By Mike Rich, Group Chief Marketing Officer at Aramex

In a world ridden with strife, businesses alongside other stakeholders have a critical role to play in promoting global dialogue and understanding, and helping achieve unity, peace, and progress around the globe.

Communication is crucial for promoting that dialogue, and brands must go beyond the legacy of their business and corporate strategies to support peace-building initiatives during situations fraught with violence and volatility. That’s the overarching framework of the ‘Pathways for Peace‘ joint research by the United Nations and the World Bank – which estimated that preventing and de-escalating conflict could save the world between $5 billion and $70 billion per year.

Indeed, it is in complex and seemingly hopeless moments that brands have the opportunity to redefine their global impact by supporting societies overwhelmed with uncertainty about the future, through innovative outreach. As the ‘Pathways for Peace’ report observes, with conflict today often simultaneously subnational and transnational, sustained, inclusive, and targeted engagement is needed at all levels.

And that engagement does not need to be complicated or overbearing. On the contrary, as was demonstrated by the stunning success of Aramex’s ‘The Undelivered’ campaign during Ramadan, it can be based on the use of simple yet powerful ways to communicate complex thoughts – in this case, by using just a single word, Salam.

‘The Undelivered’ video campaign centered around an undelivered parcel destined for Gaza and dealt with a cause that’s really close to our hearts – highlighting a message of peace and togetherness as part of Aramex’s commitment to promoting global harmony.

Focused on the word ‘Salam’ or ‘Peace’ in Arabic, the campaign video depicts a parcel that is being sent by a Palestinian citizen living abroad to his family back home in Gaza, which is held back in a storage room midway through its journey, until either a ceasefire or a peace agreement is in place, or the borders are opened up and parcels can be delivered to Gaza.

Directed at people worldwide who wish for peace, the campaign enabled viewers to record a short video message by saying the word ‘Salam’ – in solidarity with the campaign’s theme of promoting peace and harmony in Gaza and around the world.

The inspiring and overwhelming response to the campaign during the Holy Month not only validates the dictum that it’s ultimately the power of the idea that matters, but is also a powerful demonstration of how Aramex, as a thought leader, goes beyond its leadership in logistics to promote peace and unity that resonate globally through innovative digital campaigns. Indeed, ‘The Undelivered’ campaign poignantly captures the vital role of corporate responsibility in reinforcing global peace and harmony and contributing to stable and prosperous societies – positioning Aramex at the forefront of progressive CSR action. 

During Ramadan and up to now, Aramex has been unable to deliver any parcels to Gaza. However, as a small contribution to promoting peace, we have successfully mobilized voices from across the world to issue a global, unified call for harmony and to alleviate human suffering. It was also evident from the huge response to the campaign and the video that garnered over 14 million views on social media and 20 million total impressions to date. In capturing that universal yearning for peace, we not only fulfilled our mission to deliver a better tomorrow to all communities but went indeed beyond logistics to deliver a globally impactful message of peace and hope that can make a difference to our collective future.