Since 2019, Lebanon has been witnessing an unprecedented economic crisis, presumably the worst in its modern history, affecting all sectors and crippling the Lebanese people in every sense of the word. Amongst the most impacted industries is the power sector that’s been dysfunctional ever since we can remember, with most people banking on private generators to secure electricity.

The country hit rock bottom as power plants started shutting down after they ran out of fuel, while private generators rationed their supply due to skyrocketing fuel prices, causing a nation-wide blackout and turning Beirut into the darkest of ghost towns. The streets of the city became pitch black, and a simple walk in areas that were once full of life became a risky activity.

Tide – the brand of the people – needed to intervene, to alleviate some of the load off Lebanese’ shoulders, brighten their mood, and ignite a small glimpse

Our aim was to come up with an activation that is in line with the essence of Tide’s brand purpose to ‘Brighten the Everyday’. It is true that life can be unpredictably messy, causing problems that are bigger than what a brand can fix. However, what Tide was able to do is promise a brilliant clean that makes everyday life a little brighter – in the literal sense of the word.

We wanted Tide to live up to its brand promise by actually walking the talk, through a small gesture that practically impacted the daily life of the Lebanese people and lit a small glimpse of hope amidst the dark times they’re currently going through.

We collaborated with our media partners to select different billboards in prime locations around the city.

To maximize the campaign’s impact, our aim was to cover key intersections with high traffic, streets that usually attract pedestrians, as well as neighborhoods with small shops. Through this, we managed to provide a sense of security for all – pedestrians, drivers, and business owners.

The campaign ran for more than two weeks; during the day, our Tide ad alternated with other ads, however starting 7 P.M., the billboards become exclusive for Tide, providing a constant source of light for the neighboring streets.

The biggest result the campaign achieved is offering a sense of security to Lebanese people; every billboard light made someone’s night a little safer and less frightening. In fact, throughout the campaign, we managed to achieve a daily reach of 16,456 people across our 28 locations, allowing us to brighten the night of 230,380 Lebanese in total. Tide’s small act of defiance ignited a light at the end of a pitch-black tunnel, with the hope for a brighter tomorrow.

In addition, the activation was covered in several media outlets and online blogs, such as Arab Ad and Ad Magazine, to name a few.