Why ABAAD Aired Out ‘Dirty Laundry’ to Campaign against Abuse
Social taboos plague every nation and often mean important topics are not spoken about. In Lebanon, amongst the other crises, women’s stories of sexual assault have been minimised due to the taboo of dishonouring their families. In fact, Chapter Seven of Lebanon’s penal code is named ‘Crimes That Affect The Honour’, something that ABAAD - a resource centre for gender equality - and Leo Burnett Lebanon were keen to change through this 'Dirty Laundry' campaign.
Working with multi-disciplinary artist Remie Akl and social media fashion blogger Nour Arida, the campaign featured women hanging on laundry lines by their hair and hijabs, as if they themselves were the ‘dirty laundry’ that the patriarchy didn’t want to be aired. With such a powerful image to begin, the film continues with Remie’s narration as she calls out the broken system with a spoken word poem. In a powerful statement, girls and women then line the streets and share their stories, surrounded by the laundry they’re metaphorically hanging out to dry.
Following the main campaign video, activations on social media feature Nour, facing the camera as real victims turn their backs to the lens and allow the blogger to narrate their stories and share them with her followers. The powerful stories shine a light on the need for change in legislation and harsher punishments for perpetrators of rape.
Speaking to LBB’s Nisna Mahtani about this powerful campaign, Leo Burnett Lebanon’s creative director, Rana Khoury explained why it was the right time to make the statement and how every story struck a nerve with the team.
LBB> With Lebanon in the midst of a crisis, why was it important for the ABAAD to share this powerful message of gender inequality?
Rana> It is precisely during times of crisis that impunity strikes more.
When governments collapse and societies are busy securing basic needs, women’s rights are put on the shelf and wait for better days. And that cannot happen. Late justice might never see the light. So it is imperative to put forward the need for accountability and the safety of women, especially during dark times.
LBB> Can you tell us about Chapter Seven of the Lebanese penal code and how this plays into the campaign?
Rana> ‘Chapter Seven’ is the legal chapter in the penal code that talks about the sentences for sexual assault crimes. It is a very old legal chapter and was not updated for a very long time. First, the name of the chapter reflects its problematic content. It is called ‘Crimes That Affect The Honour’. In other words, sexual assault is not considered a serious felony but a crime that tarnishes the family’s reputation, putting women and their bodies as a barometer for the family’s honour.
Another humongous issue with Chapter Seven is the ridiculously small jail sentences for different sexual assault crimes. The main objective of this entire campaign for Abaad is to amend Chapter Seven and increase the sentence for rape.
LBB> When did artist Remie Akl first come on board and what was the message she came armed with?
Rana> This is not the first time we’ve partnered with Remie on ABAAD What we love about this partnership is the true feeling that it is one.
Remie is not a commissioned artist or scriptwriter that has to write whatever we say; on the contrary, she takes our objective and mission in mind and creates in all freedom, with her own words. And as an agency, we acknowledge the strength that this brings to the table. And Remie is also very receptive to our opinion, which makes this partnership a successful recipe.
An agency has to trust the artist it works with and give them all the creative freedom they need, as long as the objective is met. We knew the moment Remie came to us with the visual of the women hanging on the clothesline that we had something big.
LBB> The Instagram video of Nour Arida narrating a victim’s story is difficult to hear, yet the filming style keeps viewers engaged. Can you tell us about these shorter videos for social platforms and how you tackled them?
Rana> Again, having the right partner is key. Rape victims in Lebanon are asked to stay silent as not to tarnish the family’s reputation.
In front of such oppression, we went to the total opposite side, by being as loud as possible. Nour Arida’s reach is mind-blowing, her attachment to the topic made the work engaging, and her expertise in social media platforms ensured the message came across in the boldest yet most attainable way.
Having the right director was also a key factor. Danielle Rizkallah has worked on Abaad before and knows very well how to deal with such a sensitive topic.
At the end of the day, it takes a team to make an idea fly. And we had the right team.
LBB> What was the most challenging aspect of creating this campaign and how did you overcome it?
Rana> I don’t think the main challenge was a marketing challenge, but more a mental one.
I think we all questioned ourselves at one point in time, and felt helpless or even cynical about our job and how useful it is in front of such injustice. Listening to survivors' stories, acknowledging that this reality exists amongst us every day, and being convinced that a campaign can do anything to change the horror is a challenging thought process.
But then, it does. I guess the trick is to stay real, insightful and not alien to the world around us, and create accordingly. At the end of the day, a big idea will have a big impact.
LBB> What reaction has this campaign received so far?
Rana> Engagement, engagement, engagement. A fiery debate. International coverage. More survivors speaking up and a vast majority of members of parliament committing to increasing the sentence of rape. Not bad right?
