Just when you get upset that Lebanon is stuck in the dark ages, you always get something to remember that Lebanese people and brands are actually awesome. You also remember that no matter how much the forces of evil and hatred manifested in conservatives seeking to always ban and subdue everything that doesn’t conform to their rigid beliefs, will never prevail in this country.
“Come As You Are” Evolution
In a first in Lebanon, the ad features a part of Lebanese community that is often overlooked, persecuted and oppressed: the LGBT community. It fits absolutely perfectly with Crepaway’s tagline: “Come As You Are”.
It’s beautiful to see the tagline evolve over the years, from a cute gimmick of people dressed in pajamas, to the current socially aware message it has become.
It’s also very exciting to see this happen, after a Coke ad featuring two young women “too close to each other” removed from Tripoli. The same week an ad for lingerie was also taken down, and a petition promoting hatred and religious extremism was launched in LAU Byblos.
Beautifully Executed
The ad was made by WonderEight and Black Rhino. It’s beautiful visually and content-wise. I love it when an ad is more than just the brand focusing on increasing sales, but also having a message and creating something that’s a pleasure to watch, share and comment on.
It was also a pleasure seeing so many friends featured in the video, as well venues and locations in Beirut and beyond we all love and know well. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, and that more and more brands and creatives follow in the footsteps of Crepaway to produce more inclusive, tolerant tones in their messaging. Something that we often lack in Lebanon…
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