BEIRUT, LEBANON – Drawing attention to the widening gender pay gap in Lebanon, Fiftyfifty, a Lebanon-based NGO promoting gender equality, in collaboration with Impact BBDO Dubai initiated a country-wide campaign titled ‘Close the Gap’, highlighting the 21% average gender pay gap that remains to be closed, ranking Lebanon at 145 out of 153 countries in the overall Global Gender Gap Index 2020.
The campaign uses Arabic typography and carefully chosen words to show people what it means to close the gap literally. In Arabic, a gap between two words or two letters impacts the way they are read and understood. And in some cases, closing the gap between the letters, changes the entire meaning of the words.
The campaign featured words that with the gap reflected the status quo of women in the workplace today. Unequally paid, stagnating in lower positions, with unequal opportunities to grow. The ads invited people to close the gap, to reveal new positive and hopeful meanings.
“Not yours” became “Your Money”
“Inequality” became “For Equality”
“If I May” became “I Achieve”
“Waiting” became “Claiming”, when we closed the gap.
Inspired by money graphics, typefaces and colors, each execution was designed to match one of the most commonly used Lebanese money notes; and was printed on currency-like paper.
The campaign was launched in February 2020 and was active for two weeks. It was driven through print advertisements in national newspapers, outdoor advertising, social media platforms and influencers. Direct mailers were smartly placed on top of money bundles that women came to draw from their banks. In addition, Anghami, one of the leading music streaming companies in the Middle East and North Africa region, participated and supported the campaign.
All interactions with women at various social touchpoints were directed towards making them aware of Article 26 of the Lebanese Labor law that prohibits all forms of discrimination between men and women in the workplace concerning employment type, remuneration, employment, promotions and raises, vocational training and attire.
By showing people what it means to close the gap between letters, the campaign showed people what it means to close the pay gap between genders.
In the campaign, created out of Impact BBDO, Dubai, the newspaper published a completely blank edition—a response to political gridlock that left the country without a working government for several months. The thinking behind the campaign was that if the politicians aren’t working, why should anyone else?