Clever advertising can go a long way. Middle East’s nut maker A Rifai found this when its front page ad in the Daily Star in Lebanon, created by République – a Beirut-based boutique agency, went viral. Al Rifai was reacting to the swearing in of Donald Trump.
The ad that appeared in the Daily Star alongside news of Trump’s inaugural was shared across the globe by advertising editors and fans and continues to go viral.
Tagged with a headline that reads ‘The world has gone nuts’, the advert summarized the sentiment of many towards the transition of power in the US. Though initially apprehensive about commenting on political developments, Al Rifai have become known for their bold and daring approach to advertising and felt the need to represent the public view on this matter.
The campaign goes to show that newspapers and print media are not dead. Such results further validate the impact brands can have when they engage in the world around them and that courtesy globalization, a simple local advert can address the world and connect with audiences of all backgrounds and nationalities.
Picked up by editors and media the world over, including AdWeek, Quartz, Brilliant Ads, Mad Over Marketing and Arab Ad, the ad reached 547 retweets per second with thousands expressing their admiration for the bold statement.
