PAPER FLAG

TitlePAPER FLAG
BrandCEYLON NEWSPAPERS
Product / ServiceNEWSPAPERS
CategoryA02. Best Use of Magazines/Newspapers
EntrantLEO BURNETT SOLUTIONS Colombo, SRI LANKA
Entrant Company:LEO BURNETT SOLUTIONS Colombo, SRI LANKA
Advertising Agency:LEO BURNETT SOLUTIONS Colombo, SRI LANKA
Media Agency:STARCOM Colombo, SRI LANKA

Credits

Name Company Position
Sachin Ambekar Leo Burnett Solutions Chief Creative Officer
Subhash Pinnapola Leo Burnett Solutions Executive Creative Director
Eraj Wirasinha Leo Burnett Solutions Associate Creative Director
Shayani Obeysekera Leo Burnett Solutions Art Director
Ranjana Amaradeva Leo Burnett Solutions Group Head/Copy Writer
Prasad Chaturanga Leo Burnett Solutions Illustrator
Nilusha Wanasinghe Starcom Sri Lanka Media Group Head
Chandani Abeyratne Starcom Sri Lanka Media Manager
Ranjith Perera Leo Burnett Solutions Manager - Digital Art Productin
Shehan Sarada Leo Burnett Solutions Studio Operator
Selonica Nalawansa Leo Burnett Solutions Brand Manager
Sachie Tennakoon Leo Burnett Solutions Brance Executive
Gian De Rose Leo Burnett Solutions Director - Client Servicing
Mohamed Ikram Leo Burnett Solutions Group Head - Broadcast Production
Murtaza A. Tajbhoy Leo Burnett Solutions Planner
Nuwan Jayathilaka 24 Frames Director
Saman Sujeewa 24 Frames Editor

Results and Effectiveness

On the day of publication, Mawbima sold out within three 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.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

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.