Friday, August 5, 2022

With #RedressLebanon, AlNahar aims for awards not readers.

I am starting to detect a pattern here (har, har) - I mean with the way AlNahar newspaper is advertising itself.

First the campaign itself - in their own words:

"Emanating from the mesh that covered most wrecked and destroyed buildings in Beirut following the explosion of August 4th, Zuhair Murad creates a design to transform this fabric into art and dress the city in a befitting gown. To this day, the AlNahar building, which was heavily affected, remains enveloped in this fabric.

In support of the victims of the blast and their families, #RedressLebanon is selling 10452 NFTs of this dress to raise funds for them. All proceeds will go to “IDRAAC” NGO."

Now, fresh from their Cannes Lions win, AlNahar goes for another award-worthy idea. OK not them, their advertising agency. But I digress.

Look, if AlNahar wanted to target readers, they'd be printing top-notch articles rather than clickbaits. If AlNahar wanted to target readers, it would have promoted mid-level journalists to higher positions. And I go on, indefinitely. But AlNahar and its advertising agency are vying for awards, not for readers.

You know, if they really cared about simple communication, they would have unified how their name is in Latin - is it AlNahar or Annahar (as their website goes?). 

See? Before the awards, address those simple rules.

But then again next year's Cannes Lions await.