GOVERNMENT OF REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA: 10 METERS APART

Credits & Description:

Type of entry: Titanium and Integrated
Advertiser: GOVERNMENT OF REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA
Product/Service: DAY FOR MUTUAL PRAYER
Agency: Y&R NEW MOMENT NEW IDEAS COMPANY Skopje, MACEDONIA
Regional Creative Director: Dusan Drakalski (New Moment New Ideas Company)
Assistant Director: Marko Gjokovik ()
Client Service Director: Filip Dimitrov (New Moment New Ideas Company)
Producer: Vladimir Anastasov (Sektor Film)
Priest: Otec Mihail (Macedonian Ortodox Church)
Priest: Miftar Islami (Islam Community)
Assistant Producer: Goce Basevski (New Moment New Ideas Company Kosovo)
Dop: Dragoljub Nikolovski (New Moment New Ideas Company)
Describe the campaign/entry
Hatred is violence to the heart and
Intolerance is violence to the intellect - Mahatma Gandhi.
In a region plagued by wars such as the Balkans, these two come by more than often.
And in such conditions, where Christians and Muslims live close, but faraway as possible - launching a campaign for the reintroduction of ethnic tolerance and understanding was almost a task doomed from the beginning.
But extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures, and that is why the campaign we produced was as unique as it was direct.
Bring back the two religions that coexisted on the same piece of earth for centuries - back together.
Show that it can be done and set an example that everything is possible if we let go of the prejudices that are set upon us.
And by organizing the first ever joint prayer by Christians and Muslims, we showed that tolerance is giving to every other human being the right that you claim for yourself.
Campaign Success
The campaign relied on a single channel, and the one that is still the most effective in our country: the TV medium.
A single TV commercial showing the filming of the joint prayer was aired frequently, soon gathering a lot of attention and quickly transferring across the digital channels, where it also received enormous viewing numbers.
Launched & Execution
Upon launch, due to its unusual and somewhat controversial content and message, the campaign quickly became the main discussion topic in the relevant media.
And finally, an initiative has been raised in front of the Parliament of Republic of Macedonia to recognize the day on which the first joint prayer happened as a National Day of Prayer, which should occur annually as an incite to reintroduce and reaffirm ethnic tolerance and peace in the country.