Impact BBDO Dubai's bold statement awarded Print & Publishing Grand Prix
For the first time in Cannes Lions’ 69-year history, a nonexistent newspaper has won the Print & Publishing Grand Prix.
AnNahar's 'Election Edition' shows how powerful silence can be / Impact BBDO Dubai
Impact BBDO Dubai has been awarded the Print & Publishing Grand Prix at Cannes Lions for a campaign created for Lebanese newspaper AnNahar.
In a campaign dubbed the 'Election Edition,' the daily paper ceased publishing for the first time in its 88-year history after the Lebanese government refused to hold elections late last year.
The government, blaming a shortage of ink and paper to print ballots, compelled AnNahar and agency partner Impact BBDO to donate ink and paper to the government's printing associate,and install empty news racks for more emphasis.
The powerful message of support went viral as citizens supported the movement on social media and took their own measures to safeguard the election, such as donating paper, books and magazines to the government. The online edition of the paper that day became the most-read in AnNahar's history.
“The best work is the least complicated. It cuts through the clutter and hits straight at your heart,” Print & Publishing Lions jury president Natalie Lam told Campaign Middle East. “The element of innovative thinking also pushes work in the Lion ahead.”
BBDO Dubai marks the second winning agency from the Middle East this year, alongside Outdoor Grand Prix winner Havas's Liquid Billboard for Adidas.
“The irony is that it’s a Grand Prix in Print & Publishing when there was no printing at all — something that shows that the power of an idea can transcend design,” Impact BBDO’s chief executive officer Dani Richa said in a statement.