• ISCRIVITI ALLA NEWSLETTER

Sometimes even the bad guys of advertising do the right thing. They put aside tenders, brands and deadlines and commit themselves to an unusual client: peace. They do it as best as they can, which is the most useful way: they do good campaigns. When it’s time for action, they act better than most diplomats and Heads of State, because they’ve got rare qualities: creativity, persuasion, ability to involve people.

Since 2010 two campaigns for peace caused much debate. The first – and the newest – one is UnHate for Benetton by Italian Fabrica and Dutch 72andSunny agencies. Here we will be focusing on a single aspect of the campaign: involvement. On unhatefoundation.org the UnHate List collects “good intentions” from Twitter followers. On the Wall Kiss anyone can post their photos. Last year in Paris Benetton presented the Unhate Foundation, whose task is to develop projects aimed at building global tolerance. But early Unhate supporters have not been invited to share their tips and ideas. So the public has little chance to speak up. It is a one-way dialogue – the most common in advertising. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t.

Our second example addresses the task of involvement in a very different way. The brief is difficult: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The campaign involves all advertisers in the world and asks them to come up with an idea for peace.

No wonder it’s called “The Impossible Brief”. Launched in June 2010 by BBR Saatchi & Saatchi Israel, it’s all about participation. It started at Cannes festival. During the presentation of the project agency’s CEO Yossi Lubaton asked the best creative minds from around the world to join the cause: “We are not so naive as to believe that the Brief will find the solution for the Middle East crisis, but I hope it will be the first step towards bringing these two peoples close to each other.”

Among all the ideas that were submitted, 19 were selected and collected in a book. They all share one thing: common people. People are the main character and the force of change. Where UNHATE says “leaders should solve big problems”, The Impossible Brief answers “people can solve all problems”.

The winning campaign is definitely “out of the box”. Copywriter Jean-Christophe Royer from BETC Paris envisioned a project called Mutual Blood. Blood transfusions among volunteers from the two countries. The claim is “Would you kill someone who has your people’s blood in his/her veins?”. Saatchi & Saatchi turned this project into reality at the Shimon Peres Center in Tel Aviv as well as in many other Israelis and Palestinians hospitals. Many simple gestures – one immense force.

Everyone involved is getting benefits: the Palestinians, the Israelis, Saatchi and the winners. There is something in it even for companies: an example to follow, an example of communication in which intelligence, sensitivity and respect count and make the difference. Even in commercial advertising.

To learn more about it, we asked some questions to Dorit Gvili, deputy chairman and head of production and content of Saatchi Israel, and to Isobel Kerr-Newell, director of communications for Europe, Asia and Africa.

Saatchi has a long social tradition in the Middle East. In Lebanon, it even signed the greatest campaign against 2005 Intifada. “As an agency we have many customers. Some are engaged in volunteering and in the peace process, we work pro bono for them” says Dorit. The same team working for international clients work also for Save the Children. I think that, in general, every agency should work not only for “regular” customers, but also for the community. We all share this opinion here”. Isobel: “Some of our most famous works are social campaigns, it’s part of our culture”. Dorit: “We wanted everyone to try. Creativity has no boundaries nor nations, what counts is the ability to think in an unexpected way. ”

No arrogance. No one is saying that where generations of politicians failed generations of creatives will succeed. Dorit: “We do not expect to find a solution. It would be ridiculous. If we were able to do it we would win the Nobel Prize. What we want is to begin to communicate about this issue at a different level”.

It’s clear that what is mostly sought is people interaction. Dorit: “Watch the video documentary on bloodrelations.org (we recommend it too): you can see the involvement. It doesn’t matter whether you’re right-wing or left-wing, you feel the power of Blood Relations, the power of dialogue”.

It is people, not politics, who change things. “Usually – I’m saying it as an Israelian –  when talking about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict we ask ourselves what should be done by the government and not by people. But it must be a dialogue among different points of view. It should not be about who is right and who is wrong, who owns this land or was here earlier.”

A different idea of communication comparing to what the establishment usually does: “Yes, the establishment uses communication as a weapon and we see it every day. But now the power is going to people. And they do not take what the media say as an absolute truth. I am increasingly concerned about what is happening in Syria or the Middle East in general. Today people can influence the media.” They must have “a voice in this complicated situation.”

This way to see communication works not only with social issues. Dorit and Isobel go on: “People are smart in Italy as well as in Israel or in London. People want to be involved not only in non-profit projects but also in big companies campaigns. Now we are working on a project for Cow chocolate, which is linked to the fact that young Israelis travel a lot after their military service. Today, no one longer believes old ads with beautiful women biting a bar of chocolate. The advertising market needs to involve the public, it needs ideas that can work on new media. Customers want to be involved. Advertising is not useless, it can and must be meaningful”.

It is insight. The more relevant it is, the better. People understand when an ad is humorous and reward it when it’s honest: to millions people Nike “Just Do It” claim is a lifestyle. As for Blood Relations, CEO of Saatchi Israel Yossi Lubaton said: “It’s exciting to see how an idea conceived by a creative advertising agency takes shape and can influence people in a deeper way.” That’s what good advertising does.