Le blog de Chanty

In a country where 1 out of 7 children falls victim to sexual abuse, many find themselves learning about these disturbing figures for the first time. That’s because in Lebanon, such topics are not deemed suitable for discussion.

“We have a lot of subjects that are considered taboo in Lebanon, and as a result, we avoid talking about them because they make us feel uncomfortable. Here, the law stops at the doorstep of every home, where abuse can be prevalent”, says Areej Mahmoud (Creative Director, Leo Burnett Beirut).

Himaya, an organization against child abuse, turned to Leo Burnett to create an awareness campaign that would help break the silence and encourage victims and witnesses to begin reporting the abuse.

“While the message was simple, we knew that awakening the public was not going to be. People need to know that any child, even their own, can be a target of this horrible crime, and not just at home, but also in public places where they should feel safe”, says Nada Abi Saleh (Deputy Managing Director, Leo Burnett Beirut)

The team behind the project at Leo Burnett Beirut decided to take the challenge, employing all forms of media to raise awareness on the topic and pursuing methods that would likely generate public engagement.

The campaign was quick to introduce the notion that Predators can truly be anywhere when it ran a series of TVC’s communicating the hidden dangers surrounding children today. The films, which featured a sinister and camouflaged assailant watching children in places where they should feel secure, paved the way for social media, online videos, and daring outdoor stunts to drive the message even further and eventually call on the public to begin taking action.

“It’s a difficult subject, but it makes you realize that none of us can afford to remain silent. We have to break the silence.” Charbel Sawane (Senior Art Director, Leo Burnett Beirut)

The public response to the campaign made it evident that all mediums used to communicate this unsettling message resonated in the same eye-opening fashion, one that marked the clear intentions of a campaign which succeeded in capturing the grim nature of a subject few dared to speak of until today.