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Shoot To Celebrate

LBCI / Cheyef Halak

Issue 33 | December 2014

Agency

Impact BBDO Beirut

Creative Team

Chief Creative Officer: Walid Kanaan Senior Art Director: Georges Kyrillos Copywriter: Chris Jabre

Production Team

The Talkies Director: Jad Eid Producer: Sarah Touma

Date

July – August 2014

Background

Due to years of war in Lebanon, the country suffers from the absence and inefficiency of governmental accountability and lack of civic education. Lebanon has one of the highest corruption rates on the planet, which makes law violations a very common currency.

In Lebanon and almost everywhere in the Middle East, celebratory gunfire is ubiquitous in weddings, funerals and very specifically, following a popular politician’s speech (Salhani, 2014).

The task was to challenge celebratory gunfire, which reflects the unstable political situation in Lebanon and is a barbaric act by itself.

Idea

When the birth of a child triggers a local war between 2 neighborhoods[1], and a wedding celebration turns into a funeral[2], it is very clear that 'Celebrations' in Lebanon have taken a very bad twist; one man's burst of joy turns into another's mourning and this was very sad but drama would not appeal to the scope of the audience. Ridiculing a habit has always been the tone of voice of Cheyef Halak.

The campaign started off with 2 viral TVCs, a sarcastic showcase for reckless shooting and stray bullets in Lebanon.[3]

To build up on this derisive approach, a radio spot was broadcasted nationwide and consisted of interactive tutorials to recognize the occasion behind each type of shooting.[4]

Ambient/Guerilla advertising of fake bullet hole stickers was applied to windshields to draw people's attention to the drama behind their irresponsible acts of celebration[5] through an actual visualization of the consequences, from the most minor to the most dramatic.

On a digital media front, a customized 'CHEYEF HALAK?' mobile app was created for people to celebrate exactly the same way, but without casualties, by matching the occasion with the gunfire sound of their choice. 

Results

By constantly shaming wrongdoings, the impact of the campaign first became tangible through the huge online buzz around the TVC.

Prominent bloggers praised and shared the TVC as well as ministers and politicians through their social media accounts. Print news and media influencers reinitiated the pledge for change by transmitting more stories and closely monitoring incidents. The online community pressured the government to act.

As a result, the Minister of Interior warned against celebratory gunfire on NYE and took measures against wrongdoers.[6] The Lebanese Army Directorate of Orientation also condemned the act.

More remarkably, two of the most popular political figures in the country publicly shamed the usage of firearms during celebrations on national television, a major step in the battle for a more civilized Lebanon.