How Lebanon’s Women-Created Mouneh Is Making Them Money
The people of Lebanon have been grappling with an economic crisis for years now. In the midst of hardships, there has been a 63% rise in unemployment for women, leaving them to find alternatives to their income sources. As a result, Lebanese women have begun making ‘mouneh’, which are traditional preserves, and selling them within their local communities.
Learning about this, and the jars which are used for the products, the Puck brand (Arla’s MEA offering) decided to repurpose their blue-lidded jars to support women with their small businesses. Following the stories of five women in the region, the brand’s latest campaign showcases the women behind the locally sold jars of mouneh and shares each journey towards more economic freedom in these uncertain times.
To hear more about the process of creating the ‘Selfless Shelves’ initiative, FP7McCann’s chief creative officer Federico Fanti speaks to LBB’s Nisna Mahtani.
LBB> The economic crisis means that there has been a 63% increase in the unemployment rates of Lebanese women. How did Pick want to tackle this statistic?
Federico> The result of a 63% increase in unemployment led to an increase in small businesses from inside Lebanese households and home-made mouneh is one of the most common new homegrown businesses, especially in the rural areas of Lebanon where job opportunities are even more scarce.
For Puck, mouneh is the most logical business to support, since it’s made by women, for their communities, and by using jars that are similar to Puck’s most iconic product – the blue jar.
LBB> Talk to us about where Puck lies in the Middle Eastern market, how it’s supported women and why it wanted to create the ‘Selfless Shelves’ initiative this time.
Federico> Puck is deeply committed to making a positive impact in our community. The brand believes that today's companies have a greater duty to contribute meaningfully to the communities they serve. Therefore, their mission goes beyond offering products; and aiming to truly make a difference in people’s lives, especially women. Whether it's supporting small businesses or highlighting key social issues, the brand is dedicated to finding ways to add value and tirelessly seek opportunities to support and uplift – focusing on creating real change in the lives of women around us.
LBB> To start the initiative, how did you find the five women to be involved?
Federico> Launching an initiative for Lebanon, from Dubai, was our first challenge. We soon realised that we needed support from someone who could speak to families in the country and scout the rural regions of Lebanon for women who would be willing to participate. That’s when we got in touch with Anthony Rahayel.
Anthony is an established Lebanese food influencer who goes on tasting tours across Lebanese villages to try each region’s local cuisine. Our brief was the perfect fit for his area of expertise: Find Lebanese women from all around the country who have started a small business with their mouneh using locally grown produce. We then shortlisted the candidates based on location to ensure that we are inclusive of cuisines from every main region in Lebanon.
LBB> This initiative is twofold, for Puck, it’s a sustainable way for the brand to recycle its jars and for the women, it’s a way to make a living. Why was it important to consider both parties during this process?
Federico> Creating ‘Selfless Shelves’ wasn’t our original objective. The idea was conceived while we were developing a sustainability campaign for Puck blue jars. As we unpacked inventive ways to re-use Puck’s blue jars, we noticed that several Lebanese women were repurposing the jars at home to preserve food – which led us to discover that this act of preserving food is an alternative form of income for women in Lebanon.
What started as a sustainability campaign began to evolve into something bigger, deeper, and even more relevant due to Lebanon’s current economic climate.
LBB> Having the handmade labels adds to the authenticity of the product. Why were you keen to have it kept this way rather than including pre-printed labels?
Federico>The intent of this initiative is for Puck to take a step back and create a space for small, women-led businesses to flourish. We wanted to reflect that visually in the design of the labels as well. So, we felt that having each woman add her own personal touch to the jar would give them a sense of ownership of the product. Handwriting says a lot about a person, and we wanted the world to get a glimpse of who they are.
LBB> How did you approach the filmmaking process to authentically capture each woman’s story?
Federico> We had to take our advertising hats off and take it slow. This wasn’t the kind of shoot we could wrap up in a day. Firstly, because of the distance between the villages. But more importantly, because we had to spend time with the women and interview them to know their full stories. We wanted them to feel comfortable around us, and we wanted them to be themselves. This process is what led to the authentic content you see today.
LBB> In terms of the timescale, how long did it take to capture all of the footage for the campaign?
Federico> The search and preparation for the shoot was the lengthy part of the project and not the time spent on the shoot itself. Overall, the whole process took four weeks. As mentioned, we had to spend time with the women to be able to create such content.
LBB> From there, what was the editing process like and how did you strike the right balance between visuals, the narration and the text, explaining everything to the viewer?
Federico> We had an amazing team who worked on the videos. And even for them, it wasn’t easy as we had to eliminate a lot of shots that we liked in the interest of keeping the content concise. We also kept the chronological events of the initiative in mind when editing to take viewers on the journey with us.
LBB> Talk us through the process of getting Carrefour on board and how the products have been selling on their shelves.
Federico> The partnership with Carrefour is about more than just selling products. It's about supporting communities together during tough economic times. From the start, Carrefour was keen to join us in making a positive impact. We've worked closely to pick the best store locations and shelf spots to highlight the stories of the products as best we can.
This collaboration is built on shared values and a goal to make a difference, focusing on connecting customers with the cause behind each product. By choosing where and how our products are presented, we're making sure they catch the eye of shoppers and share the message of community support.
Given that the products just recently hit the shelves and the project is currently live, it’s difficult to assess the total number of sales just yet. Also, we’re about to launch the products on e-commerce online purchases – so stay tuned!
LBB> The Puck brand plans on growing the initiative to the UAE, Saudi Arabia and beyond. Why is it important for them to continue to empower communities across the world?
Federico> Puck has always been the ally of women. Selfless Shelves is just one way for Puck to show support and encourage Lebanese women to prosper. The brand believes that enhancing the lives of individuals results in the prosperity of the many – their neighbourhood, their community, their country, and eventually the world. It’s a ripple effect of positive action.
LBB> Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Federico> These are real women, who provide real financial support for their families and communities with their mouneh. It’s an honour to support and represent them. We are also proud to have created a genuine initiative that acted beyond the conventional statements and taglines of advertising.
