BBDO Pakistan Wins Bronze Lion for "Not a Bug Splat"

BBDO Pakistan made history this week, winning the first-ever Cannes Lion for Pakistan. The agency won a Bronze Lion in the Direct category for its work for Reprieve/Foundation for Fundamental Rights at the International Festival for Creativity in Cannes, the largest celebration of advertising creativity in the world.

"Not a Bug Splat" scored three shortlists across the Promo & Activation and Direct categories, going on to take home a Bronze in Direct.

The campaign aims to raise awareness of the civilian casualties killed in drone strikes and targets drone operators who often refer to those hit as ‘bug splats’. 

BBDO worked with local artists to install a super-sized portrait of a child in the fields of the heavily bombed north-west border region of Pakistan. Drone operators are confronted with the image, rather than anonymous ‘bug-like’ dots on their camera screen, persuading them to think twice. 

The installation, part of French artist JR’s ‘Inside Out Movement’, was also designed to be captured by satellites to make it a permanent part of the landscape on mapping sites. 

Aamir Allibhoy, General Manager of BBDO Pakistan said of the win: “Having consistently seen the wonderful and recognised work produced by our neighbour across the border, securing the first ever Cannes Lion was a monumental achievement for Pakistan & BBDO. This milestone has given us and the entire advertising fraternity a true sense of pride and new sense of creative re-ignition for future success at award shows. I personally am glad that my team and I, in such a short time, have lived up to the creative potential and prowess that the BBDO name so proudly stands for worldwide.”

Credits

Creative Directors: Ali Raza Mumtaz, Saks Afridi

Copywriter: Akash Goel

Photographers: JR, Noor Behram, Insiya Syed, Imran Arif Khan, Jamil Akhtar

Illustrator: Sana Nasir 

Account Manager: Aamir Allibhoy

Planner: Assam Khalid