Seven days to coin a video ad for UN Women: YouTube opens contest ahead of Dubai Lynx Festival
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Dubai — Ahead of the Dubai Lynx International Festival of Creativity 2015, YouTube has posted a “7-Day Brief” which this year calls on creative professionals from across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to produce a campaign on behalf of UN Women. With the brief now live, contestants have until midday (Gulf Standard Time) on 21 January to create a video ad for YouTube which encourages viewers to donate and help UN Women establish hotlines across the MENA region for survivors of domestic violence.
The hotlines provide counselling and support to affected women and ensure that survivors of violence can be heard and helped. The brief aims to create a sense of urgency for this crucially needed service.
Commenting on the organization’s involvement with the competition, Chief of Communications & Advocacy for UN Women, Nanette Braun, said, “We very much appreciate this opportunity to raise awareness and funding for women’s empowerment issues. We look forward to the creative concepts that we hope will generate much-needed donations to set up these hotlines for survivors of domestic violence.”
In judging the entries, some of the top names in the advertising industry will join jury president Ramsey Naja, Chief Creative Officer for JWT, Middle East and Africa.
Tarek Abdalla, Head of Marketing for Google in MENA, said: “YouTube has always been a powerful platform that facilitates creative expression for users around the world. This year people have the chance to raise awareness around the issue of domestic violence against women. We hope to inspire the local talent in MENA to try new creative concepts, and to take part in shaping a strong message for this important cause and share it with YouTube’s global audience.”
Along with support from The Collective and Leo Burnett, Getty Images and the Audio Network will provide assets for contestants to use in their films. Teams can upload videos to youtube.com/dubailynx for a chance to win all-expense-paid trips to both the 8th Dubai Lynx International Festival of Creativity (8-11 March) and the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity (21-27 June). Dubai Lynx is presented by Lions Festivals together with their regional partner, book and magazine publisher Motivate.
Terry Savage, Chairman of the Lions Festivals said, “This competition is a fantastic platform for UN Women to raise awareness of the issue of domestic violence against women and promote a service which listens and offers help to victims. It is also a great opportunity for creatives in the region to express their talent while helping a worthy cause. We believe that creativity can be a catalyst for change and this competition exemplifies this belief.
Entries are open to people in the following MENA countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
With the competition now live, participants can find all further information and view the brief invitation in full at youtube.com/dubailynx. The best in creative communications from across the region will be honoured on 11 March at an Awards Ceremony at the Dubai Lynx International Festival of Creativity, which is considered the leading competition and awards for advertising creative excellence in the Middle East and Africa.
For further information, please contact:
Camilla Lambert, Press & PR Manager
Dubai Lynx International Festival of Creativity
www.dubailynx.com Tel: +44-20-3033 4000; E-mail: camillal[at]lionsfestivals.com
Nanette Braun
Chief of Communications & Advocacy
UN Women
www.unwomen.org Tel: +1-646-781-4511; Email: nanette.braun[at]unwomen.org