country was plunged into the 6th revolution in its history. Past revolutions were marked with violence, and Lebanon was inching towards the same grisly outcome. In a country where women don’t have equal rights and face massive underrepresentation in the government, An Nahar, the nation’s leading paper with a long history of standing with the Lebanese people, looked to empower women to lead the revolution, and avoid the violence that marked previous protests.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

We spotted a glaring injustice in Lebanon – the absence of women in the Lebanese National Anthem. The country’s expression of national identity shockingly did not identify women. So we took the bold move of fixing it. In a phrase in the anthem that previously only referred to Lebanon as "the birthplace of men," we added "the birthplace of WOMEN AND men." Lebanon woke up to an entire newspaper edition dedicated exclusively to women, with the front page proudly displaying the revised national anthem. Even the newspaper’s name had been changed to "Naharouki," which translates into “Your Day” when addressing a female.

Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)

To effectively reach and influence our target audience - Lebanese women - we knew we would need a strategic PR stunt that would organically grow and take over the revolution. Nothing stirs up passions more than a nationalistic message, and our plan started with surprising the Lebanese people with a revised national anthem printed on the front page of An-Nahar. We knew this would result in tons of UGC and press coverage on its own, at a time when masses were glued to broadcast news. Our secondary PR move was to get the most influential Lebanese singer to cover the revised anthem and broadcast it on national radio. Finally, we placed massive outdoor banners at strategic locations amidst the revolution.

Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)

We started with a bang — an entire front page printed with a revised national anthem in a newspaper entirely dedicated to one story: The Women's Story. Sending shockwaves through the masses, we seeded the front page online as well. We followed up with Lebanon's most famous singer taking on the radio airwaves by broadcasting the revised national anthem - it was a call to reform. Giant banners with the revised anthem were strategically hung from buildings in Martyr's Square in Beirut - Ground Zero for the Lebanese Revolution, which was covered extensively by the press already present on ground. The scale - starting from a simple printed edition turned national within a week.

List the results (30% of vote)

The day the new National Anthem was published, spontaneously women from across Lebanon occupied the streets and sang it, turning it into the chant of the now peaceful revolution. People printed the anthem and hung it from buildings across the city. The campaign became the No.1 trending topic on Twitter, drawing 745 million impressions and $150 Million earned media. The edition also became An-Nahar’s BEST-SELLING EDITION ever. The front cover went viral globally on all social channels and was extensively reported in the International press. On Lebanon’s Independence day, the entire nation came together in singing the new National Anthem in its new peaceful revolution. Finally, the revolution transformed the historically all-male dominated cabinet by including 400% more female minsters, including the appointment of the first ever female Minister of Defense in any Arab country. The new cabinet has pledged to submit a bill to change the national anthem forever.