2022 Winners & Shortlists

THE LAST POSSESSIONS

Bronze Lynx

Case Film

Presentation Image

BrandSAVE THE CHILDREN
Product/ServiceSAVE THE CHILDREN CHARITY
EntrantVMLY&R Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
CategoryBrand Voice & Strategic Storytelling
Idea Creation VMLY&R Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
PR VMLY&R Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Production VMLY&R Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Additional Company VMLY&R AMMAN, JORDAN

Why is this work relevant for PR?

The Last Possessions is a donation campaign disguised as an auction program. It gives viewers a new perspective on refugee children, telling survival stories of refugee children through their last possessions. It provokes true empathy and invites people to virtually bid for the possessions but then encourages them to donate towards giving these children a better life.

Background

The war in Syria has displaced over 8.4 million people, making it a human crisis second only to World War 2. But every news about it becomes a passing headline day after day. People are now experiencing compassion fatigue that makes them indifferent towards the crisis. Save The Children wanted people to understand what it feels to be forced out of your home. There was a genuine need for compassion again. That’s why we looked deep into the children surviving this unfortunate reality and found something that cannot be ignored. The belongings they fled with. Their Last Possessions.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

We created “The Last Possessions”. A book that tells the stories of refugee children through the very last object they fled with. Israa’s pocket mirror, Fahid’s fidget spinner, Amjad’s flute, Sewar’s teddy bear. 25 possessions that carry unfortunate tales of escape, memories of loved ones and the only hope for survival, were written in Haiku poetry. Through the book, we auctioned their ‘Last possessions’ with a twist, where people were invited to bid but encouraged to donate and help the children keep their Last Possessions.

Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)

The world is experiencing compassion fatigue. Which means they have seen too many headlines about the crisis to feel the need to act. We decided to show them something that can put them in the shoes of refugee children and step forward to help. To recreate empathy for these children we looked deep into their lives at the camps. We discovered that most of them are holding on just one thing. A physical possession that stands for everything they’ve lost. We decided to bring that to the world and bring attention to the crisis again.

Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)

We reached out to the children at the refugee camps and spoke to them every day. They all had one common thing. One belonging that kept their lives going. We documented 25 possessions with photographs and wrote their stories in Haiku poetry, placed them side by side in a way that it can be read, felt and for once not ignored. While the books were mailed to influential people around the world, the pages of the book were released on social every day. Installations were created to show how these children survived their escape. Donors were invited virtually to bid for these possessions, but in turn directed towards a donation page to help these children keep their Last possessions and see a better tomorrow.

List the results (30% of vote)

The Last Possessions recreated empathy for refugee children, encouraging e-book downloads in 46 countries and generating a 27% rise in donations. Every single donation was a promise to give the refugee children a new life. Without a single possession leaving its rightful owner, we brought attention to a crisis the world had forgotten. We set out to increase contributions to the crisis on a shoestring budget. This is a movement to bring a long-forgotten cause back to life. The media has been disinterested in the case due to sympathy fatigue.

Credits

Name Company Role
Kalpesh Patankar VMLY&R Dubai CCO / Designer
Emad Khayyat VMLY&R Amman Creative Director
Ivan Bormaister VMLY&R Dubai Art Director
Dhruv Warrior VMLY&R Dubai ACD / Copywriter
Sambhav Khandelwal VMLY&R Dubai Copywriter
Kapil Bhimekar VMLY&R Dubai Art Director
Kartik Rajan Freelancer Copywriter
Husam Abu Salha Freelancer Photographer
Jumana Saadeh Freelancer Producer
Safa’a Al Jaoyoussi Save The Children Client Lead
Diala Khamra Save The Children Client Lead
Jennifer Kendra Save The Children Client Lead
Ivan Milovanovic VMLY&R Amman Managing Director
Harvey George VMLY&R Dubai Arabic Copywriter
Shubha Bharill VMLY&R Dubai Agency Producer
Prathyush Kumar VMLY&R Dubai Editor
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