2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

NO CEDAR. NO LEBANON.

Short List
BrandLEBANESE BASKETBALL FEDERATION (FLB)
Product/ServiceBASKETBALL FEDERATION
EntrantVMLY&R Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
CategorySocial Behaviour & Cultural Insight
Idea Creation VMLY&R Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Media Placement VMLY&R Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
PR VMLY&R Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Production VMLY&R Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation?

The Lebanese Basketball Federation is a national organisation that represents the country’s interests. The campaign idea not only brought awareness to the deforestation of cedars, but also brought players and fans of opposing sides to rally behind a unified national cause.

Background

Situation: Lebanese people are very patriotic, especially when it comes to their flag and the cedar within - their national tree and symbol of the country’s pride. It is seen across all governmental and national institutions, and paraded at festivals, sports matches, national holidays and even during elections. It is a distinctive symbol that unites citizens of Lebanon with the larger Lebanese population living outside the country. Ironically however, Lebanese people aren’t very aware about how their cedar is threatened by deforestation. Brief: The Lebanese Basketball Federation (FLB), a national organisation dedicated to representing the country’s interests, wanted to create awareness about cedar deforestation. Objectives: While campaign objectives were to deliver message about the threat of cedar deforestation, it was important that the message was powerful, and its reach was wide.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

Without the cedar, the flag of Lebanon is the flag of Austria. The idea was to shock the Lebanese people by replacing the Lebanese anthem and flag with the Austrian anthem and flag. Once shocked we would reveal our message: If we lose our cedars, we lose our identity.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

Lebanese people take great pride in their cedar trees, but are unaware of how they are threatened by deforestation. So we used that same pride to create awareness of the problem, and possibly get them to take action.

Describe the execution (30% of vote)

Implementation: Before the match started, people stood for the singing of the Lebanese national anthem. At this point, we sang the Austrian anthem instead, and lifted the Austrian flag. People expressed shock and dismay, but soon realised that the Austrian flag is the Lebanese flag without the cedar - showing that if Lebanon loses its cedar, it loses its identity. Timeline: The stunt happened during the pre-game proceedings of at a high-profile championship basketball match between two of Lebanon’s biggest teams. Placement: Although a LIVE stunt, it was broadcasted on national television for all to see. A film was created and shared online. Scale: The stunt found itself on the social media of the federation, popular Lebanese blogs, prime-time talk shows and advertising forums.

List the results (30% of vote)

FLB’s LIVE broadcast reached 51% of Lebanon’s population and was spread across 37 countries worldwide. This led to a 23% increase in cedar adoptions. For every adoption, our donation partner adoptacedar.org issued donation certificates, each detailing the precise location of the adopted cedar. Cedar seedlings were planted in 13 of Lebanon’s regions and forests.

Please tell us about the social behaviour and / or cultural insights that inspired your campaign

The Lebanese people are very patriotic citizens. Their flag and the cedar tree within it is celebrated, worn proudly and is represented across everything from street art and governmental buildings to clothing and accessories. However, the physical cedars of Lebanon were experiencing a steady, year-on-year decline in the nation’s forests. We wanted to leverage the patriotism of Lebanese citizens to help protect, conserve and contribute to the reforestation of their national pride – the cedars.

Credits

Name Company Role
Kalpesh Patankar VMLY&R Chief Creative Officer
Fernando Miranda VMLY&R Copywriter
Bahaa Fakhereddine VMLY&R Art Director
Toufic Traboulsi Independent Productions Producer
Adriana Diab VMLY&R Producer
Antoun Khalil FLB Secretary General
Akram Halabi FLB President
Prathyush Kumar VMLY&R Editor