The archive · Advertising · Marketing decision · 2023
Babyshop's nightly Arabic lullaby on Syrian radio replaces war noise with calm
In March 2023 Babyshop broadcast a neuroscience-backed Arabic lullaby at 8pm nightly on Syria's largest radio stations to help traumatized children sleep.
Babyshop
What it had to solve
Children growing up amid conflict in Syria were left traumatized and unable to sleep as the sounds of war filled the night. Babyshop wanted to give them a peaceful nightly tool strong enough to stand against that background noise.
How it works
In March 2023 Babyshop launched a campaign in Syria with one nightly act at its center: a scientifically backed Arabic lullaby broadcast at 8pm on the country's largest radio stations to help traumatized children fall asleep.
The lullaby was created with Syrian singer Ghaliaa Chaker and a team of neuroscientists, composed around calming elements such as a gentle rhythm and a simple melody rather than the jarring textures of conflict. It was available beyond radio on the streaming platform Anghami and on a dedicated station, Frequencies of Peace FM.
The aim was to replace war's background noise with soothing sounds, giving millions of children in conflict-affected areas a peaceful tool at the moment they need it most. The work is archived in the D&AD awards collection as radio and audio work.
Why it lands
- It gave bedtime a repeated, calming cue, targeting the exact hour when children in conflict zones are most exposed to fear.
- A mainstream radio broadcast reached children inside Syria without requiring an app, a device or an internet connection.
- Putting the lullaby on streaming and a dedicated station let the nightly ritual outlive any single broadcast slot.
- It inverted the problem: instead of trying to remove war noise, it gave families a gentler sound loud enough to replace it.
What it did
Radio, streaming and a dedicated Frequencies of Peace FM station gave families in conflict-affected areas a nightly ritual that replaced war's background noise with soothing sound, aimed at millions of children; D&AD archived the campaign in its awards collection.
What you can take
To fight an environment that never lets people rest, offer a repeated sensory counter-ritual: a scientifically designed sound at the same hour every night can do what a single message cannot.
Since then
Frequencies of Peace began in March 2023 and extended beyond its launch: the lullaby remained available on Anghami and on its own dedicated station, Frequencies of Peace FM, so families could keep the nightly ritual going. The campaign entered the D&AD awards archive, where it sits among radio and audio work as an example of using sound itself as a mental-health tool for children living through conflict.
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