CEYLON NEWSPAPERS: PAPER FLAG

Credits & Description:

Type of entry: Use of Media

Category: Best Consumer Engagement

Advertiser: CEYLON NEWSPAPERS

Product/Service: MAWBIMA

Agency: LEO BURNETT SOLUTIONS Colombo, SRI LANKA

Advertiser CEYLON NEWSPAPERS

Product MAWBIMA

Entrant LEO BURNETT SOLUTIONS Colombo, SRI LANKA

Type of Entry: Use of Media

Category: Best Consumer Engagement

Title: PAPER FLAG

Advertiser/Client: CEYLON NEWSPAPERS

Product/Service: MAWBIMA

Entrant Company: LEO BURNETT SOLUTIONS Colombo, SRI LANKA

DM/Advertising Agency: LEO BURNETT SOLUTIONS Colombo, SRI LANKA

Media Agency: STARCOM Colombo, SRI LANKA



Chief Creative Officer: Sachin Ambekar (Leo Burnett Solutions)

Executive Creative Director: Subhash Pinnapola (Leo Burnett Solutions)

Group Head/Copywriter: Eraj Wirasinha (Leo Burnett Solutions)

Art Director: Shayani Obeyesekere (Leo Burnett Solutions)

Group Head/Copywriter: Ranjana Amaradeva (Leo Burnett Solutions)

Illustrator: Prasad Chaturanga (Leo Burnett Solutions)

Media Manager: Nilusha Wanasinghe (Starcom Worldwide Sri Lanka)

Studio Operator: Shehan Saradha (Leo Burnett Solutions)

Manager - Digital Art Productin: Ranjith Perera (Leo Burnett Solutions)

Brand Manager: Selonica Nalawansa (Leo Burnett Solutions)

Brand Executive: Sachi Tennekoon (Leo Burnett Solutions)

Director - Client Servicing: Gian De Rose (Leo Burnett Solutions)

Planner: Murtaza Tajbhoy (Leo Burnett Solutions)

Senior Executive - Broadcast Production: Mohamed Ikram (Leo Burnett Solutions)

Director: Nuwan Jayathilaka (24 Frames)

Editor: Saman Sujeewa (24 Frames)

Media Group Head: Chandani Abeyratne (Starcom Worldwide Sri Lanka)







Results





On the day of publication, Mawbima sold out within 3 hours of its release.



With a daily circulation of 135,000, newspaper flags were seen throughout the country as people showed how important Independence Day was to them. The feedback Mawbima received was overwhelming and positive. Vendors and readers said the flag was a thoughtful addition and that it was appreciated because it was useful and very easy to make.



Overall, the Mawbima National Flag engaged the paper's readers through an event of national importance and reinforced its reputation amongst its target audience as a relevant and insightful publication.







Creative Execution





Working for a newspaper gave us the chance to create content but we wanted to develop a more engaging way to connect to people. So instead of looking at what we could do in the paper, we looked at what we could do with the paper.



Like in any country, the national flag is the most powerful symbol of independence. Our solution was therefore a simple one: turn a national newspaper into a national flag.



We knew our execution had to be easy so anyone could do it. By printing the flag on both sides of the back page and adding few simple instructions, readers could turn their newspaper into a Sri Lankan flag, which they could wave on Independence Day. This allowed Mawbima to move beyond just being a newspaper and become a way for people to express their love for the country.









Mawbima is a national newspaper read by Sri Lanka's working class. The paper, after a hiatus, had relaunched itself in 2011 and was still in the process of reconnecting with its traditional audience.



Independence Day, because of Sri Lanka's diversity, is an important day for the nation as it is the one day of the year that is equally relevant to all communities. The day had recently become even more significant due to the country's recent troubles, which had brought a new wave of nationalistic feelings. This was especially true amongst the paper's target audience.



We therefore saw Sri Lanka's Independence Day as a strong opportunity to strengthen the relationship between Mawbima and its audience. But to do this effectively, we needed to devise a way for the paper to bring out its readers' national pride.