TBWA\Raad wins Grand Prix at WARC Prize for MENA Strategy

The WARC Prize for MENA Strategy has announced its winners. This free-to-enter awards scheme designed to gather and establish a regional body of strategic work that has proven its effectiveness has awarded its Grand Prix 2017 and a $7,000 cash prize to TBWA/RAAD for a campaign created for Lebanese news TV station, Murr Television.

The campaign titled Ensa Joura ("Forget the Potholes") was designed to help fix the country’s life-endangering road potholes.

The initiative, which highlighted government indifference to the maintenance of the country’s roads, acquired a specialised truck that fixes any pothole in less than a minute. The TV station managed to fix more than 2000 potholes, 571% of the target, largely thanks to an app through which citizens could report potholes requiring urgent attention.

Judge Olga Kudryashova, Strategic Planning Director, Y&R MENA, commended the campaign, explaining that “from beginning to end, it was strategic and cleverly framed.” Kudryashova also praised the social aim at the heart of the campaign, as well as its authors’ honesty. “They put the brand last, they mobilised people and they admitted to mistakes they made, revealing that their first attempts didn’t work.”

In addition to the Grand Prix, the judges awarded four Golds, four Silvers, three Bronzes and three special awards, recognising specific areas of excellence.

An eminent judging panel, comprised 15 client-and agency-side top industry professionals, was chaired by Asad Rehman, Director, Media, North Africa & Middle East, Unilever.

The full list of winners can be viewed here.