The #Back_Together campaign by the World Youth Forum, launched in Egypt in late 2021, positions the brand as a unifying platform that acknowledges collective fear stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic while encouraging resilience, learning, and solidarity. By framing fear not as a debilitating force but as a catalyst for growth and innovation, the campaign reinforces the Forum’s value proposition: it is a space where young people come together to confront uncertainty, collaborate, and drive positive change. This aligns with the World Youth Forum’s broader mission to foster professional development and civic engagement within the global youth community.
Strategically, the campaign leverages a socially resonant insight—shared pandemic-induced fear—to tap into universal emotions that remain immediate and relatable. Its documentary and social experiment format lends authenticity and emotional depth, effectively engaging a young, socially conscious audience seeking both connection and empowerment amid ongoing global challenges. The message of collective overcoming speaks directly to youths’ desire for collaboration and constructive action, positioning the Forum as not only a gathering but a movement. The creative angle of “back together” capitalizes on the gradual reopening of social and professional spaces, reaffirming the importance of physical and ideological reconnection in shaping a hopeful future. This approach supports sustained audience engagement by linking the brand’s public service ethos with an evolving, real-world context, thereby enhancing relevance and community-building potential.
FORMAT#3 SYMBOLIZE THE PROBLEM — Uses symbols or analogies to represent the problem instead of showing it literally.
This campaign centers on the collective feeling of fear experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, directly invoking “fear” as a shared, almost universal emotion rather than depicting specific pandemic scenes or hardships. The documentary/social experiment genre, in combination with lines like “Fears aren’t there to bring us down, they are there to elevate us,” and “Together to learn, embrace the unknown,” makes fear a symbolic device for the broader challenges faced by youth post-pandemic. The focus is not on literal demonstrations or a narrative with clear product intervention, but rather on elevating emotional barriers as symbols and framing the World Youth Forum as a space to overcome them—thereby using abstract representation rather than direct storytelling or problem-solution structure.
1. UNICEF Egypt – Positioned as a leading global authority on child rights and welfare, UNICEF Egypt leverages extensive research and community programs to advocate for youth empowerment, education, and health. Their strategic focus is on sustainable development and policy influence, differentiating through credible global partnerships and direct grassroots impact.
2. Nahdet El Mahrousa – An Egyptian NGO dedicated to youth development and education reform, Nahdet El Mahrousa positions itself as a catalyst for positive social change by funding innovative projects and supporting young leaders. Their strategic angle centers on capacity building and fostering entrepreneurship among Egypt’s youth.
3. Sawiris Foundation for Social Development – This foundation focuses on poverty alleviation and youth empowerment in Egypt through funding community initiatives and education projects. Their positioning leverages deep local engagement and a strong legacy of social investment, distinguishing themselves with targeted economic development programs.
4. Injaz Egypt – As part of a global network promoting workplace readiness and entrepreneurship, Injaz Egypt differentiates itself through hands-on education programs and partnerships with private sector companies. Their strategic focus is preparing youth for the job market with practical skills and mentorship.
5. Egyptian Public Policy Forum (EPPF) – EPPF positions itself as a platform for youth involvement in policymaking and civic engagement. They strategically distinguish themselves by facilitating dialogues between young leaders and government actors, emphasizing policy impact and democratic participation within professional services and public interest sectors.
Q: What is World Youth Forum 2021 #BackTogether about?
A: World Youth Forum 2021 #BackTogether is a professional film campaign created by DS+ for the World Youth Forum and published in Egypt in 2021. It addresses the collective fear experienced globally following the COVID-19 pandemic declaration by the WHO in March 2020. The campaign focuses on transforming fear from a paralyzing emotion into a force for growth and unity. It invites young people to come together at the Forum to learn, embrace uncertainty, and collaborate on building a hopeful future. The campaign aligns with the Forum’s mission to foster youth engagement, professional development, and social innovation.
Q: What creative device does World Youth Forum 2021 #BackTogether use?
A: World Youth Forum 2021 #BackTogether employs FORMAT#3 SYMBOLIZE THE PROBLEM from Clapboard’s 12-format taxonomy, which uses symbols or analogies to represent the core issue rather than depicting it literally. The campaign centers on fear as a universal, symbolic emotion linked to the pandemic, avoiding direct pandemic imagery or narratives. Through a documentary and social experiment style, it elevates fear as a metaphor for broader youth challenges, positioning the World Youth Forum as a space to overcome emotional barriers and foster resilience and innovation.
Q: What is the campaign proposition for World Youth Forum 2021 #BackTogether?
A: The campaign proposition for World Youth Forum 2021 #BackTogether positions the Forum as a unifying platform that acknowledges the shared fear caused by the COVID-19 pandemic while encouraging resilience, learning, and solidarity among youth. It communicates that fear should not hold people back but serve as a catalyst for growth and innovation. Targeting young people globally, the campaign emphasizes collaboration and constructive action as essential to overcoming uncertainty and driving positive social change, reinforcing the Forum’s role in professional development and civic engagement.
Q: How does World Youth Forum 2021 #BackTogether rank in Clapboard's archive?
A: World Youth Forum 2021 #BackTogether holds a Clapboard Campaign Score of 59/100 in Clapboard’s global ad archive. This score reflects the campaign’s creative ambition, execution quality, and cultural relevance as assessed by Clapboard’s curatorial standards.
Q: Who are the competitors in World Youth Forum's category?
A: Competitors in the World Youth Forum’s category include UNICEF Egypt, which leads in youth empowerment through research and community programs focused on sustainable development and policy influence. Nahdet El Mahrousa acts as a catalyst for social change by funding innovative youth projects and fostering entrepreneurship. The Sawiris Foundation for Social Development emphasizes poverty alleviation and youth empowerment through local community initiatives. Injaz Egypt prepares youth for the job market with practical skills and mentorship via hands-on education programs. Lastly, the Egyptian Public Policy Forum facilitates youth involvement in policymaking and democratic participation, connecting young leaders with government actors.
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