The brand/foundation’s values are to “accelerate progress through campaigns that draw attention to issues that hold back girls and women.”

The brief was originally prescriptive in style, and it had been to create “short-form documentary-style content drawing from first-hand accounts, in a film that could be used on social channels to draw attention to Iranian Women’s rights on International Women’s Day.”

However, the Iranian Creatives worked on a new strategy. It was clear that International Women’s Day would be over-saturated for comms, so instead the new plan became to launch on Iranian New Year, Nowruz, which was at the end of March.

And to create a style that broke with the brands previous reportage docu-style comms, to instead target the arts.

Consequently, this was the brand’s most successful campaign ever, drawing the attention of global names in film, activism and the arts. Featuring in global entertainment outlets and news channels.

“Made by us, a group of Iranian women, to show the world our never-dying spirit of resistance. Drawing on real-life accounts of female refugees abused by the morality-police, RISE shows a girl resisting arrest, which leads to her murder, echoing the truths of countless women who have had their lives stolen.

All the while, the most iconic feminist poem of all time, Maya Angelou’s poem ‘Still I rise’ is read.

It depicts a poetic beauty in our rage and in our hope. Our girls may have died fighting, but their fire lives-on through us, their fire lives on through our movement.

By showing the audience someone they can feel and touch, our heroine reflects Mahsa, Nika , Sarina, and all the lion women of iran who were killed, but from her lifeless body flowers grow, and butterflies are born, to symbolise our collective-resistance, our fire, living on.”

Huge crackdown on #WomanLifeFreedom protestors, 20,000+ arrested, 500 killed - slowed content coming from Iran.

And the global world was becoming desensitised.

We had to give Iranian women a platform.

The brief:

Tell the story of resistance in a way that keeps the #WomanLifeFreedom conversation going and gives Iranian female creativity a voice.

Enabling Iranian women to be heard.

40k production budget. Zero media spend.

Audience:

Targeting a cross-section of opinion leaders in the Arts & Activism.

Approach:

Iranian female creatives led the creative, the strategy, the writing, refugees interviewed to inform the script - and the story behind their personal-sacrifices and involvement became a part of the social media narrative.

A campaign made by the community, used a tool by the community and driven forward by community outreach.

Launched on the spring equinox, Iranian New Year, to symbolise the spring of a female-revolution.

Partnering with Maya Angelou’s famous poem and her estate also hosted RISE on her instagram platform - to empower of the message of resistance.

Gathered first-hand accounts from Iranian female refugees to create a film that reflected their true stories, and the murder of Mahsa Jina Amini.

Knowing the huge sacrifices of the Iranian creatives choosing to exile themselves to make this film, it was important to centre them in the campaign.

Our massive organic reach over a three month period Variety Magazine, MSNBC News, came from the Iranian community each advocating for the film, by DMing and emailing their contacts directly.

The placement of the film was youtube, instagram and also on Signal & Telegram on encrypted channels to ensure those inside Iran could view and freely without being traced by IRGC authorities.

RISE was for the voices of iranian women to be heard.

We didn’t create RISE to gather data in a neat package, but the reach and awareness is undeniable.

Huge platforms :

MSNBC NEWS with 1.35 million views/

Manoto TV: 40 million+ viewers across Europe & Middle East.

Variety Magazine: 28.5 million unique users per month.

‘BeIransVoice’ screened outside UK ‘Foreign Office where 1700 opinion leaders signed open-letter. Major news outlet VOA (Voice of America) live-streamed screening to their audience of 354 million per week.

Laura Whitmore, Omid Djalili, Oscar-Nominated actress Shoreh Agdashloo shared/posted.

Emmy Award-winning Iranian journalist Ramita Navai, led a panel discussion about RISE, reading out statement from the refugees who consulted on the script.

Human Rights Lawyer, Gissou Nia (who helped remove Iran from U.N. Commission on Status of Women) advocated for RISE on platforms.

A voice was given to the silenced.