The Satire Revolution

Mainstream media is widely censored and controlled by the governments in the Gulf region. As a result, TV programming tends to be regressive and safe. So, for the 28 million Gulf national youths, who represent 65% of the population, it is a struggle to find content that speaks their language and feels relevant to them. The significance of YouTube is revolutionary; it has become a window of free expression, a place where Arab youth are experiencing their own kind of uprising - a cultural revolution driven by satire - fuelling the appetite for locally produced content led by young Arab talent who are using humour to challenge the status quo by making fun of issues considered taboo by the mainstream. Blackberry wanted to tap into this undercurrent and reinvigorate the brand by being part of their revolution so the strategy was to be an enabler of their satire movement and to help create spaces for youth to openly express themselves in a unique way. This campaign features four times on the shortlist for the 2013 M&M Global Awards. Winners will be announced on September 5. BlackBerry partners with Omar Hussein's 'HaroBnaro' YouTube show and gives Arab fans the chance to co-create content via an app.