Lockdown Not Lockup
ABAAD Resource Center for Gender Equality
Issue 56 | September 2020
Agency
Leo Burnett Beirut
Creative Team
Executive Creative Director Natasha Maasri Creative Directors Rana Khoury, Lea Salibi Associate Creative Director Nadia Deghayli Senior Arabic Copywriter Lama Bawadi Art Directors Sara Egavian, Nour Itani Copywriter Alisar Daher
Production Team
Videographer Karen Maroun
Other Credits
Managing Directors Nada Abi Saleh, Jo Chemali Communication Manager Samer Chamata Senior Communication Executive Tala Ezzeddine Content Manager Ameer Jabak PR & Communication Manager Farah El Beaini PR Junior Communication Executive Layla Gaussin Media executive Maia Sahyoun
Date
April 2020
Background
During lockdown, victims of domestic violence In Lebanon were stuck at home with their abusers. While incidents of abuse were rising, ABAAD wanted to raise awareness on the issue and get their safety helpline “81- 788178” in front of victims.
Idea
Many women were not aware that there were still shelters and support for them during the lockdown.
In essence, they were locked up in their houses, threatened by their abusers should they ever consider leaving. On April 16th, people were asked to use their balconies as media. Using the hashtag # LockdownNotLockup, they used sheets and cardboard signs to let their neighbours know the number.
The next day, influencers began releasing videos with the number camouflaged within them. (One lockdown workout recommended 8 push-ups, 1 min of planks, 7 squats, 8 Jumping Jacks and so on until 81788178 was reached.)
Results
There was a 280% increase in the number of calls received by ABAAD.
Campaign reach was over 693 million impressions with two million views earning media valued at $2.5 million.
Our Thoughts
Depressingly, we were sent five campaigns from around the world from NGOs responding to soaring levels of violence in the lockdown.
Like the MRM work on page 34, this idea relies on good neighbourliness. For me, the key part of it was on the evening of April 16th when the people of Beirut were invited to stand on their balconies and bang their pots and pans or clap as they had done for their health workers. This was when, after weeks of isolation and fear, hundreds of women discovered they had not been forgotten.
They could seek help. The damage the virus has done and continues to do to communities is truly horrifying.