The Good Note, a campaign by J. Walter Thompson Beirut for Bou Khalil Supermarket, has taken the Grand Prix at the MENA Effie Awards.
The campaign involved selling ‘Good Notes’ to members of the public, which could then be given to children begging on the streets of Beirut. Each note costs 1,000 Lebanese pounds ($0.66) and is worth the same. But the notes can only be spent at Bou Khalil supermarkets to buy necessities such as food, water and household supplies. The campaign meant those giving to children knew their donations would be spent well, and also brought both custom and awareness to the supermarkets.
The MENA Effie Awards are judged based on the effectiveness of the campaigns entered.
The most effective media office of the year at the Effies was Starcom Dubai.
Tarek Daouk, CEO of Starcom Middle East, told Campaign: “Effective marketing campaigns lay in the confluence of creative, media, commerce, and content. I believe the success of Starcom’s work is a product of our ability to capitalise on these industry dynamics and a testament to our talent’s commitment to unlocking growth for our clients.”
Alex Saber, chairman of Publicis Media Middle East, Starcom’s parent company, said: “I am thrilled to be part of such a talented family that keeps raising the bar for the region’s creative output year after year. The Effies measure what matters most to clients and that’s effectiveness and results, and this award is yet another reflection of the hard work our talent continues to put in. I really couldn’t be more proud of the work we are doing for our clients across the region.”
Marketer of the year at the awards was McDonald’s MEA senior marketing director Tarek el-Kady.
The most effective advertising office of the year was FP7/Dubai. And the most effective agency network of the year was also FP7.