2022 Winners & Shortlists

HERE'S TO BEIRUT

Bronze Lynx

Case Film

Presentation Image

BrandBEIRUT HERITAGE INITIATIVE (BHI)
Product/ServiceHERE'S TO BEIRUT HANDCRAFTED GLASSES
EntrantTBWA\RAAD Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
CategoryNot-for-profit / Charity / Government
Idea Creation TBWA\RAAD Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Why is this work relevant for PR?

This case celebrates the craft of a harmonious combination of strategic thinking and creative execution. Here we are facing a great example of transformational problem-solving that led to compelling creative strategy: turning a big social problem into a creative solution that has a bigger purpose: the protection of Beirut’s heritage for the integrity of its inhabitants. Catching the interest of audiences with another donation campaign was not the best way. What if we could turn the shattered glass into something new? That’s the great piece of news in this genuine idea.

Background

On August 4th 2020, an explosion shook Beirut. The blast physically shook the whole country of Lebanon. Hidden behind this terrible crisis is another, smaller – but still meaningful loss: the blast destroyed a large part of Downtown Beirut, including more than 640 of the city’s heritage buildings, leaving behind tons of shattered glass. After the blast, Beirut had lost another US$15 billion in property damage. But how could we do that without taking away from the funds needed to help the people? A simple donation campaign would just get lost in all the noise surrounding the blast and the many (often more urgent) causes that needed funds. Hundreds of tons of glass were shattered in the explosion. What if we could turn this broken glass into something new – something representative of Beirut’s unbreakable spirit? This triggered an idea to drive donations in an unusual way.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

We launched “Here’s to Beirut” – an initiative that makes and sells handmade drinking glasses made of recycled glass collected from Beirut’s historical buildings. Why glasses? Because everyone buying those glasses should drink to Beirut’s good health and to a more peaceful future for its people and its neighbourhoods. In collaboration with one of the oldest glass factories in Lebanon, the glasses were hand-printed and placed in handmade Zain wooden boxes inspired by Beirut’s traditional window facades. Each glass was imprinted with a gold filigran that says “Beirut never breaks”. These limited-edition sets can be purchased online at HeresToBeirut.com and delivered worldwide. All proceeds go to the restoration efforts led by BHI. Instead of creating a generic donation campaign, BHI wanted to inspire people by instilling a sense of optimism in a chaotic situation, and offer a chance for everyone in the region to contribute by purchasing a collectible item.

Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)

Our PR strategy laid in leveraging the true Lebanese resilient spirit: by finding an ingenious way to make something good out of the rubble of this terrible disaster. Our glasses became the hero of the campaign and what we leveraged in all our communication. Once the glasses were ready, what we needed to do was ensure that we reached the right people, those who cared about art, culture, architecture. We started an outreach program with relevant organizations, influencers and journalists, we also placed the products in high profile locations. All of it driving to our online shop.

Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)

To amplify the conversation, we partnered with organisations that could accelerate our reach like Expo 2020 where we showcased the glasses in the Lebanese pavilion and galleries in Gemayze. We asked journalists to support us personally (instead of sending press releases only) and focused on those interested in culture. As an example, one of the most influential journalists in Lebanon - Marcel Ghanem - supported us even on his personal channels and took the cause personally. We engaged cultural influencers around the region who picked it up and shared it like Amr Maskoun (3.8million followers) and Mr Moudz (227K followers). One influencer - El 3ama – even took it upon himself to do a live story where he toured damaged heritage buildings in Beirut to drive awareness with his followers. We also had installations in bars in the unaffected areas of Beirut, they could display our glasses on the

List the results (30% of vote)

Our goal was to impact the Lebanese and regional communities who have a specific interest in culture and a drive to preserve it. The special edition glasses were displayed in venues around the world including at Expo 2020 - playing a key role in raising the profile of Beirut’s architectural heritage, not just in the country but internationally. We reached over 10 million people in the region through influencers, journalists, media coverage and even received support from Meta to support our cause through free of charge media push on their platforms. And this is just the start. The bigger and most meaningful result though is that the renovation journey has begun. BHI has organized its efforts and workflow into 3 phases: emergency propping and sheltering of houses, partial repairs and full restorations, and a vision for urban regeneration. One building has been fully restored thanks to this initiative, 7 have been consolidated or partially restored (with the support of other local partners) and more are on their way. Let’s continue rebuilding Beirut’s heritage one glass at a time. If you’d like to contribute, you can support the initiative at https://herestobeirut.com/ Shukran. Merci. Thank you.

Credits

Name Company Role
Walid Kanaan TBWA\RAAD Chief Creative Officer
Joe Lahham TBWA\RAAD Managing Director
Jennifer Fischer TBWA\RAAD Chief Innovation Officer
Krix Berberian TBWA\RAAD Regional Creative Director
Rijin Kunnath TBWA\RAAD Design
Nour Christidi TBWA\RAAD Copywriting
Haikel Ben Hamouda TBWA\RAAD Planning Director
Romy Abdelnour TBWA\RAAD PR & Communications
Joseph Saffi TBWA\RAAD Motion Design
Emad Doughan TBWA\RAAD Head of Digital
Yousif Noureldine TBWA\RAAD Social Media Manager
Reem Shamoun Eleven PR PR
Rony Skaf TBWA\RAAD Digital Account Director
Ezzat Habra TBWA\RAAD Traffic
Naveen Madurakariyan TBWA\RAAD Traffic
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