Branded Content and Entertainment has recently gained familiarity and popularity in our region and especially in Lebanon. Experiential events are even newer. Where product placement is common and film production is on the uptake, full-fledged experiential events are a rarity. For us, it was the perfect vehicle for 3 reasons: 1) Beirut is a small city and it's relatively easy to grab a large audience in key central locations; 2) word-of-mouth travels fast in our culture and 3) The Lebanese by nature are always looking for new experiences, and our experiential event was exactly what was needed to grab their - and the media's - attention.

We looked at Tamanna’s wish list and were struck by Carmen, an 8-year-old undergoing chemotherapy, who wished for an iPad at Christmas. This was August. We knew that cancer follows no calendar. So we changed the date of Christmas. The campaign began as a live event in Beirut Souks on September 8, 2012. Immediately, content was supplied to media outlets and PR began its efforts. Video of the event was produced and published online. The very next day, MTV prime-time news carried the story with the supplied content. From then on, we ensured continued, sustained coverage in leading newspapers, radio stations, TV channels and online. The coverage itself was used to maintain buzz by being shared on Facebook and Twitter. Online banners and emailers were utilized. Coordination with the 2 most popular talk shows resulted in co-creating show ideas dedicated to Carmen and Tamanna.

Tamanna and Carmen became the talk of the town from Beirut all the way to Chicago. 200+ blogs shared the story; the video was featured on Facebook profiles and twitter pages of individuals, celebrities and companies. Coordination with prominent talk shows such as LBC's "Kalam El Nass" created lengthy features and interviews. The ripple effect included prime-time news coverage on MTV and Future TV, 3 different language newspapers - L'Orient Le Jour, An Nahar and The Daily Star - and Lebanon's #1 radio, Radio One. The event and coverage cost $0. But more importantly, people were moved to give. In less than 5 weeks, donations to Tamanna increased by 74% and volunteer requests by 112%. These aren’t just numbers. These are wishes. Tamanna's average of fulfilling 12 wishes in a month became 26 wishes in a month. That’s almost 1 wish a day.