Twenty-four hours after the horrific events of October 7th, when the scale of the massacre became apparent, we learned about the massive number of hostages. While Israel was preparing for the operation in Gaza, the Gitam-BBDO advertising agency set up a creative task force. It wasn't a propaganda team, nor was it an advertising group, but the goal was clear: to voice the Israeli perspective so that the whole world would know and thereby help in the return of the hostages.
We quickly realized that we needed to do more than classic advocacy. When you are required to "explain," you have already lost half the battle. The scale of the tragedy was beyond understanding, and the level of atrocities was unprecedented. But how to convey it to people who have never heard of Kibbutz Be’eri in their life?
In the new world, there is no “one size fits all”. In this new world, 38-year-old Karen from New Jersey, 20-year-old Richard from London, and 60-year-old Javier from Madrid - are three different sectors that each need their own messaging.
Each has distinct values and references. Each needs to hear the story quickly, with an easy point of reference to their own life that allows them to understand it. This battle of shaping a narrative for multiple perspectives, as it soon became clear to us, would be a very difficult mission.
Insight 1: We decided to lead to the same bottom line but in many different stories.
Telling the story in only one way is insufficient. From our tiny office and using volunteers, we created an amazing machine that produced more than 350 videos, five hundred ads, trolling actions, and different types of campaigns. We were all cogs in something bigger than all of us. We left our egos at the door and set to work - veterans and rookies, liberals and conservatives. Secular and religious.
Since I have a background in scriptwriting, my approach was to look at our narrative almost as if it were an American broadcast series. One that intrigues and attracts many audiences, emotionally activates them, and gives a sense of value to their time and attention. The plot is evolving. First, the crime and injustice are presented (the horror footage from the party), then the villain is introduced (Hamas is ISIS), and then, the viewer understands why it is relevant for him or her (the West is Next).
The first weeks were intensive yet intuitive. Like everyone else, we too were thrown into a reality we didn't know, and therefore, there needed to be more research, and the data was partial at best or wrong (badly worded questions, unsegmented audiences, etc.). I'll be honest: initially, we created based on our gut feeling and intuition. Sometimes we hit the mark, and other times, we were totally off base.
We understood that what is good catches on and what isn’t disappears by the wayside. We realized that an imperfect video with perfect timing is better than an ideal one coming out when the world has already moved on. And so we can already mark another conclusion, timing. This is perhaps the oldest cliché in the world of content, but in the content hurricane we are in - especially true.
Insight 2: Geographical distribution is only a tiny part of the picture
Obviously, there are significant differences between places, and the messages to London are different from those of Michigan. But we were surprised to discover that the greatest differences are actually between generations. Thus, while the image of Israel is stable among the general American audience (around 47% support), in Generation Z, there is a dip in support for Israel, and in contrast, there is large and loud support on the other side, the Palestinians, since Generation Z has characteristics that are dramatically different from previous generations with an emphasis on Generation X and Generation Y and the Baby Boomers.
If we initially thought that 'Hamas is ISIS' or a comparison between the brutal actions of Hamas and the actions of the Nazis would convey the message, we quickly realized that members of Generation Z do not feel the same emotions towards Nazis or Isis. They have never met a Holocaust survivor in their lives and were very young or born after 9/11, Al-Qaeda and ISIS. For example, it’s likely they haven’t heard of Jihadi John, and those beheadings are not etched in their collective trauma as it was in previous generations.
Insight 3: Gen Z is like no other generation before or after
Another reason is the different generations’ media diet. Generation Y (born in the eighties-early nineties), X (born in the seventies), and Boomers (born in the fifties and sixties) rely heavily on traditional media such as television and print media and combine it in varying doses with social networks such as Facebook. On the other hand, members of Generation Z - born in the early aughts - hardly consume news from traditional media but do focus on social networks such as TikTok and Instagram.Chinese social network TikTok, for example, is a real challenge with a clear anti-Israeli biased algorithm. There is a lot to say about it, but in general, it is clear that the way to influence the narrative of Generation Z today is by generating a long-term and authentic dialogue at eye level. The way to achieve this is through artificial intelligence that can produce things in large volume at reasonable costs, which leads to the fourth point.
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(Golan Nochyian)
Insight 4: Artificial intelligence is a game changer.
In the beginning, we made quite a few major rookie mistakes - we showed acts of violence, weapons, and victims. Those mistakes lowered the exposure in the algorithm. We had to reassess, and quickly. We managed to produce the same emotional feeling when we brought Emmy Award-winning actor Mayim Bialik ("The Big Bang Theory") to read the last text messages sent by the victims to their loved ones.It worked because it was both authentic, and there was no reason to reject the video. In addition, Bialik shared her digital assets, which amplified our exposure in social networks and mainstream media, with coverage from Newsweek and other media entities, providing audiences that are not necessarily related to Israel or Judaism.
After the initial success, we used sophisticated artificial intelligence technology to dub the video into 12 different languages, such as Mandarin and Italian and thus got another round of new audiences.
For 100 days now, every time I power up my computer at the Creative War Room of the Gitam-BBDO advertising agency, the desktop's background is a picture of a woman I don't know. Her name is Carmel Gat, and she is one Of the 136 Israelis still being held hostage in Gaza. Her image is a constant reminder of why our work dominates our lives.One hundred thirty-six hostages are still there, and the task will be completed only when the last of them returns. A hundred days have passed. Viewing the endless materials we have created shows the tremendous power of effective storytelling. Through total mobilization, careful implementation, creative approaches, and a deep understanding of cultural sensitivities, we were able to break through on new media fronts. The global campaign is our attempt to touch the hearts and souls of different populations and generations while maintaining credibility and values. Our work, situated at the intersection of technology and creativity, gives us the tools to change narratives, influence public opinion, and build a better future. And that, at the end of the day, is the real mission of every content creator - to touch, change, and influence. Can you assist? We urge you to join the effort.
Omri Marcus serves as the Creative Director for GITAM-BBDO's Creative War-Room. Alongside this role, he leads the AI project at the company.