New York - Saatchi & Saatchi BBR Tel Aviv has been awarded by the United Nations for the Blood Relations campaign. The prestigious Gold Award is the first ever to be awarded to an Israeli agency.
"The agency is proud to win such a notable award from the UN. The purpose of the project was to bring the two nations closer together and to create awareness to the fact that even though there are many obstacles, both Israeli and Palestinian people simply seek to live in peace with one another. The fact the bereaved families from both sides came together for the Peres Center for Peace's initiative is exciting and hopeful. Once again it is proved that great ideas can make a change and we are proud for being a part of it," said Yossi Lubaton, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi BBR.
Blood Relations unites bereaved Palestinian and Israeli families together to donate blood which is used on the opposite side. Last September, members of The Parents Circle, in collaboration with the Peres Centre for Peace, joined in to give blood simultaneously. An Israeli hospital agreed to take Palestinian Blood and an Islamic hospital agreed to take Israeli blood. This then inspired similar donation events internationally as well as virtually.
In addition, the campaign has also been awarded Idea of The Year by the Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide Creative Board headed by Robert Senior. Board members are creative heavyweights from around the network such as Pablo Del Campo, Creative Director Saatchi & Saatchi Argentina, Kate Stanners, Creative Partner Saatchi & Saatchi London, John Pallant, Regional Creative Director EMEA and Tom Eslinger, Worldwide Creative Director Digital. It is the first time an EMEA office has been awarded Idea of The Year. Creative team Eddie Goldenberg and Tomer Gidron have won a paid trip to Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity.
Blood Relations is the winning creative idea to emerge from The Impossible Brief, launched at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in 2010. Created by Royer Jean-Christophe, the idea asks: ‘Could you hurt someone who has your blood running through their veins?'
Blood Relations is now on the UN agenda and continues to gain momentum on the world stage.
Photo: VP of Production Dorit Gvilli with the award