Beirut, July 7, 2023 – Leo Burnett Beirut is thrilled to announce its outstanding achievements at this year’s prestigious Cannes Awards, bringing home one Gold in Entertainment and one Silver in PR for Abaad’s Dirty Laundry Campaign, and one Bronze in Media for Transparency International Lebanon’s The Currency of Corruption.
The agency also celebrates its shortlist categories that certainly put our local clients on the global spotlight, with Dirty Laundry securing one shortlist in Glass and The Currency of Corruption securing two in Design and PR. The Gold in Entertainment is yet another significant milestone in the sustained success journey Abaad and the agency have been on for years, as the duo have previously won multiple Cannes awards, most notably in the Glass category for their Undress 522 campaign in 2017.
“We are incredibly proud of our team for their exceptional work and remarkable achievements at the Cannes Awards,” said Nada Abi Saleh, Head of Leo Burnett Beirut. “These awards are a testament to our agency’s commitment to excellence, creativity, and strategic thinking. We are eternally grateful for the recognition and are motivated to continue pushing boundaries in the advertising industry despite the many challenges in our way.”
Dirty Laundry features women hanging on laundry lines by their hair and hijabs, as if they themselves were the ‘dirty laundry’, and shines a light on the need for harsher punishments for perpetrators of rape. It’s punchy, provocative and challenging, with the goal of amending Chapter Seven of the Lebanese penal code and increasing the sentence for rape. Despite its meaning stemming from an unfortunate reality faced by women in the region, the campaign resonated really well with the internal jury, who understood the campaign’s critical and well calculated elements.
Abaad’s Co-Founder and Director, Ghida Anani, expressed her satisfaction with the collaboration, stating, “Working with Leo Burnett Beirut has been an incredible journey. Their ability to bring our mission and advocacy objectives to life in a thought-provoking and impactful way has exceeded our expectations. We are honored to have partnered with such a talented and passionate team once again.”
Leo Burnett Beirut’s creative advocacy efforts with NGOs have also garnered success this year through a bold, simple, yet effective campaign for Transparency International Lebanon – No Corruption (TI-LB). We were able to rally the Lebanese people and stop the proposed distorted capital control law from passing through a simple, bold yet effective campaign ignited by a unique take on the local currency bills.
We drove tangible on the ground change and engaged the general public and the media by fully igniting an online and offline monetary revolution, engaging the Lebanese by allowing them to interact with the Lollar bank notes, thereby shifting TI-LB from being a niche local NGO to a trustworthy name recognized by all Lebanese capable of tangible change.
The Executive Director of TI-LB, Julien Courson, shared his enthusiasm, stating, “Leo Burnett Beirut has succeeded in creating a campaign that beautifully combines our brand values with contemporary trends. It has been an absolute pleasure to collaborate with an agency that truly understands our vision.”
The Cannes Awards are a highly regarded international event that celebrates excellence in advertising and creativity. Winning at Cannes not only signifies the exceptional talent and skill of Leo Burnett Beirut but also highlights the agency’s commitment to delivering impactful campaigns that resonate with local and regional audiences.
Leo Burnett Beirut continues to push boundaries and deliver groundbreaking advocacy campaigns that connect brands with consumers on a deeper level. The agency’s success at the Cannes Awards serves as a testament to its unwavering dedication and passion for creating outstanding advertising campaigns.
For media inquiries, please contact: Razan Mneimneh PR Manager, Leo Burnett Beirut
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