Over the period of 2 weeks, posters and stickers featuring hashtag #Ou3a invaded the streets of Lebanon; they were spotted in public space around major cities, on traffic lights and signs, in addition to a number of universities, restaurants and bars. As questions were raised around the story behind this hashtag, it turned out to be the teaser of an anti-drug awareness campaign launched by Dahr El Bacheck Government University Hospital, with the support of the Ministry of Public Health, and organized by Pencell PR & Events.
The campaign was named #Ou3a, knowing that the latter is one of the most frequently used words in the Lebanese conversational Arabic. The word carries lexical power and a double meaning: "be careful" or "wake up". This campaign aims to raise awareness as well as to collect the necessary funds to expand the detox center at Dahr El Bacheck Government University Hospital.
During the teaser phase of the campaign, volunteers took to the streets, wearing #Ou3a branded shirts, putting up the campaign signs in the main assembly areas that the campaign's target audience frequented. The momentum of the campaign reached the media, anchors, actors and bloggers, who raised questions about the significance of the word on their social media platforms.
The truth behind the campaign was revealed on the 5th of November on prime time TV Talk Show "Kalam El Nas" as Marcel Ghanem interviewed Chairman and General Manager of Dahr El Bachek Government University Hospital, Dr. Roger Hamouche, about the campaign, its aims and the methods underwent by the hospital to fight addiction. On the 6th of November, all local televisions broadcasted the campaign's advertisement that followed Karim the hero of the ad in his different life stages emphasizing the dangers of drugs through the word #Ou3a.
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