As the public’s primary inhibition to giving money to street children is the fact that money can buy anything, we created a new currency for the population to hand out to street children that can only buy good things. The Good Note is designed to resemble the denomination of Lebanese currency commonly handed to street children and is worth the same amount ($0.66). But unlike the Lebanese note, it can only be spent at the 11 Bou Khalil supermarket branches across Lebanon and its affiliated pharmacy on food, water, personal hygiene items, medicine and other necessities (with restriction on alcohol and tobacco. Medicine can only be purchased with a doctor's prescription). A communication campaign was created and carried forward by a PR burst that ensured to introduce, seed and establish the new note among the Lebanese society and the Refugee society, turning the Good Note into a permanent initiative.

The initiative launched mid December 2015 and grew organically as partners poured in.

Good Notes were on sale at all branches of Bou Khalil supermarkets, with in-store communication. Print and outdoors raised awareness on giving responsibly and an online film called for societal change. On ground we educated street children on the Good Note and maximized our reach by launching the Good Truck, a mini-Bou Khalil on wheels. We engaged on social media via real-time stories from the streets fed from the Good Note Instagram account. The buzz generated by digital influencers, opinion leaders and media extended our points of sale as local businesses poured in to partner with the Good Note, selling them at their venues. Moreover, local organizations partnered to create new campaign elements such as the Good Ride, a bike ride across Beirut to give out Good Notes to street children organized by a local biking community.

The initiative created high output and awareness across Lebanon and the world, covered by local media and international media, generating $4.2 million in earned media and PR in under one month. Coverage included a full-page story in Lebanon’s English language newspaper during regional turmoil and in Shots magazine concurrently with a tribute to David Bowie. The initiative attained high knowledge and awareness, reaching an estimated 20 million social media users in under one month. The Good Note’s Instagram account gained 1000 followers quickly, including Amnesty International Spain and Save the Children Canada. The initiative spurred public action with local businesses pouring in to partner with the Good Note. With bookshops, chocolatiers and even renowned jewelers now selling Good Notes to their customers, we are ready for a reprint and there are more than 25 million Lebanese pounds worth of Good Notes circulating around the country.

To introduce the Good Note to the Lebanese, we launched a communication campaign boosted by organic public relations via interest generated from local digital influencers, opinion leaders and key media figures. Local, international and online media picked up on our efforts, spreading the initiative even further. The Good Note became prominent on social media, fed by an Instagram page and people even started building their own content around it. As a result, we gained international exposure and got the Lebanese to give again, turning the country’s oldest supermarket chain into its only social service network.

Our strategy was to target all different levels of society with a campaign that generated a PR burst. In-store communication placed in all the supermarket branches targeted Bou Khalil shoppers. Outdoor and print communication targeted the public at large, raising awareness on giving responsibly. An online film depicted the country losing faith in children, calling for change. On social media we engaged online users with stories from the streets, via the Good Note Instagram account. On-ground, we educated the children on the note and where to spend it. To maximize reach, we put Bou Khalil supermarket on wheels by creating the Good Truck. At every point of the campaign, we involved digital influencers, opinion leaders and local and international media who spread the initiative online and across the world.

Lebanon has absorbed more than 2 million Syrian refugees. More than half are children, drastically increasing the number of children begging on the streets. As Lebanon lacks the social infrastructure and governance capabilities to meet the needs of its own citizens, there are no formal channels to help the refugee population – they rely on the population’s good will. However, gangs exploited some street children, using the money handed to them to buy illicit items and substances. Unsure of where their money was going, the Lebanese stopped giving entirely, leaving the majority who beg to survive without access to basic necessities. As a leading brand since 1935 that pledges ‘generations of care’, Bou Khalil Supermarché wanted to help. Our objective was to get the Lebanese to give again in a responsible manner that would enable street children to access basic necessities such as food, clean water, personal hygiene items.