Beirut’s new Flash Mob: IRADA’s RA campaign

Beirut’s new Flash Mob: IRADA’s RA campaign

By Admin I : As if it’s 2009 again! The same reach for the so called “new” media in advertising, and a total focus on ambient interactive media using unconventional means such as Flash Mobs, and guess what?! This was so cool back in 2009 even if it turned out super fake and unnatural!

It seems that Flash Mobs still fascinate some clients, or even agencies struggling for a break through. Memac Ogilvy Beirut hasn’t attracted any spotlights since ages in town, unless attracting housewives to “Le Charcutier Aoun” ads counts, while Ogilvy & Mathers Worldwide has been honored with more than 24 awards in the latest Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2012 in the Press, Cyber, Radio and Design categories!

Anyways back to the RA campaign:

As part of the awareness campaign activities and to ensure that the campaign reaches all segments of the society, the flash mob comes as a visual message highlighting the importance of early diagnosis for people with RA so as to keep on dancing and enjoying life.
Not only did it surprise and delight the mall shoppers who witnessed the ‘live’ version, the video has also gone viral via social media. bullshit, the campaign was released 3 days ago.

So back to 2012, where you cannot fake a Flash Mob campaign for no relevant reason, other than craving for online attention (strongly reminding of the Beirut Duty Free campaign), with an edit that doesn’t even add to the supposedly spontaneous feel of such action. Other than the fact that the execution looks very “constructed”, such awareness campaign goes downhill the minute it fails communicating a message, when simply audience leaves the screen indifferent, not even enjoying the Glee gone wrong dance routine or even the music.

We’ve acknowledged a million times before how CSRs can be award magnets without even reaching a large audience (AKA group of agency employees using mustaches in their offices, calling it “no women no rights” and winning a ‘Canned’ Lion!) But when you really think of social engagement, a very mechanical act at a very plastic place such as ABC is by no means engaging but totally labeled as an act of uninteresting entertainment.

The campaign was also ‘complemented’ by a 2d visual, for a distorted image of a hand which instantly rings an inspiration* bell, yet was a hard-to-find catch! Kudos to the art director, since hiding source inspirations can be a hard task to fulfill!

Good for Memac getting back on track in the Lebanese scene, it is indeed the right timing, having a passive audience and agencies getting redundantly inspired*; We were honestly looking for a better comeback, if you may call it so!