Research was showing that 7UP was lacking a deeper connection with youths. This was caused by the ‘functional’ perception the brand was gaining throughout the years as the ultimate Lemon and Lime refresher.

So we used music, film and experiential storytelling as vehicles for creating buzz around the brand and engaging our core target. The main objective behind the media piece was to reach as wide an audience as possible. This was guaranteed by activating the two largest video platforms in the region, namely, YouTube and Facebook. People responded positively by tagging their friends, sharing the video and providing praise to the efforts.

We then invited the band Bel Arabi to perform a song to commemorate the day, as the crowds started singing along ‘no more wars, no more bullets, just the sound of music, the sound of hope’. Finally, the lingering sound of bullets was replaced by a more positive beat with people interacting directly with the installation, empowered to transform those sounds themselves .The buzz in social media made the headlines in mass media (SkyNews Arabia Morning Show, Assafir Newspaper, MTV Prime Time Report, LBC...). More importantly, the Wall of Music inspired originality and invited people to look at life with a fresh perspective of positivity. The second phase of the campaign will see the Wall of Music integrated into Beit Beirut, a war museum planned to open in mid-2015.

Insights show that Facebook and YouTube command the highest view and engagement rates in the Middle East region when it comes to videos. Moreover, videos perform best when they’re uploaded on their respective channels.

Our aim was to counter all the war-related content found on social media in the region with a message of peace, positivity and music so we utilized keyword targeting using terms like “bullets”, “civil war”, “bullet-riddled walls”, “sounds of bullets” to reach people searching for war-related material online.

We uploaded two separate copies (English and Arabic) on YouTube and Facebook separately and pushed out the videos. We then invited the band Bel Arabi to compose a song to commemorate the day, as the crowds started singing along ‘no more wars, no more bullets, just the sound of music, the sound of hope’.

Finally, the lingering sound of bullets was replaced by a more positive beat.

Making Remembrance Day this year truly a day to remember.

Within less than a week we reached 2.6 million people and the video was viewed more than 1M times across both Facebook and YouTube. Note that the population of Lebanon is only 4 million people.

The campaign achieved 97% positive sentiment across all mentions. The Brand Index also reported positive results with a 24% increase in Buzz score and 21% increase in Recommend score within his one week!