Leo Burnett reunites with artist from Cannes Lion-winning ad for film about abuse
Agency first worked with Remie Akl on the celebrated ‘Baklava Got Legs’. Now they have teamed up on another film for Abaad, a resource center for gender equality.
Lebanese gender equality non-profit organization Abaad has released a poignant film that tackles the deeply sensitive but important topic of rape.
‘Dirty Laundry’ opens with artist Remie Akl explaining that survivors of these horrific acts are often encouraged to stay silent and not bring ‘shame’ upon their families.
In her trademark style, the multi-disciplinary artist calls out this mentality and highlights the extensive harm it can cause.
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To support the work, the group organized a stunt where dozens of rape survivors, activists and influencers hung their own ‘dirty laundry’ outside Lebanon’s parliament in the hopes of amplifying the voices of those who couldn’t speak.
The campaign has been inspired by a study by Abaad that found 60% of women who have been sexually assaulted did not report the crime because they felt pressure from their families.
Nada Abi Saleh, head of Leo Burnett Beirut, commented: “We have one goal with Abaad: to amend the unjust law pertaining to sexual assault survivors. However, to influence tangible change in the Arab region, you need to disrupt your way into the public’s mind, which we’ve done with ‘Dirty Laundry’. This film is a poetic yet bold and provocative manifesto of women empowerment – the first of its kind to dare emerge in the Middle East.”
Last year, the agency enlisted the creative direction of Akl on Abaad’s ‘Safety For Safekeepers’ campaign. To highlight Lebanon’s patriarchal system the artist starred in the ‘Baklava Got Legs’ film that went on to win Gold in the Entertainment: Partnerships with Talent category at Cannes Lions.