UNHCR: Scriptwriting & Onset Direction
Project timeline
Project type
Scriptwriting
Onset Direction
Linguistic Specialization
Role
Linguistic Specialist
Client
United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR)
Overview

This project holds a special place in my heart, not only because it was a campaign for Syrianrefugees, but also because of my personal connection as a Syrian. The UNHCR taskedHill+Knowlton Strategies (H+K) and me with creating a compelling campaign to break throughthe noise of 2020 and inspire donations. Utilizing principles of Behavioral Science, wediscovered that emotional connections and humanizing the cause were more effective in drivingdonations than factual information.

The "Commit to Kindness" campaign featured a hero character, Samer, who spreads kindnessacross a refugee settlement. The campaign showcased the impact of giving through Samer,helping a struggling family stay warmduring winter. The campaign's success in spreadingkindness and inspiring donations was a testament to the power of compassion combined withcreativity.

Here’s the campaign that combined compassion with creativity:

Project Summary
The "Commit to Kindness" campaign for UNHCR, launched in December 2020, aimed to encourage donations for Syrian refugees during harsh winter conditions. The campaign focused on creating an emotional connection and humanizing the cause to drive more donations.

As a Linguistic Specialist, my responsibilities included:

- Writing and adaptingthe script in the authentic Syrian dialect for realism and emotionalimpact.

- Training actors from various Arabic backgrounds to deliver their lines convincingly inthe correct dialect.

- Updating the script on set to ensure it fit the setting and maintainedauthenticity

Client feedback